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Puffin Facts & Worksheets

Puffins house any of the three species of small pelagic alcids (auks) in the bird genus Fratercula.

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Puffins house any of the three species of small pelagic alcids (auks) in the bird genus Fratercula, known for their black and white plumage, stocky build, and vibrantly colored large beaks. Although these fab flyers are not classified as endangered species, puffins are threatened by overfishing and pollution caused by oil spills, resulting in their population decline.

See the fact file below for more information on the Puffin or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Puffin worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Taxonomy

  • In 1760, French zoologist Mathurin Jacques presented the genus Fratercula, with the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) as the type species, or that considered to be permanently taxonomically associated. 
  • The term Fratercula is the Latin translation for “little brother”, in reference to the bird’s black and white feathers, displaying resemblance to a monastic robe.
  • The English name “puffin”, suggesting something swollen, was initially applied to the fatty, salted meat of juvenile birds of the unrelated Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus), originally called the “Manks puffin.” The word “puffin” is also the Anglo-Norman term for the cured cadavers of nestling Manx shearwaters.

Species

  • The genus comprises three species: (1) Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica), (2) horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata), and (3) tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). 
  • Nicknamed “sea parrots” and sometimes “clowns of the sea”, Atlantic puffins sport black and white plumage and a large parrot-like beak, endemic to the Atlantic Ocean and breeds in Quebec, Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and the Faroe Islands, and as far as south as Maine in the west and France in the east. Despite being widespread, these seabirds have declined in number, making them among the vulnerable species by the IUCN.
  • The horned puffin is an auk that lives in the North Pacific Ocean, including the coasts of Alaska, Siberia, and British Columbia. Its closest relative is the Atlantic puffin, and their only difference is the presence of a “horn” of black skin found above the eye which is visible in adult horned puffins.
  • Also called the crested puffin, the tufted puffin is a medium-sized pelagic bird of the North Pacific Ocean, easily distinguished for its thick red bill and yellow tufts. 
  • The rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) has sometimes been considered a species of the genus Fratercula.
  • Despite being vocal at their breeding colonies, puffins are normally silent at sea. They fly a few meters above the water, usually 10 m as compared with the 1.6 m of other auks.
  • A puffin is a stocky, short-winged, and short-tailed seabird, with black feathers on its upperparts and white or brownish-grey underparts. Its head has a black cap, the face is almost entirely white, and the feet are orange-red. Its beak is large and tends to be colorful during the breeding season, which sheds afterward, revealing a smaller and duller true bill under it. 

Breeding

  • Puffins breed in colonies on coasts and islands; other present or former island breeding locations are named Puffin Island. The male Atlantic puffin creates the nest and displays strong nest-site fidelity. Adult horned puffins take turns in building their nest. Horned puffin burrows, on the other hand, are typically 1m deep, capped off by a chamber, while the tunnel leading to a tufted puffin burrow may reach 2.75 m long. The nesting substrate of the tufted and Atlantic puffins is composed of soft soil, into which these tunnels are dug. Meanwhile, nesting sites of horned puffins are found in rock crevices on cliffs. The Atlantic puffin burrow is outlined with materials such as grass, leaves, and feathers but is oftentimes unlined. The eggs of the Atlantic puffin are creamy white but usually, the egg is tinged lilac.
  • Atlantic puffins sometimes breed in rabbit burrows.
  • Puffins establish long-term pair relationships. Females lay one egg, and both parents incubate and feed their chick, which is called a “puffling”. The incubating parent grasps the egg against its brood patch with the help of its wings. 
  • Fledging takes place at night. Afterward, the chicks spend their first few years at sea and return to breed five years later.
  • After the breeding season, puffins winter at sea, mostly away from coasts and often reaching south of the breeding range.
  • Puffins held captive are said to breed as early as three years old.
  • Iceland serves as the home for the majority of the Atlantic puffins. The biggest single puffin colony in the world is located in the Westman Isles of Iceland.

Feeding

  • Just like other auks, puffins consume both fish and zooplankton. Adults feed their chicks with small marine fish every day. 
  • Puffins are known for their ability to grasp a number, sometimes over a dozen, of small fish at a time, crosswise in their beaks, instead of regurgitating swallowed fish. This approach lets them forage for food longer since they return with more food energy for their chick than a bird that can only hold a single fish in its bill at a time. This adaptation technique of puffins is made possible by the unusual hinging mechanism of their beak, allowing both upper and lower biting edges to meet at any angle.
  • In 2019, animal experts have witnessed puffins, in two different geographical ranges, using sticks to scratch themselves, implying that these auks possess a basic ability to use tools.
  • Atlantic puffins prey on sandeel, herring, and capelin.

Relationship with Humans

  • Puffins are hunted for their eggs, feathers, and meat. The population of the Atlantic puffin has extremely declined due to the destruction of their habitat and exploitation during the 19th and early 20th century. 
  • Atlantic puffins form a part of Iceland’s national diet, where these birds do not have legal protection. They are hunted through “sky fishing”, which involves catching them in a huge net as they dive into the sea. 
  • The Atlantic puffin is considered the provincial bird of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Puffin Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Puffin across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Puffin which, although not classified as endangered species, are threatened by overfishing and pollution caused by oil spills, resulting in their population decline.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Puffin Facts
  • What’s Puffin
  • Life Stages
  • Puffin Puzzle
  • Three Plus One
  • For the Puffins
  • Puffins and Humans
  • Test Yourself
  • Draw My Home
  • Puffin FAQs
  • Tale of a Puffin’s Beak

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Link will appear as Puffin Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 16, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.