Puffins

This postcard I receive from my dear friend from Iceland. 


Puffins are any of three small species of auk (or alcids) in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil. Two species, the Tufted Puffin and Horned Puffin, are found in the North Pacific Ocean, while the Atlantic Puffin is found in the North Atlantic Ocean.

All puffin species have predominantly black or black and white plumage, a stocky build, and large beaks. They shed the colourful outer parts of their bills after the breeding season, leaving a smaller and duller beak. Their short wings are adapted for swimming with a flying technique under water. In the air, they beat their wings rapidly (up to 400 times per minute) in swift flight, often flying low over the ocean's surface.

There are migratory birds that arrived in Iceland in April. Their breeding and fledgling season span from May until September, after which the puffins leave for the open Atlantic ocean.

Their nest rest at ent of approximately metre-long burrowed tunnels. Rhese tunnels riddle the ground here the puffins colonize on cliff faces, grassy islands and mountain ledges near the sea.