Newfoundland and Labrador Puffins

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) length: 30 cm wing-span: 57 cm bill: 4.7 cm

Ever hear tell of 'hatchet faces'? That is one of the local names for this small, noble looking bird with a black cape, white belly and orange legs. Their beak is orange and yellow.

In flight, puffins beat their wings much more rapidly than the murres. They are also adept at running on the land.

Puffins dig burrows on grassy islands to lay a single egg. They are often seen with 2 to four caplin in their beaks.

Puffins are very dependent on the early summer caplin migration for breeding. The largest Canadian breeding colony is at Witless Bay where more than 100,000 pairs nest annually.

Other Newfoundland Flyers

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