Atlantic Puffin

ocean birds · diving · Atlantic Ocean · clever hunters

Upright little swimmer. Atlantic puffins stand tall and upright on land, looking almost like tiny penguins. But unlike penguins, they can fly through the air with their wings.

Underwater wing-flapper. Instead of kicking their feet to swim, puffins use their wings to push through the water like underwater flippers. This makes them super speedy divers when hunting for food.

Tiny food hunter. Puffins dive deep to catch small fish, shrimp, and crabs to eat. They have big appetites and spend lots of time searching the ocean for snacks.

Atlantic Ocean home. Atlantic puffins live all around the North Atlantic, from Iceland and Norway down to Maine and France. Iceland's Westman Islands have the most puffins of anywhere in the world.

Fewer puffins now. Even though there are still many Atlantic puffins, their numbers have dropped quite a bit in some places. Scientists watch them carefully to help keep them safe.