The Atlantic puffin is a member of the auk family and is related to the razorbill, dovekie, black guillemot, common murre and thick billed murre. Newfoundland is the main breeding area for this species in North America.

Puffins arrive at their breeding sites around late April after spending a long winter at sea. They pair for life and each year they use the same nesting burrow (middle right photo) to lay a single egg. The chicks hatch after a long incubation period and then the work begins. Parents spend their summer feeding the chick on a rich diet of fish and by late August it is ready to leave the nest and head for sea. All the birds spend their winter feeding offshore in small groups, braving winter storms and sea ice. 

For more information on the puffin please check out our new book called "The Atlantic Puffin in Newfoundland". It answers all the commonly asked questions about this spectacular looking seabird.