Puffin Patrol

The pufflings are frightened when volunteers find them. “I would be scared too if there was a giant chasing after me,” says Anton Ingi. “You have to be really fast to catch them.”

Between late August and early September, as many as 10,000 pufflings wander into the main town on the island where the boys live. “We have a town of 4,400 people, and when the puffins come, everyone activates to rescue them,” says Erpur Snær Hansen. He’s a scientist at the South Iceland Nature Research Centre. It’s important to save the chicks, says Hansen, because the number of Atlantic puffins is declining.

The pufflings are afraid of being caught. “I would be scared too if there was a giant chasing after me,” says Anton Ingi. “You have to be really fast to catch them.”

Many pufflings get stranded on the boys’ island. Up to 10,000 pufflings wander into the main town between late August and early September. “We have a town of 4,400 people, and when the puffins come, everyone activates to rescue them,” says Erpur Snær Hansen. He’s a scientist at the South Iceland Nature Research Centre. The number of Atlantic puffins is declining. So it’s important to save the chicks, says Hansen.

Atlantic puffins are sometimes called “sea parrots” because adults sport colorful black, orange, and yellow beaks. The seabirds are found across the North Atlantic, with the largest population living in Iceland. The towering cliffs of the Westman Islands are home to nearly 2 million adult puffins during nesting season.

Atlantic puffins are sometimes called “sea parrots.” That’s because adults have colorful black, orange, and yellow beaks. The seabirds are found across the North Atlantic, but the largest population lives in Iceland. They flock to the high cliffs of the Westman Islands. Nearly 2 million adult puffins live there during nesting season.

Puffins commonly mate for life and return each year to the same nesting area (see Life of a Puffin). The extremely social birds live in tightly packed communities in underground burrows dug with their beaks and feet. From above, people see only a grassy slope pocked with holes. Underground, it’s a hidden puffin city.

Female puffins lay one egg per year, which both parents look after. The egg hatches after about six weeks. Then the parents’ main job is to feed their chick. Puffins are great swimmers, diving up to 60 meters (200 feet) deep to catch small fish. A puffling can eat 100 fish a day!

Puffins commonly mate for life. Each year, they return to the same nesting area (see Life of a Puffin). The birds are extremely social. They live in tightly packed communities in underground burrows. They dig these burrows with their beaks and feet. From above, people see only holes in a grassy slope. But a hidden puffin city is underground.

Female puffins lay one egg per year. Both parents look after it. The egg hatches after about six weeks. Then the parents’ main job is to feed their chick. Puffins are great swimmers. They dive up to 60 meters (200 feet) deep to catch small fish. A puffling can eat 100 fish a day!

After another six weeks, it’s time for the chick to fledge, or take its first flight. The puffling instinctively knows what to do. Under the cover of darkness, when fewer predators like gulls are around, the young bird waddles to the edge of a cliff and jumps. It flies out to sea, where it will spend most of its life floating on the ocean’s surface, only returning to land to raise a family of its own.

But for some pufflings, this first flight doesn’t go as planned. The chicks navigate to the ocean by the light of the moon and stars. Artificial lighting, however, can brighten the night sky. This light pollution can lead the birds astray (see Blinded by the Light). Instead of heading toward the sea, the birds move toward the lights of towns. “They fly into windows, go into rooms where people are sleeping, land on roads,” says Hörður Baldvinsson. He’s the managing director of the Knowledge Center in the Westman Islands, which supports local scientific study. “The chicks are just running around without a clue,” says Baldvinsson. Panicked, the pufflings try to hide.

Another six weeks pass. Then the chick is ready to fledge, or take its first flight. The puffling naturally knows what to do. It waits for darkness, when fewer predators like gulls are around. Then the young bird waddles to the edge of a cliff and jumps. It flies out to sea. For most of its life, the puffin will float on the ocean’s surface. It will return to land only to raise a family.

But the first flight of some pufflings doesn’t go as planned. The chicks use light from the moon and stars to find the ocean. But artificial lighting can brighten the night sky. This light pollution can lead the birds astray (see Blinded by the Light). So they don’t head toward the sea. Instead, the birds move toward the lights of towns. “They fly into windows, go into rooms where people are sleeping, land on roads,” says Hörður Baldvinsson. He’s the managing director of the Knowledge Center in the Westman Islands. The center supports local scientific study. “The chicks are just running around without a clue,” says Baldvinsson. The panicked pufflings try to hide.

On weekends during peak puffling season, Arnar Gauti and Anton Ingi drive through the town at night with their mom looking for lost chicks. They shine flashlights out the car’s windows, searching for any movement along the roadsides. They also patrol on foot around the harbor, peering behind garbage cans and into other dark places. “The whole night, you’re just waiting to find a puffin,” says Arnar Gauti. “It’s exciting.”

During peak puffling season, Arnar Gauti and Anton Ingi look for lost chicks. On weekends, they drive through the town at night with their mom. They shine flashlights out the car’s windows. They’re searching for any movement along the roadsides. The boys also walk around the harbor. They peer behind garbage cans and into other dark places. “The whole night, you’re just waiting to find a puffin,” says Arnar Gauti. “It’s exciting.”

When they spot a puffling, they race toward it. Wearing gloves, one of the boys will carefully pick up the bird, keeping its wings pinned to its body so neither he nor the chick gets hurt. “You have to hold them tightly,” says Anton Ingi. “If they move around a lot, you stroke their heads.” That helps calm the little pufflings. “They’re so cute,” adds Arnar Gauti.

The boys put the pufflings inside a cardboard box to help the chicks feel safe. When the night’s patrol is finished, their garage often contains more than a dozen bird-filled boxes. “Our record is 36 puffins in one night!” says Anton Ingi.

When they spot a puffling, they race toward it. The boys are wearing gloves, and one of them carefully picks up the bird. He keeps its wings pinned to its body. That way, neither he nor the chick gets hurt. “You have to hold them tightly,” says Anton Ingi. “If they move around a lot, you stroke their heads.” That helps calm the little pufflings. “They’re so cute,” adds Arnar Gauti.

The boys put the pufflings inside a cardboard box. That helps the chicks feel safe. After the night’s patrol, their garage often contains more than a dozen bird-filled boxes. “Our record is 36 puffins in one night!” says Anton Ingi.

In the morning, the Eiríkssons take the birds to a facility where experienced volunteers evaluate the pufflings’ health by weighing them and measuring their wings. A veterinarian treats any birds that are sick or have been injured in a collision with a car or a building.

In the morning, the Eiríkssons take the birds to a facility. There, experienced volunteers check the pufflings’ health. They weigh the birds and measure their wings. Some birds are sick or injured from a crash with a car or a building. A veterinarian treats them.

Each healthy puffling receives a small, numbered leg band. That way the birds can be identified and monitored in the future. Scientists want to keep track of puffins because they face many threats in addition to light pollution. Warming oceans due to climate change have reduced fish populations. This means puffins sometimes can’t find enough food to feed their young. Also, cats and rats introduced hundreds of years ago to islands where puffins nest have become a major threat to the seabirds. These predators stalk the birds or raid their nests for eggs.

After the birds are banded, Puffling Patrol volunteers take their feathered friends to designated oceanside release sites where they can set the birds free. “We show them the sea,” says Anton Ingi, “and then we throw them into the air.”

It’s an awesome experience to see them fly away, says Arnar Gauti. “You feel happy because you’re saving a wild animal’s life.”

Each healthy puffling receives a small, numbered leg band. Then the birds can be identified and checked on later. Scientists want to keep track of puffins because they face many threats besides light pollution. Climate change is warming the oceans. That has reduced fish populations. This means puffins sometimes can’t find enough food for their young. And hundreds of years ago, cats and rats were brought to islands where puffins nest. These predators have become a major threat to the seabirds. They stalk the birds or raid their nests for eggs.

After the birds are banded, Puffling Patrol volunteers take them to release sites. These sites have been selected next to the ocean. Then the volunteers set the birds free. “We show them the sea,” says Anton Ingi, “and then we throw them into the air.”