Wild Puffin Colony Welfare and Climate Change

Puffin colonies on UK islands face multiple welfare challenges from climate change including prey fish decline, increased storminess, and shifting breeding phenology that affect chick survival.

Key Facts

UK puffin populations have declined at some colonies by 30-40% in recent decades
Sand eels are the primary prey for puffin chicks and are highly sensitive to sea temperature
Warming seas are shifting sand eel distribution northward away from traditional puffin colonies
Storm mortality of adult puffins during winter has increased with more frequent severe storms
RSPB estimates the UK has around 580,000 pairs, but trend data shows significant declines at some sites

Welfare Considerations

Puffin welfare is directly threatened by climate change through food insecurity and increased storm exposure. Adult puffins that cannot find sufficient sand eels to feed chicks face the behavioural conflict of abandoning chicks or continuing to search depleted waters. Puffin chicks that are underfed experience hunger stress and fail to gain the weight needed for successful fledging. Storm-struck adult puffins wash ashore in large numbers during severe winter storms, suffering exhaustion, hypothermia, and injury. The welfare of these individuals, and the broader population-level decline driven by climate change, make puffin conservation an important element of climate action.

What You Can Do

Support the RSPB and other organisations managing puffin nesting colonies
Advocate for strong climate action as the most important long-term puffin welfare intervention
Choose sustainably caught fish to reduce competition with puffins for sand eels
Support sand eel fishing regulation in UK waters given its importance for seabird welfare
Report exhausted or injured puffins to RSPCA or local seabird rescue organisations