Wildlife

Wild Puffin Chick Starvation

Atlantic puffin chicks are increasingly dying from starvation as climate change reduces availability of sand eels and other prey fish.

Key Facts

Puffin colonies in UK and Norway have seen significant breeding failure
Sand eel availability depends on cold water that is warming rapidly
Puffin parents must fish up to 60km from the colony to find prey
Some colonies have had years with near-total chick mortality

Welfare Considerations

Puffin chick starvation is a large-scale welfare crisis driven by climate change and overfishing of prey species. Slowly starving chicks represent immense suffering at population scale, with some colonies experiencing near-total breeding failure in bad years.

What You Can Do

Support sand eel fishing restrictions near puffin colonies
Reduce personal carbon emissions to address climate-driven fish distribution shifts
Donate to seabird conservation organizations monitoring and protecting colonies
Advocate for marine protected areas in puffin foraging zones