Atlantic puffins are beloved seabirds facing severe welfare challenges as climate change shifts prey fish populations away from their nesting colonies.
Puffin welfare is directly linked to sandeel availability. Chicks that receive insufficient food suffer prolonged starvation - a serious welfare harm that can last days before death. Adults that must travel further offshore to find prey face greater exhaustion and predation risk. Climate change creating a mismatch between colony location and prey distribution is a structural welfare threat that requires both conservation and emissions reduction action.