Wild Puffin Welfare Climate Threats

Puffins are among Britain's most beloved seabirds, but face serious threats from climate change affecting their food supply. Individual welfare and breeding success are deteriorating at some colonies as warming seas shift prey fish distributions.

Key Facts

UK puffin populations are concentrated at colonies including Skomer Island, Handa, and Seabird City on the Isle of May
Climate-driven warming of sea surface temperatures is shifting distributions of key prey species including sand eels
Sand eels are the primary prey for puffin chicks - breeding success is tightly correlated with sand eel availability
Years of sand eel scarcity cause high chick mortality from starvation and increased adult energy expenditure
Puffins show long breeding site fidelity and slow to colonise new areas even when climate shifts make them suitable
Individual adult puffins in poor body condition through inadequate foraging invest less in breeding
Ocean warming also affects the deeper water prey layers puffins access during winter months outside UK waters
Sand eel fisheries management directly affects puffin prey availability during the breeding season

Welfare Considerations

Puffin welfare is being progressively compromised by climate change through prey availability decline. Individual breeding adults forced to fly further for fewer fish accumulate energy deficits while also under-provisioning their chicks. Chick starvation is a prolonged welfare harm. The slow life history of puffins means that poor breeding seasons have long-lasting population consequences. Climate mitigation is the long-term welfare solution, while sand eel fishery restrictions and marine protected areas around colonies provide more immediate protection.

What You Can Do

Support marine protected areas around key puffin breeding colonies that protect foraging habitat
Advocate for sand eel fishery restrictions during the puffin breeding season
Visit puffin colonies at established viewing sites that minimise disturbance during the breeding season
Support climate action as the long-term solution to ocean warming that threatens puffin prey