Marine Animals

Wild Puffin Atlantic Diet Welfare

Puffin chick welfare is almost entirely determined by the size and quality of fish brought by parents during the 40-day chick-rearing period.

Key Facts

Puffin chicks are fed primarily sandeels and sprats
Fish size must exceed a minimum threshold for the chick to swallow
Parents make multiple trips per day during peak chick growth
In poor prey years parents may return with insufficient food
Climate-driven changes in fish distribution are extending foraging distances

Welfare Considerations

Puffin chicks that receive insufficient food gradually weaken over days before dying in the burrow. Protecting sandeel populations through sustainable fishing limits is the most direct intervention for puffin chick welfare.

What You Can Do

Support sustainable sandeel fishing management
Donate to seabird monitoring tracking puffin welfare
Advocate for marine protected areas around puffin colonies