Puffins nest in burrows on coastal grassland above sea cliffs, and the welfare of their colonies depends on management of the grassland, absence of rats, and availability of sand eel prey.
Puffin burrow welfare requires management of multiple threats: rats that predate eggs and chicks, rabbit grazing that maintains short turf suitable for burrowing, and grass tussocks that can collapse burrows. Rat eradication on island colonies has produced dramatic puffin population recovery at multiple sites, demonstrating the welfare benefit of predator control.