Puffin: Seabird Welfare in Declining Atlantic Colonies

Key Welfare Facts

UK puffin populations declined significantly at some colonies due to sand eel shortage driven by climate warming.
Puffins are long-lived monogamous birds; breeding failure over multiple years causes population-level welfare effects.
Chicks (pufflings) that leave colonies at night are highly vulnerable to light pollution causing fatal disorientation.
Burrow-nesting provides protection but makes colonies vulnerable to ground predators including brown rats.
Puffins travel hundreds of kilometres to fishing grounds; marine pollution and entanglement affect feeding welfare.
Colony management including rat eradication has led to dramatic breeding success improvements at managed sites.

Welfare Assessment

Puffin welfare requires action on multiple fronts including rat control at colonies, reduction of light pollution near coastal colonies, and addressing the sand eel supply crisis linked to climate and industrial fishing. Supporting seabird conservation organisations addresses all these threats.

What You Can Do

Support seabird conservation organisations managing puffin colonies on predator-free islands
Reduce light pollution near coastal seabird colonies during fledging season
Advocate for restrictions on industrial sand eel fishing in key puffin foraging areas
Donate to organisations providing puffin colony monitoring and predator management