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| An Atlantic Puffin races across the water as it prepares to take to the air off the coast of Machias Seal Island. |
THE ATLANTIC PUFFIN
Atlantic Puffins are sea birds that spend most of their lives at sea and only come on land to breed and raise chicks. At least six Maine islands were once home to these small, parrot-like birds, but they had virtually disappeared from the coast of Maine. Settlers shot and ate the birds and used the feathers to decorate hats, and larger birds like gulls pushed out the small, vulnerable puffin. It's said that at the beginning of the 20th century there was only one pair of breeding puffins left in Maine, on Matinicus Rock.
In the 1970s, National Audubon Society biologist Dr. Stephen Kress started a project to re-introduce Atlantic Puffins to the coast of Maine. He relocated puffin chicks from Machias Seal Island, in Canada just across the border, to Easter Egg Rock. After the chicks had fledged and left, Kress and his colleagues used decoys painted like puffins to attract the birds back to the island to nest.
Now, there are puffin colonies on Matinicus Rock, Eastern Egg Rock, Seal Island and Machias Seal Island. Machias Seal Island, in Canada, has a breeding colony of about 3,000 puffins.
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An Atlantic Puffin is about 11.5 to 13.5 inches long and has a wingspan of 21 to 24 inches. A puffin can carry as many as 30 small fish in its beak at one time.
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NEWS and FEATURES
A passion for puffins
The funny little critters' fans are legion - and each summer, hundreds seek a closer look.
(August 3, 2003)
Plan now for trip to photograph puffins
Wildlife photographer Bill Silliker offers tips on photographing puffins, including how to steady a camera on a rocking boat and how to protect your camera from saltwater spray.
(March 17, 2002)
Puffin paradise
Central Maine Newspapers outdoors columnist Ken Allen takes a ride to Machias Seal Island.
(April 5, 1998)
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From New Harbor to Eastern Egg Rock
Hardy Boat
P.O. Box 326, New Harbor, ME 04554
Phone: 1-800-2-PUFFIN or (207) 677-2026
Web: www.hardyboat.com
E-mail: cruises@hardyboat.com
From Boothbay Harbor to Eastern Egg Rock
Cap'n Fish
Pier One, Boothbay Harbor, ME
Phone: (207) 633-3244 or 1-800-636-3244
From Jonesport to Machias Seal Island
Norton Puffin Tours (Captains John and Barna Norton)
RR 1, Box 990, Jonesport, ME 04649-9704
Phone: (207) 497-5933
Web: http://www.mainebirding.net/puffin/norton/
From Cutler to Machias Seal Island
Bold Coast Charter Company
P.O. Box 364, Cutler, ME 04626
Phone: (207) 259-4484
Web: http://www.boldcoast.com/
E-mail: info@boldcoast.com
Project Puffin, the project to restore Atlantic puffins, is supported by the National Audubon Society. You can adopt a puffin, learn more about the birds, get updates on the puffin population and more. For more on Project Puffin:
Write: 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850
Phone: (607) 257-7308
Web: http://www.projectpuffin.org/
E-mail: puffin@audubon.org
MaineBirding has an excellent puffin page with information about puffins and puffin watching, including audio and slide shows of puffins.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife publishes Maine's Watchable Wildlife, that gives background and tips on how and where to watch wildlife in Maine.
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| Atlantic Puffins keep a close eye on the approach of a boat at Machias Seal Island. |
If you have a puffin tour that you would like listed, please e-mail outdoors@mainetoday.com.
Updated April 2002Copyright © 2002 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.