The puffin is one of the most common birds in Icelandic nature. More than 2 million pairs of puffins nest here, around the country. The largest puffin settlements are in Breiðafjörður and the Westman Islands. The Icelandic stock is by far the largest in the world. When the puffin leaves the country in mid-August, the population size will be around 7 million birds. From mid-August to early April, the puffin stays away from land, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between Newfoundland and Mauritania. The puffin is not large, weighs about 500 grams and has a wingspan of 54 cm, but it complements the size with a large and colourful beak. The puffin is an excellent diver, but it can dive all the way down to a depth of 60 m for herring and capelin, which are its favourite foods.
Snæfellsnes 06/08/2021 15:22 200-600mm
The puffin will soon fly south of Bermuda, all the way from Snæfellsnes.
Photo and text: Páll Stefánsson
