Birds - Puffins

One of the main attractions of Grímsey is its birdlife, especially the puffin (Fratercula arctica), which is both fascinating and unique.

The puffin has a striking black and white plumage and a large, colorful beak, at least during the breeding season. Interestingly, the color of the puffin's beak changes with the seasons. During the breeding period, the beak is bright orange, yellow, and black, but when the puffin returns to the open ocean, the outer layer of the beak falls off, making it smaller and brownish. It is believed that the bright color helps attract a mate.

This small seabird belongs to the auk family and typically measures 32–38 cm in length, with a wingspan of 53–63 cm and a weight ranging from 380 to 780 grams.

Puffins are found in Iceland from early April until late August. In Grímsey, they usually arrive around April 10th and leave by August 10th each year. Grímsey is one of the best places in Iceland to watch and photograph puffins.

Interesting Facts About Puffins

• There are three species within the Fratercula genus. The Atlantic puffin is the only species that lives in the Atlantic Ocean. The other two species, the tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) and the horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata), are found in the northeastern Pacific.
• Iceland hosts about 60% of the world's puffin population, and Grímsey is home to one of the largest puffin colonies in the country.
• Puffins spend most of their life at sea and rest on the waves when not diving. They use their wings to propel themselves underwater in search of fish and crustaceans.
• Although they are excellent swimmers, puffins are clumsy fliers. They need to flap their wings 300-400 times per minute just to stay airborne!
• Puffins have special salt glands behind their eyes that filter out salt from their blood and expel it through their nostrils. This adaptation allows them to live at sea without needing fresh water. They only come ashore to breed.
• Puffins mate for life. Even though they may spend the winter apart, often thousands of kilometers from each other, they return to the same place every spring. They lay only one egg per year and raise their chick over the summer.
• Unlike many birds, puffins do not build nests; they dig burrows, up to one meter deep, using their beaks and feet. They prefer to dig their burrows in soil or between rocks on steep sea cliffs, where predators find it difficult to reach them.
• Both parents take turns incubating the egg and caring for the chick, which grows quickly on a diet primarily consisting of fish. After 36–45 days, the chick is fully grown and heads out to sea.
• Puffins can carry up to twelve fish in their beaks at the same time! Their rough tongue helps them keep their catch secure in their mouths so they can catch even more fish without losing those they've already caught.
• Puffins have a long lifespan compared to other birds. Their average age is about 20 years, but some have been known to live over 30 years!