Atlantic Puffins spend most of their lives at sea, only returning to land during the breeding season. In the UK, they begin coming ashore at the end of April. Puffins are long-lived birds, often reaching around 20 years of age, and are faithful to the same burrow each year, where they raise a single chick. Both parents share the duties of incubating and feeding equally. After the chicks fledge in July, the adults return to the open ocean, not coming ashore again until the following spring.

During the winter months, puffins’ bills are a subtle grey, but in the breeding season, both sexes develop their bright, instantly recognisable orange beaks. A larger and more vibrant bill is thought to signal good health, making the bird more attractive to potential mates. At this time of year, sand eels are the puffins’ main food source, gathering in large schools just off the coast. Their chicks require a constant supply of food, so the parents take turns diving for fish. Puffins are skilled hunters, capable of carrying multiple fish in their beaks at once. Special notches in their beaks allow them to hold on to their catch even while diving repeatedly in search of more. They must also stay vigilant, as gulls will attempt to steal their hard-earned prey mid-air or as they return to the burrow.