Puffin penguin full#
Puffin penguin free#

Trips to view typically run from May through August with the best viewing in June and July.įor those who wish to view puffins on Eastern Egg Rock, trips head out from nearby Boothbay Harbor – we recommend Cap’n Fish’s Audubon Puffin Cruise. Puffin watching season in Maine only lasts four months out of the year. Here, you may also spot bald eagles and even seals. Eastern Egg Rock is one of Maine’s most popular islands for puffin watching it’s the best spot in the midcoast Maine area, Eastern Egg Rock is only six miles from the shore, making it extremely accessible. The ocean islands of Maine are the only nesting sites for the Atlantic Puffin in the United States. The Best Place and Time to Enjoy Puffin Watching in Maine The Project Puffin Visitor Center in Rockland is a great place for people of all ages to learn about the puffin and experience hands-on exhibits. These small, adorable birds have orange legs and feet, a black back and head with a white face, and an iconic multicolor beak. In addition, puffins are residents of the Northern Hemisphere while penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. Yet, despite some similar features, the puffin and the penguin belong to separate families. Introducing the PuffinĪt first glance, you may think that the Atlantic puffin is a pint-size penguin.

Puffin penguin full#

Our local guide is full of recommendations for whale watching, sailing charters, kayaking, and more.

Puffin penguin free#

Afterward, find more outdoor adventure in our free Travel Guide. Not only does the oil make these beautiful birds sick, it destroys their waterproof feathers, essential for their survival.Atlantic puffins are one of the most easily recognized birds in the world, but did you know that they live exclusively in the North Atlantic Ocean? The next time you visit Maine, don’t miss out on the opportunity to see these beloved birds in action! Read on to discover everything you need to plan the perfect bird watching trip, including educational resources, interesting facts, and where to see puffins in Maine. The main threats are overfishing, which can lead to a shortage of food for puffins, and pollution – particularly oil spills. Although puffins are not classed as an endangered species, populations in some places are in decline. Their main predators are hungry gulls, which can snatch puffins mid-flight or swoop down and scoop their tasty treat from the ground – so they need to keep alert!ġ0. In the wild, these winged wonders live for around 20 years. Both parents take it in turn to incubate the egg for the next 36-45 days before the baby “ puffling” hatches!ĩ. At the back of their burrow home, they build a nest lined with feathers and grass where the female lays her egg. When starting a puffin family, our feathered friends dig out a burrow using their sharp claws and beak, usually in a grassy bank or rocky crevice. They usually pair up with the same partner as previous years – some may have been together for 20 years!Ĩ. In spring and summer, thousands of puffins gather in colonies on the coasts and islands of the North Atlantic Ocean to breed. What’s more, these brilliant birds are great swimmers, too! Using their webbed feet as a rudder, puffins can dive down 60m under water in search of their favourite fish.ħ. Puffins are fab flyers, flapping their wings up to 400 times a minute and speeding through the air at up to 88km an hour. Puffins are carnivores and live off small fish such as herring, hake and sand eels.ĥ. In winter, the beak has a dull grey colour, but in spring it blooms with an outrageous orange! It’s thought that the bright colour helps puffins assess potential mates.Ĥ. A puffin’s beak (or bill) changes colour during the year. Ask your parents to check out Nat Geo Kids magazine! (AD)ģ.