Carol DM
Sharing the last part of the series: 25 facts about Puffins, part five of five.
Below are some facts I learned and wanted to share.
In case you missed part one though four, you can read them here:
25 Facts About PUFFINS ~ Part 1 of 5
25 Facts About PUFFINS ~ Part 2 of 5
25 Facts About PUFFINS ~ Part 3 of 5
24 Facts About PUFFINS ~ Part 4 of 5
These Puffins always make me smile. I hope they do the same for you. We can never have too many smiles.
I hope you enjoyed this series, I sure did. 🙂
*Photos Courtesy of National Geographic
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Question of
WHAT EFFECT HAVE HUMANS HAD ON PUFFIN NUMBERS?
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1. Humans have had a very negative effect on puffins in the past. Today, there are threats on land and at sea.
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2. Over-hunting occurs when too many individuals of a particular species are killed and the remaining population is unable to replace losses.
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3. Mammals (such as fox and rats) introduced by humans, can be very destructive because the puffins do not have adaptations to avoid them.
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4. Oil spilled by tankers and drilling operations can destroy the waterproofing on puffin’s feathers causing them to die of exposure to cold temperatures.
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5. While humans have hurt puffin numbers in the past, we also have the ability to restore and protect colonies. We need to reduce pollution of our coasts and do a much better job managing our fisheries. This benefits seabirds and people.
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Question of
ARE PUFFINS ENDANGERED?
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1. Puffins are not endangered but they are threatened by human activities and are rare in many areas where they were once abundant.
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2. As a result, it is important to protect critical puffin breeding and feeding habitat.
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Question of
WHY DID PUFFINS NEARLY DISAPPEAR FROM MAINE?
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1. Maine puffins were over-hunted by early settlers for food and feathers.
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2. The colonies were harvested for the maximum number of birds and eggs that could be taken without thought to whether the colony could support that level of hunting.
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3. By 1900 the puffins were gone from the Gulf of Maine except for 2 isolated colonies.
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Question of
WHAT WAS DONE IN MAINE TO HELP BRING PUFFINS BACK?
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1. In 1973, Stephen Kress began a program to help re-establish a puffin colony on Eastern Egg Rock off mid-coast Maine.
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2. The idea behind “Project Puffin” was to move puffin chicks from a large colony in Newfoundland and raise them on Eastern Egg Rock.
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3. This was done so the puffins would think Egg Rock was their home and eventually return there to raise their own chicks.
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4. 1973 to 1981 a total of 954 downy chicks were transplanted into artificial burrows on Egg Rock. Numbered bands were used to tag the chicks so they could be identified if they returned.
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5. A similar project was completed at Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge where 950 puffin chicks were transplanted between 1984 – 1989. Puffins recolonized Seal Island in 1992.
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Question of
HOW DO PUFFINS HELP PEOPLE?
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1. Puffins help people by acting as indicators of ocean health, especially over-fishing.
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2. Puffins indicate the abundance of fish by the numbers of fish they bring ashore for their chicks.
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3. Puffins can also help tourism. Communities benefit from having a healthy puffin colony to share with tourists who contribute to the local economy when paying to see the birds, stay in hotels, and dine in restaurants.
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4. More than 40 seabird species in at least 12 countries have benefitted from the seabird restoration techniques developed by Project Puffin.
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This series was very interesting for me. The first photo today is something supreme.
what a wonderful series and such great information.
i did not know about the PUffins of Maine so I learned today!
Thanks Doc. Again, all of these answers were correct. The only format I could get to work. And it takes awhile to do these. But I enjoyed. I thought of you when I read about Maine.
well thank you, I learned that information today and when we return i will make sure and visit the parts of Maine with Puffins!
Thank you for the information. They look just adorable when they fly.
I love these birds. Thanks for your support.
It’s amazing and scary in how many ways people could impact the wildlife and environment. Finding balance is important. Thank you for these great series you shared with us!
You are so right, and remember all of these answers are correct. I forgot to add that in the post. Thanks for your support.
Thanks for your lessons. I get to know a very interesting bird.
You are so welcome. I enjoyed this one a lot.
Hehe, I known but some of them nice post//
Thanks for your comment.
Previously I was not knowing about these birds.
I have seen them on documentaries, would love to see one in person.