Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) are small, colorful seabirds that are found across the north Atlantic Ocean. Despite their small stature, puffins are excellent swimmers and divers, using their wings to “fly” underwater as they hunt for fish, crustaceans and other food. But exactly how big are these charismatic birds?
Length
An adult Atlantic puffin is typically around 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) in length from the tip of its beak to the end of its tail (1). This makes them about the size of a pigeon, albeit much stockier in build with larger heads and colorful bills. Their wingspan is around 50-60 cm (20-24 inches) (2).
Puffin chicks, or pufflings, are of course much smaller when they first hatch. Newly hatched chicks weigh around 40 g and are only around 5 cm long (3). They grow quickly though, increasing to around 150 g within the first 2-3 weeks (4).
Height
When standing on land, an Atlantic puffin is around 20 cm (8 inches) tall (5). The height of a puffin relates to the length of its legs and position of its body. Puffins have short, thick legs to provide them stability when they’re swimming and diving.
Weight
The average weight of an adult Atlantic puffin is around 400 g (14 oz) (6). However, their weight can range from 370 – 535 g (13 – 19 oz) depending on factors like age, sex, and time of year (7). Males tend to be slightly heavier than females on average.
Puffin chick weight also varies substantially with age. Here is a growth table for puffin chicks showing their average weight gain over time (8):
| Age | Average Weight |
|---|---|
| Hatching | 40 g |
| 10 days | 150 g |
| 20 days | 250 g |
| 30 days | 350 g |
| Fledging (35-45 days) | 370-450 g |
As the table shows, puffin chicks are relatively small and defenseless at hatching but put on weight quickly, reaching about 90% of adult weight by the time they fledge at 35-45 days old.
Wingspan
Atlantic puffins have a relatively large wingspan compared to their body size. As mentioned earlier, their wingspan is typically around 50-60 cm (20-24 in) (9).
This substantial wingspan gives puffins good flight capabilities despite their short wings and heavy body weight. Their large wings provide enough lift to enable these bulky birds to stay aloft and even load their bills with many small fish on foraging flights.
Bill Size
The bill of an Atlantic puffin is large and triangular, wider than it is tall. Bill depth is around 1.8-2.4 cm and bill length around 4-5 cm (10). Their bill makes up about 1/3 of their total head length.
Puffins’ large, colorful bills play several important roles, including courtship, defense, feeding chicks, and holding fish while diving and swimming. The serrated edges help them grip slippery fish.
Comparison to Other Birds
Although Atlantic puffins are relatively small seabirds, their bills, wingspan, and hefty build make them appear larger than their actual measurements. Here’s how puffins size up to some other common birds (11):
| Bird | Length | Wingspan | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pigeon | 30-35 cm | 62-72 cm | 250-350 g |
| Puffin | 25-30 cm | 50-60 cm | 370-535 g |
| Herring Gull | 55-65 cm | 125-155 cm | 900-1400 g |
| Great Blue Heron | 90-100 cm | 150-180 cm | 1.4-2.3 kg |
As the table shows, puffins are similar in size to pigeons, but have a longer wingspan. They are substantially smaller than gulls and herons. Their compact size allows them to swim and dive adeptly when hunting for fish.
Key Physical Features
To summarize some key physical features of Atlantic puffins:
- They have black heads, white faces, and colorful triangular bills that are red, yellow, blue or grayish, depending on season and age.
- Their bodies are black on top and white below.
- They measure 25-30 cm long and weigh 370-535 g on average.
- Their wingspan is 50-60 cm.
- Standing height is around 20 cm.
- Their large wings provide good flight for their body size.
- They have short orange legs adapted for swimming.
Why Are Puffins Small?
There are several hypotheses for why Atlantic puffins evolved to be relatively small compared to other seabirds (12):
Diving Adaptations
Puffins’ small size and compact shape provides less resistance in the water, allowing them to dive and swim after fish more nimbly.
Flight Adaptations
Their short, narrow wings provide lift needed for good flight maneuverability while carrying fish back to chicks.
Metabolic Requirements
Their high metabolism requires frequent, small meals. A smaller body size allows them to maintain this active, food-consuming lifestyle.
Predator Avoidance
Smaller size may allow puffins to hide in burrows and crevices to avoid predators.
Cookie-Cutter Niche
In the ecology of their cliffside habitat, a smaller body size may have given them a survival advantage by allowing them to utilize small prey items that larger seabirds do not target.
Conclusion
Atlantic puffins are stocky, medium-sized seabirds. Adults are typically 25-30 cm long, weigh 370-535 g, and have a 50-60 cm wingspan. Key features include their large, colorful bills, black and white plumage, and short orange legs. Their compact size aids swimming, diving, and flight capabilities which are essential for their fish-hunting lifestyle.
