The Atlantic Puffin is a small seabird that is known for its distinctive colorful beak. Puffins are found across the North Atlantic and are excellent swimmers and divers. They use their wings to “fly” underwater as they hunt for fish, crustaceans and other marine invertebrates. Puffins nest in large colonies on cliffs and rocky islands. Their loud, unique vocalizations are part of the spectacle of these busy puffin colonies.
Puffin Calls
Atlantic Puffins have a raspy, growling “arrr” or “arrah” call that has been likened to a small chainsaw. This is the most common vocalization made by puffins. It is thought to be a contact call used between paired mates and also by parents and chicks. When floating on the water in large rafts, puffins will chorus together with arrhs and groans. The growling calls get louder and faster during breeding seasons.
You can listen to Atlantic Puffin growling calls in this video:
[insert embedded video or audio clip of puffin calls]
Some key characteristics of the Atlantic Puffin growling call:
- Low, guttural, raspy quality
- Repeated “arrr” or “arrah” sound
- Sounds a bit like a small revving engine or chainsaw
- Chorus of calls speed up during breeding season
These repetitive, raspy growls are thought to strengthen pair bonds and signal territory ownership during breeding seasons. The calls get faster and louder when the puffins are feeling more excited or aggressive.
Puffin Courtship Calls
In addition to the common growling call, Atlantic Puffins have a softer, more tonal cooing vocalization. This is thought to be a courtship call that helps attract mates. The courtship call is a softer “heee-ooo” or “hooo-hooo.” It has a mournful, cooing dove-like quality.
You can listen to an Atlantic Puffin courtship call in this audio clip:
[insert embedded video or audio clip of puffin courtship call]
Characteristics of the puffin courtship coo:
- Higher-pitched and more tonal than the growl
- Drawn-out “heee-ooo” or “hooo-hooo”
- Smooth, mournful cooing sound like a dove
- Used during courtship and mate attraction
The puffin’s courtship call helps bring pairs together during the breeding season. It is thought to stimulate bonding, mating and egg-laying behaviors between pairs.
Puffin Chick Begging Calls
Puffin chicks make a very different set of sounds than the adults. Hungry chicks will call out loudly and repeatedly to beg for food from their parents. The chick’s begging call is a rapid-fire high-pitched shrieking.
Listen to puffin chicks begging calls in this video clip:
[insert embedded video or audio clip of puffin chick begging calls]
Here are some characteristics of Atlantic Puffin chick begging calls:
- Loud, high-pitched and repetitive
- Rapid shrieking or squeaking
- Sounds like a squeaky toy or whimpering dog
- Used by chicks to demand food from parents
The loud, frantic begging calls stimulate the adult puffins to return to the nest with fish. The squeaky calls get even louder and faster when the parent puffin arrives with food.
Underwater Vocalizations
One of the puffin’s most remarkable abilities is flying underwater. They use their wings to propel themselves down to depths of up to 200 feet in search of fish. Fascinatingly, puffins make distinct vocalizations even when underwater.
Listen to an Atlantic Puffin’s underwater calls in this audio clip:
[insert embedded video or audio clip of puffin underwater vocalizations]
Key features of Atlantic Puffin underwater calls:
- Low-frequency, humming or moaning quality
- Warbling, vibrating underwater sounds
- May function for echo-location underwater
- Also could signal territorial boundaries
These eerie underwater hums and moans create an alien soundscape. The calls may help the diving puffins navigate and hunt effectively. They can also mark territory and send status signals to other puffins underwater.
Variation and Mimicry in Puffin Calls
There is evidence that Atlantic Puffins have some capacity to modify and mimic vocalizations. Some studies have found regional dialects in growling and cooing calls between different puffin colonies. Individual puffins have distinctive voices that their mates and chicks can recognize.
Atlantic Puffins have also been known to mimic the calls of other species. There are reports of captive puffins mimicking human speech. And wild puffins have been documented integrating cries of other seabirds into their own calls.
This suggests puffins have some vocal learning capacities. Their growls, coos and screeches are not just innate reflexes. Puffins can modify sounds and come up with novel vocalizations. This may help expand their social communication abilities.
Conclusion
The Atlantic Puffin has a wide repertoire of raspy growls, mournful coos and frantic shrieks. These distinctive calls are critical for every stage of the puffin life cycle from courtship to chick-rearing. The puffin’s ability to make sounds underwater and mimic novel calls also points to its vocal intelligence. The noisy, thriving puffin colonies on rocky cliffs stand as testaments to the power and versatility of puffin vocalizations.
