Puffins are seabirds in the auk family that are known for their colorful beaks. They have evolved specialized wings and feet that allow them to be excellent swimmers and flyers. Here we will explore how puffins move both in the air and water.
Flight
Puffins have short, stubby wings that flap very quickly, up to 400 beats per minute. This allows them to fly at speeds up to 55 mph. Their wings are adapted for frequent take-offs and landings, not sustained soaring flight. Puffins have webbed feet that they use like rudders to steer in flight. By adjusting the splay of their webbed toes, they can make quick maneuvers in the air.
On take-off, puffins rapidly beat their wings to become airborne. They use their feet to push off from the ground or water for an extra burst of momentum. In the air, puffins alternate periods of flapping with short glides. They are capable of long distance migrations covering hundreds or even thousands of miles.
Puffins tend to fly low over the ocean waves using a flap-glide technique. This allows them to take advantage of air currents and expend less energy in flight. By riding wind and wave patterns, puffins can travel efficiently between breeding colonies and feeding grounds.
Landing
When landing, puffins spread their wings and tail wide to increase drag and slow their descent. The webbed feet are stretched out forward to act as landing gear. Puffins are able to make graceful landings on both land and water thanks to their unique physiology.
On water landings, puffins use their wings to help brake and control their touchdown. They have decent floating capacity thanks to their dense waterproof plumage. This allows for smooth water landings and take-offs during foraging.
When landing on cliffs, puffins rotate their wings forward and spread their tail to maximize drag. They extend their feet to cushion the landing as they settle on grassy clifftops or rocky crevices. Puffins are able to stop quickly and land precisely, even in high winds.
Swimming
In the water, puffins display remarkable swimming capabilities. Their wings are adapted for underwater flight, providing thrust and maneuverability as they chase down fish. Puffins have a hydrodynamic body shape and water-repellent plumage that minimize drag.
To swim, puffins flap their wings up to 400 times per minute, much faster than in air. This drives them swiftly through the water at speeds over 6 mph. They use their rudder-like webbed feet to steer and make tight turns after prey.
Puffins can flap their wings to take-off directly from the water surface. Their legs are set far back on their bodies to optimize underwater propulsion rather than walking. On land puffins have an awkward, waddling gait.
Diving
Puffins are excellent divers, capable of plunging down 60-200 feet to catch fish and crustaceans. They use their wings to literally “fly” through the water on descent, closing them tightly against their body when ready to submerge.
Streamlined cone-shaped bills and dense bones help puffins slice cleanly into the water without injury. Once underwater they use their feet for propulsion and steer with wings and tail. Puffins have been recorded diving down over 200 feet, but most dives are much shallower.
Thanks to special blood adaptations, puffins can withstand the pressure changes of repeated diving. They have higher oxygen carrying capacity compared to other birds. After a deep plunge, puffins will often rest on the surface before diving again.
Carrying Food
Puffins are able to carry prey back to their chicks in a unique way. They can clamp down up to ten small fish crosswise in their beak, holding them in place with spines on their tongue and palate.
With a multitudinous catch packed in their beak, puffins are still able to take flight. They rely more on flapping versus gliding when their load is heavy. The fish are stuck in place securely until the puffin gets back to its burrow.
Puffins have excellent beak sensitivity and can hold up to ten fish oriented neatly like a rack of billiard cues. The average load is five to eight fish packed tight in their specialized beak.
Walking
On land, puffins have an awkward, waddling gait. Their legs are set far back on their bodies, which is great for swimming but compromises walking ability. Puffins have flattened feet with four webbed toes useful for pushing off from land.
When walking, puffins rock side to side and rely more on their belly and wings for support. Their legs remain tucked beneath them in a partial crouch. This comical, teetering walk lets puffins shuffle along cliffs and rocks effectively.
On level ground, puffins can move relatively quickly with a scrambling, erratic gait. Their webbed feet provide traction on wet rocks and grass. Overall their leg anatomy is adapted for water, not extended walking.
Unique Adapted Physiology
Puffins have a mixture of adaptations that enable them to fly, swim, and dive proficiently:
- Wings designed for frequent flapping, providing speed and maneuverability in air and water.
- Streamlined, tapered body profile to cut through the water and air with minimal drag.
- Waterproof, thick plumage layered for warmth and floating on the surface.
- Strong yet lightweight skeleton to minimize diving stress.
- Legs set far back on body for more efficient foot-propelled swimming.
- Webbed feet act as rudders and improve swimming speed.
This suite of adaptations makes puffins unique among birds. Very few avian species are adapted for both aerial and aquatic hunting the way puffins are. Their anatomy allows puffins to thrive in rocky island and coastal environments.
Breeding Behavior
During breeding season, puffins are busily flying between nesting sites on land and feeding areas at sea. This places high demands on their flight muscles and energy stores.
Male puffins establish nesting burrows high up on cliffsides. The male then awaits the arrival of female puffins and does a mating dance to attract a partner. Once paired, the puffins take turns incubating the egg and guarding the burrow.
When the chick hatches, both parents work hard to gather fish to feed their offspring. The parents must regularly commute between fish-rich waters and the nest. This repetitive flying and diving is extremely strenuous.
Puffin chicks remain in the nest for around 6 weeks as they grow flight feathers. Once ready, the fledgling puffins scramble out of the burrow and attempt their first flight. This is the riskiest point, as crashing ocean waves await below. But fledglings are ready to master the puffin’s unique flying and swimming skills that support their oceanic lifestyle.
Migratory Patterns
Some puffin populations migrate long distances after breeding season. Their efficient flight makes these arduous journeys possible. Some key puffin migrations include:
- Atlantic puffins migrate down from Iceland, Greenland, and Norway to spend the winter off the coasts of England, France, Spain, and Portugal.
- Horned puffins nesting in Alaska fly out across the Pacific to winter along the Japanese coast.
- Tufted puffins leave the frigid waters of northern Canada and Alaska to overwinter as far south as northern California.
These migrations demonstrate the impressive flight capabilities of puffins. They are built to fly swiftly and capably over great distances. Their migrations take them between productive summer feeding grounds and warmer wintering areas offshore.
Threats
Puffin populations face several threats around the world. These include:
- Habitat loss – Coastal development and disturbance of breeding sites reduces available nesting habitat.
- Predators – Gulls, eagles, falcons, and other predators prey on puffin eggs, chicks, and adults.
- Pollution – Oil spills and plastic ingestion harms puffins.
- Overfishing – Competition with commercial fisheries for prey species.
- Climate change – Ocean warming, acidification, and prey distribution shifts impact feeding and breeding.
Puffins rely on a delicately balanced marine ecosystem. Disruptions to their habitat, food supply, nesting sites, and patterns like migration put puffin populations at risk. Conservation efforts that protect breeding sites and reduce ocean pollution are important for ensuring puffins continue to thrive.
Conclusion
Puffins are highly adapted for life in the sea and air. Their wings provide speed and maneuverability in flight and underwater. Specialized feet and streamlined bodies make them strong swimmers and divers. Unique beak features let them carry stacks of fish back to feed chicks.
These characteristics enable puffins to nest on rocky cliffs while foraging out at sea. By shuttling back and forth, puffins move food from rich ocean waters to developing chicks. Their flying and swimming prowess also facilitates seasonal migrations across vast distances.
Puffins demonstrate how selective pressures can shape unique morphological and behavioral adaptations for living and moving in multiple environments. Their evolutionary adaptations for aerial and aquatic movement allow puffins to thrive along harsh northern coastlines.