Protecting Puffins

City lights can cause the seabirds to get lost on land. But a rescue team steps in to keep them safe.

By Alessandra Potenza

From the February 2020 Issue

Key Focus Area: Sound, Light, and Other Waves,

Addison Brown smiles and holds a baby puffin in her hands.

COURTESY OF STEPHEN BROWNE

Addison Browne holds a baby puffin she rescued with the Puffin Patrol.

The night last August was cold and drizzly, but Addison Browne was excited to be out of bed. The 12-year-old was in a parking lot in Witless Bay, a town in Newfoundland, Canada. She pointed her flashlight under a parked car and found what she was looking for: a young puffin, looking lost and frightened.

Addison gently pulled the small bird out and set it down in a plastic crate. She breathed a sigh of relief. The baby puffin, called a puffling, was safe.

Addison is a member of the Puffin Patrol. Every summer, the group of volunteers saves pufflings that have become lost on their way to the sea. Since 2010, the Puffin Patrol has rescued more than 4,000 birds.

Birds of the Sea

A baby and adult puffin in their nest on the ground.

MARK COLOMBUS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Puffins nest in burrows they dig in steep sea cliffs. Baby puffins look different from adults: Their beaks are dark and their faces are grayer.

With their pudgy bodies and waddling walk, Atlantic puffins can appear clumsy on land. “But underwater they’re so elegant,” says Sabina Wilhelm. She’s a biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service. The pigeon-sized birds spend most of their lives at sea. They live all across the North Atlantic Ocean. Puffins can dive up to 60 meters (200 feet) to catch small fish.

In the spring, the birds come to land to breed. About 600,000 puffins nest in underground holes called burrows on four small islands in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve (see Puffin Homes). This protected area off the east coast of Newfoundland is home to North America’s largest Atlantic puffin colony.

Puffin Homes

Atlantic puffins breed in these areas of the Newfoundland coast in the spring. They spend the rest of the year at sea.

Think: What do you notice about where puffins breed?

Puffin Homes

Atlantic puffins breed in these areas of the Newfoundland coast in the spring. They spend the rest of the year at sea.

Think: What do you notice about where puffins breed?

“When the pufflings hatch, they’re like puffballs,” says Suzanne Dooley. She’s a director at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, which runs the Puffin Patrol. The pufflings stay in the burrows for about 50 days. Then at night in August and early September, they use the light from the moon and stars to guide them to the ocean.

But some pufflings never make it to the sea. The problem is light pollution, light from nearby towns that brightens the night (see What Is Light Pollution?). “The lights attract the pufflings,” says Wilhelm. “It’s their first time outside of the burrow, so they easily get confused.”

What is Light Pollution?

Bright artificial light can spill into areas that are not supposed to be lit up. That can disrupt animal behavior. Here are three ways light pollution can cause a nighttime glow.

Bright light from bulbs can spill into areas that are not supposed to be lit up. That can change how animals behave. Here are three ways light pollution can cause a nighttime glow.

Light travels in straight lines in all directions, spilling into unintended areas.

When light reflects off surfaces like pavement, it travels upward.

Particles in the atmosphere reflect light, causing the night sky to glow.

Think: How does light pollution make the stars look dim?

What is Light Pollution?

Bright artificial light can spill into areas that are not supposed to be lit up. That can disrupt animal behavior. Here are three ways light pollution can cause a nighttime glow.

Bright light from bulbs can spill into areas that are not supposed to be lit up. That can change how animals behave. Here are three ways light pollution can cause a nighttime glow.

Light travels in straight lines in all directions, spilling into unintended areas.

When light reflects off surfaces like pavement, it travels upward.

Particles in the atmosphere reflect light, causing the night sky to glow.

Think: How does light pollution make the stars look dim?

Light's Dark Side

Humans have been using electricity to power lights for more than 100 years. Today, there are more bright lights from buildings, cars, street lamps, and billboards than ever. This light travels in all directions, brightening unintended areas. Big cities produce so much light that the stars can become hard to see! That happens when light reflects off particles in the atmosphere, causing the night sky to glow.

The coast near the Witless Bay colony is lined with several small towns. The light they produce can disorient pufflings on cloudy or foggy nights, when the moon and stars are hidden. Some birds fly into the towns and get stranded. Many are killed by cars or cats.

The Puffin Patrol brings the pufflings to scientists. The scientists weigh and measure the birds to see how healthy they are. Finally, volunteers help the scientists release the birds at sea.

Dimming the Lights

Light pollution affects other animals too, like turtles, frogs, and bats. There are many ways to help solve the problem (see Light-Pollution Solutions). One way is to turn off the lights you’re not using. “Every little action matters,” Dooley says.

Addison started volunteering with the Puffin Patrol six years ago. In that time, she’s saved more than 50 pufflings! She also tries to help by using less lighting at home.

The day after finding the puffling last summer, Addison helped Dooley release it on a beach. She felt happy as the bird took flight. “I feel better knowing it’s safe now,” she says.

Light Polution Solutions

Here’s what you and your family can do to help reduce light pollution.

✓ Turn off unnecessary lighting outdoors and indoors.

✓ Keep outdoor lights low to the ground, and use light shields that keep light in the intended area.

✓ Use energy-efficient light bulbs that produce warm white or amber light. Blue light bothers animals more.

✓ Turn off lighting outdoors and indoors when not in use.

✓ Keep lights low to the ground. Use light shields. They direct light only where it’s needed.

✓ Use energy-efficient light bulbs. Choose ones that create warm white or amber light. Blue light bothers animals more.