An auk that breeds on North Atlantic islands and spends winter at sea.
The back is black and the belly white. Breeding adults have a large, brightly colored bill; outside breeding, the face becomes darker gray.
Atlantic Puffins rear chicks in burrows or crevices and bring fish from the sea. Lundy’s restoration removed introduced rats; the island was declared rat-free in 2006.
RSPB reports growth from 13 birds in 2000 to 1,317 in 2025. The observatory’s 2026 account describes poor returning condition and low productivity, considered likely related to stormy winter seas.
Biosecurity aims to prevent predators arriving again by boat or cargo. Protecting nesting habitat and access to marine prey supports different parts of the annual cycle.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Reduced prey, changing marine conditions, severe weather and introduced predators are pressures. UK conservation includes predator removal and biosecurity, habitat protection and monitoring.