A marine bird, the Atlantic Puffin spends most of its life on the open ocean, coming ashore only to nest and rear its young. During the summer breeding season the triangular bill becomes enlarged and brightly coloured. Atlantic Puffins breed in large cliffside colonies, using deep rock crevices or burrows. The single fledgling will remain in the nesting chamber until capable of flight. In Canada, it reliably breeds along the north coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, and on islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Colonies are also found in Greenland, Iceland, the British Isles and northern Europe. HOME PAGE