The Social Puffin

It has been a real privilege to be able to spend hours just sitting and watching Puffins, with my camera in my lap,

I’ve seen some fascinating behaviour. On one evening at Látrabjarg, as the Puffins were starting to come back to the cliffs, they were gathering in small groups, and each of them would nod / bob their heads in turn and I wondered if they were smelling for something, but an internet search says this is likely a social bonding behaviour.

I have seen a lot of Puffins pulling on the feathers of nearby Puffins, but I cannot find much mention of this online as common behaviour. To me, it reminds me of a small child trying to get attention…

Watching Puffins trying to land (they are not elegant landers at the best of times), in crowded areas of the colony is also interesting. The Puffin that is landing will keep its wings spread for a few moments longer than is strictly necessary. Apparently this is a sign of peaceful intention.

Billing (where a pair of Puffins rub beaks to bond), is also very common, and it can also be contagious. One pair will bill and this will trigger the pairs in the vicinity to do the same.

My personal favourite is the yawn. This looks like the Puffin is laughing, and once one yawns it runs around those nearby, looking like a ripple of laughter going through the group. A yawn can easily be distinguished from the aggressive gaping behaviour you see when Puffins fight.