Among Friends

[just bee]

[Bird mama]

We got snow yesterday and it's snowing now.  I tell ya, it's looking more like Christmas than it did at Christmas 

The bird of the day for Saturday is the Atlantic Puffin.

Current Conservation Status is VU (vulnerable) and the population trend is decreasing.

The Atlantic Puffin is a colorful seabird that belongs to the auk family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean.  Although it has a large population and a wide range, the species has declined rapidly, at least in parts of its range. Colonies of Atlantic puffins occur mostly on islands with no terrestrial predators, but adult birds and newly fledged chicks are at risk of attacks from the air by gulls and skuas. Sometimes, when a puffin arrives at its nest with a beak full of fish, a bird such as an Arctic skua or Black back gull can cause the puffin to drop all the fish it was holding in its mouth.

The Atlantic puffin has a black crown and back, pale grey cheek patches, and white underparts. Its broad boldly marked red and black beak and orange legs contrast with its plumage. It molts while at sea in the winter and some of the bright-colored facial characteristics are lost, with color returning again during the spring.

The juvenile has similar plumage, but its cheek patches are dark grey. The juvenile does not have brightly colored head ornamentation, its bill is narrower and is dark grey with a yellowish-brown tip, and its legs and feet are also dark. Puffins from northern populations are typically larger than in the south and these populations are generally considered a different subspecies.

Atlantic puffins are birds of the colder waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. They breed on the coasts of northwest Europe, the Arctic fringes, and eastern North America. While at sea, puffins range widely across the North Atlantic Ocean, including the North Sea, and may enter the Arctic Circle. In the summer, their southern limit stretches from northern France to Maine and in the winter, the birds may range as far south as the Mediterranean Sea and North Carolina. Atlantic puffins spend autumn and winter out in the open ocean and breed on grassy coastal slopes and rocky cliffs.

Atlantic puffins spend most of the year far from land in the open ocean and only visit coastal areas to breed. They are sociable birds and they usually breed in large colonies. However, when out at sea, they prefer to stay solitary and bob about like a cork, propelling themselves through the water with powerful thrusts of their feet. When fishing, puffins swim underwater using their wings as paddles to "fly" through the water and their feet as a rudder. They swim fast and can reach considerable depths and stay submerged for up to a minute. They fish by sight and can swallow small fish while submerged, but larger specimens are brought to the surface. In the spring, mature birds return to land, usually to the colony where they were hatched. Each large puffin colony is divided into subcolonies by physical boundaries such as stands of bracken or gorse. On the ground, they spend much time preening, spreading oil from their preen gland, and setting each feather in its correct position with beak or claw. They also spend time standing by their burrow entrances and interacting with passing birds. The colony is most active in the evening, with birds standing outside their burrows, resting on the turf, or strolling around. Then, the slopes empty for the night as puffins fly out to sea to roost, often choosing to do so at fishing grounds ready for early-morning fishing.

Atlantic puffins are carnivores (piscivores). Their diet consists almost entirely of fish, though they occasionally eat shrimp, other crustaceans, mollusks, and polychaete worms (bristle worms), especially in more coastal waters.

Atlantic puffins are monogamous and mate for life. The male spends more time guarding and maintaining the nest, while the female is more involved in incubation and feeding the chick. Upon returning to breeding grounds Atlantic puffins soon start to excavate burrows on grassy clifftops or may reuse existing holes, and on occasion may nest in crevices and among rocks and scree. Often, one stands outside the entrance while the other excavates, kicking out quantities of soil and grit. Apart from nest-building, the other way in which the birds restore their bond is by billing; the pair approaches each other, each wagging their heads from side to side, and then rattling their beaks together. Egg-laying starts in April in more southerly colonies but seldom occurs before June in Greenland. The female lays a single white egg and both parents incubate it for about 39-45 days. The first evidence that hatching has taken place is the arrival of an adult with a beak-load of fish. The chick is covered in fluffy black down and its eyes are open and it can stand as soon as it is hatched. The chick sleeps much of the time and also moves around the burrow rearranging nesting material, picks up and drops small stones, flaps its immature wings, and pulls at protruding root ends. The chick takes from 34 to 50 days to fledge and usually leaves the nest for the first time at night when the risk of predation is at its lowest. When the moment arrives, it emerges from the burrow and walks, runs, and flaps its way to the sea. When it reaches the water, it paddles out to sea and may be 3 km (2 mi) away from the shore by daybreak. It does not congregate with other puffins and does not return to land for 2-3 years. At the age of 4-5 years, it will become reproductively mature and will be able to breed.

The main causes of the Atlantic puffin population decline are due to increased predation by gulls and skuas, the introduction of rats, cats, dogs, and foxes onto some islands used for nesting, contamination by toxic residues, drowning in fishing nets, declining food supplies, hunting, and climate change.

Since puffins spend winters on the open ocean, they are susceptible to human actions and catastrophes such as oil spills. Oiled plumage makes birds more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and less buoyant in the water. Many birds die, and others, while attempting to remove the oil by preening, ingest and inhale toxins.

Puffins have been also hunted by man since time immemorial.  Changes in climate also affect populations of the Atlantic puffin. In Maine, shifting fish populations due to changes in sea temperature cause the lack of availability of herring, which is the staple diet of the puffins in the area. As a result, some adult birds become emaciated and die and chicks die from starvation.

Look at this face.  How someone could hunt this bird is something that I'll go to my grave not understanding.

Nesting site

[Bird mama]

The Bird of the Day for Sunday is Attwater's Prairie Chicken.  

I usually provide conservation status based on the IUCN.  The IUCN is a good source when species are of least concern or near threatened.  The IUCN can't keep up with conservation status when a species is on the brink.

Attwater's Prairie Chicken has been on the brink for a very long time.  Conservationists are fighting for this bird like the conservationist's life depends on it so I'm citing US Fish and Wildlife and local resources on the ground to get a grasp on the current status of Attwater's Prairie Chicken.

Conservation Status - Endangered.  Population Trend - Touch and Go

Attwater's prairie chicken measures 17–18 in and weighs roughly 1.5 to 2.0 lb.  It has a 28-in  wingspan. These grouse have strong vertical bars of dark brown and buff-white pattern over the mantle, flanks, and underparts. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the males having elongated feathers, called pinnae, erected to form what looks like ear-like structures. The male also has as a bright orange or golden air sac on either side of his neck, which he inflates during mating displays. They have a lifespan of 2-5 years.

Attwater's Prairie Chicken is endemic to the Western Gulf coastal grasslands. Its range historically stretched west from Bayou Teche in Louisiana to the Nueces River in Texas, possibly as far south as Tamaulipas. Mexico and and inland for 75 mi.  This covered an area of 6 million acres.  Today, populations exist in the wild at two locations: the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge near Eagle Lake, Texas, and on private lands in Goliad County.

This species has a diverse diet, eating grass shoots, petals of flowers, seeds, and insects such as grasshoppers. Their predators include hawks, owls, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, oposssums and snakes.  Chicks are susceptible to flooding.

The mating display can be seen January through mid-May, peaking in mid-March, when the birds gather in small groups on short grass, bare ground, or hilly areas to choose a mate. This area is called a lek or "booming ground." In these areas, the females watch the males and choose their mate. The male emits a booming, "woo-woo" sound from his neck sack, causing it to inflate, and struts around to attract a female. Some of the traditional dances of the North American Plains Indians are based on this booming display.

In late spring, the hens lay 10 to 14 eggs in nests on the ground, hidden in tall grass. The eggs hatch about 26 days later. Only about 3 in 10 eggs hatch and the others are lost to predators. The chicks stay with the hen for about six weeks.

From 2024:

Nestled in the coastal prairie of Texas, the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge represents a vital sanctuary for one of North America's most critically endangered birds. The Attwater's Prairie-Chicken, a species that once thrived across the vast grasslands of Texas and Louisiana, now faces the brink of extinction, its numbers dwindling due to habitat loss, predation, and other environmental pressures. However, thanks to concerted conservation efforts, there's hope for this iconic species.

The refuge, established in 1972, spans over 10,000 acres of native coastal prairie, a rare habitat that has been largely lost to agriculture and urban development. This protected area is crucial for the survival of the prairie chicken, providing a haven where it can breed, feed, and roam freely.

Conservation efforts at the refuge are multifaceted, addressing the complex challenges that the species faces. One of the key strategies has been habitat management, including controlled burns and grazing. These practices mimic the natural disturbances that once maintained the open prairie landscape, promoting the growth of native grasses and forbs essential for the prairie chicken's diet and nesting.

Breeding programs have also been pivotal in the fight to save the Attwater's Prairie-Chicken. The refuge collaborates with zoos and conservation organizations to breed birds in captivity, which are then released into the wild to bolster the population. These efforts have seen some success, with the number of birds in the wild showing occasional increases, highlighting the potential for recovery with sustained effort.

Public education and community engagement are other vital components of the conservation strategy. The refuge offers tours, educational programs, and special events to raise awareness about the bird's plight and the importance of prairie conservation. By fostering a connection between people and this unique ecosystem, the refuge aims to build support for conservation efforts that extend beyond its boundaries.

Despite these efforts, the road to recovery for the Attwater's Prairie-Chicken is fraught with challenges. The species' survival is still far from assured, with threats like climate change and continued habitat fragmentation looming large. Yet, the work being done at the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge offers a beacon of hope. It shows what can be achieved when conservationists, government agencies, and the public come together to save a species from the edge of extinction.

[just bee]

@Bird mama 

The puffin is really a work of art.

I often watch them on explore dot org in their puffin burrow on Seal Island, Maine.

To me, they always have a worried look.

[viva923]

hello all

Those puffin birds are just unique.

it is raining quite heavily at times here-been raining since yesterday has not stopped. my front yard is under water. did get walk in while rain stopped for about 1 hour. did get a chance to talk with neighbors today got caught up on the gossip.

thursday may be a snowy one could have a true nor'easter-those are nasty storms.

ok guys later.

[Desert Lily]

The Puffins have such a darling face! Very expressive

[Bird mama]

Yes @just bee  they look pensive on the edge of stressed.

[just bee]

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@Bird mama wrote:

Yes @just bee  they look pensive on the edge of stressed.

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@Bird mama 

Maybe we're misreading their expression.  Perhaps it's just skepticism. 

[geezerette]

I always thought puffins look like they're painted.  Their coloring is so precise they look fake.  But beautiful.

[chessielady]

@Bird mama I had a chance to visit Skomer Island Wales on a day trip to see the puffins. They were fascinating! They are such interesting animals! The ferry ride over was great too!