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Atlantic puffin on Skomer Island, UK
Portrait of a "sea parrot"
The puffin is nicknamed the "sea parrot", but the brightly coloured bill that lends it that title is only present for part of the year. A puffin's beak becomes awash with reds and oranges just before breeding season, when puffins form nesting colonies of hundreds, thousands or even millions of individuals. The beak's size and the depth of its hues signal whether a bird is a healthy mate. After the year's young have been raised, the beak's outer layer is shed to reveal duller colours. Each pair of new puffin parents then part ways—but these monogamous creatures usually return to each other season after season.
Portrait of a "sea parrot"
The puffin is nicknamed the "sea parrot", but the brightly coloured bill that lends it that title is only present for part of the year. A puffin's beak becomes awash with reds and oranges just before breeding season, when puffins form nesting colonies of hundreds, thousands or even millions of individuals. The beak's size and the depth of its hues signal whether a bird is a healthy mate. After the year's young have been raised, the beak's outer layer is shed to reveal duller colours. Each pair of new puffin parents then part ways—but these monogamous creatures usually return to each other season after season.
A puffin's best asset may be its bright beak, but its true colours only show for part of the year.
© Westend61 / Getty Images 2026-09-11 08:45:51 :