Meet the Puffins of Burhou
At around 26cm in height their bodies are small and stocky and for most year they are clad in a drab gray. But from spring their bodies darken and brighten to a costume of striking black and white. Their beaks begin to glow with stripes of red, yellow and black. Their eyes become kholed, taking on a winningly beseeching tilt. Each pair is fiercely loyal to each other, and to their burrow. They will try to return to the same familiar home every year. There they will raise a single puffling, until it fledges, with a clumsy, headlong dash to the relative safety of the sea.
But there are many challenges to the survival of each new generation. Pollution, dwindling fish stocks and extreme weather variation all pose a threat. Between 2012 and 2017 the island’s puffin population declined, with the lowest count of the bird being 58 individuals of breeding age in 2014. Happily, the population has rallied in recent years and helping them survive is the Alderney Wildlife Trust. Their numbers are carefully monitored and the site is scrupulously protected during breeding season. Landing on Burhou during this period is prohibited and a 'puffin friendly zone' was established in 2018 by the Alderney Wildlife Trust in collaboration with the States of Alderney, the Alderney Marine Management Forum, Alderney Harbour Office and local fishermen to reduce disturbance of seabirds in the area during that sensitive time.
However, that's not to say that visitors can't enjoy these mesmerising little birds during their romantic sojourn to Alderney. Boat tours are available during the season. Pop into the Visitor Information Centre for details.
At around 26cm in height their bodies are small and stocky and for most year they are clad in a drab gray. But from spring their bodies darken and brighten to a costume of striking black and white. Their beaks begin to glow with stripes of red, yellow and black. Their eyes become kholed, taking on a winningly beseeching tilt. Each pair is fiercely loyal to each other, and to their burrow. They will try to return to the same familiar home every year. There they will raise a single puffling, until it fledges, with a clumsy, headlong dash to the relative safety of the sea.
But there are many challenges to the survival of each new generation. Pollution, dwindling fish stocks and extreme weather variation all pose a threat. Between 2012 and 2017 the island’s puffin population declined, with the lowest count of the bird being 58 individuals of breeding age in 2014. Happily, the population has rallied in recent years and helping them survive is the Alderney Wildlife Trust. Their numbers are carefully monitored and the site is scrupulously protected during breeding season. Landing on Burhou during this period is prohibited and a 'puffin friendly zone' was established in 2018 by the Alderney Wildlife Trust in collaboration with the States of Alderney, the Alderney Marine Management Forum, Alderney Harbour Office and local fishermen to reduce disturbance of seabirds in the area during that sensitive time.
However, that's not to say that visitors can't enjoy these mesmerising little birds during their romantic sojourn to Alderney. Boat tours are available during the season. Pop into the Visitor Information Centre for details.
