Puffins
Puffins, often referred to as "clowns of the sea," are charming seabirds that capture the hearts of visitors to Iceland with their distinctive appearance and behaviors. These iconic birds are known for their colorful beaks, which transition from bright orange in the breeding season to a more muted color in winter.
In Iceland, puffins typically nest in large colonies on coastal cliffs and rocky islands during the summer months. Some of the most famous puffin colonies in Iceland include locations like Dyrhólaey and Ingólfshöfði in the south, and Borgarfjörður Eystri in the east. These colonies provide ideal viewing opportunities for birdwatchers and photographers alike.
Puffins are excellent swimmers and flyers, using their wings to "fly" underwater in pursuit of small fish such as sand eels and herring. During the breeding season, they can be observed bringing fish back to their burrows to feed their chicks, creating bustling scenes of activity around their nesting sites.