Puffin chick sightings in Reykjavik signal plentiful food

Several puffin chicks have been seen wandering between cars in Reykjavik’s Vesturbær district in recent days, which ornithologist Jóhann Óli Hilmarsson says is a positive sign that the birds have had enough food. Mbl.is reported the sightings.

Puffin chicks regularly make their way to Reykjavik at the end of summer, although this does not happen every year. One was found near Grandaborg preschool last week, while another was captured at the corner of Fornhagi and Hjarðarhagi on Wednesday and released at sea.

There is a large puffin colony on Akurey, an island where the birds nest. Puffins also breed on Engey and Lundey, and possibly on Viðey, meaning the chicks do not have far to travel to reach the city.

“It is like with the puffin chicks in the Westman Islands. They are drawn to the lights in the town here, just as they are there,” Hilmarsson told mbl.is.

“It is good to know that puffin chicks are out and about. They must have had enough to eat and managed to grow and thrive,” he said.

Hilmarsson encourages people to capture the chicks and help release them at sea, as residents of the Westman Islands do. Otherwise, he said, they will not survive.

“They are simply wandering helplessly on the concrete. It is best to release them at sea,” he said.

He believes the puffin chick season is nearing its end, although its timing can vary depending on food availability.