Puffin chicks in Reykjavik signal plentiful food, ornithologist says

Puffin chicks have been spotted wandering among cars in Reykjavik’s Vesturbær district in recent days, which an ornithologist says is a positive sign that the birds have had enough food. Mbl.is reported that one chick was also found near Grandaborg kindergarten last week.

The sightings prompted discussion in the Vesturbærinn Facebook group after a resident said they had caught a chick at the corner of Fornhagi and Hjarðarhagi on Wednesday and released it at sea.

“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,” ornithologist Jóhann Óli Hilmarsson told mbl.is.

Puffin chicks regularly come to Reykjavik towards the end of summer, although they are not seen in the city every year. Some have even been spotted at Tjörnin pond. There is a large puffin colony on Akurey, while puffins also nest on Engey and Lundey, and possibly Viðey, meaning the chicks do not have far to travel.

“It is like with the chicks in the Westman Islands: they are drawn to the lights in the town here, just as they are there,” Jóhann said.

He encouraged people to catch the chicks and release them at sea, as residents of Vestmannaeyjar do. Otherwise, he said, they would not survive because they become disoriented on the concrete. The puffin chick season is likely coming to an end, although its timing can vary depending on food availability.