Photo sent by Jürgen Schau

Twibber Stories Canada11. November 2019

“Puffin Patrol” Catches Disoriented Birds to Save Their Lives

My wife Elfie and I discovered several dead birds on the roads in August in Witless Bay, Newfoundland. Nobody knew what kind of birds they were. We learned that they were young baby Puffins. They look different to the adults. No colored beak, no white chest etc.. The birds get disoriented by mankind lights, confusing them for moonlight. They strand on the roads instead of the water and get hit by cars.


I am the founder of PUFFIN PATROL. This means teaching children in the communities to save these disoriented little birds, by using flashlights, butterfly nets and gloves to catch them – saving them at night, and releasing them the next morning during daylight into the Atlantic.

A young Puffin stays at sea for 4 years on its own, drinking saltwater and diving for food over 100 meters deep. As an adult he goes back to the same spot where he was born, finds a partner and lays one egg. Then the story starts again!

TWIB SENT BY:
Jürgen Schau, Newfoundland

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