What Do Puffins Eat?

Puffins are one of the most popular birds in the world. Their colorful beaks, fat white bellies, and penguin-like swagger on land make them a favorite of all bird watchers. But what do puffins eat? We’re looking at the menu for these beautiful birds below, and some of their eating habits may surprise you.

Puffins prey primarily on herring, capelin, hake and sand eels. They will also eat molluscs and shrimp. A puffin’s diet depends largely on the food sources in the area.

While many puffins eat almost exclusively fish, as we’ll see below, their diets even vary from group to group.

Since puffins live in many different coastal regions around the world, their diets are very diverse, depending in large part on what is available in that region. The time of year can even dictate what puffins will put on their plates. Puffins have been known to prey on crabs, jellyfish, shrimp, mollusks, and many different fish.

Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) with mouth full of fish, Skomer Island, UK

What do puffins eat in the wild?

Puffins eat a variety of things in the wild. Their diet includes crab, herring, hake, sand eels, shrimp, octopus, squid, and molluscs. As long as it is seafood, puffins will happily hunt for it.

Puffins have adapted to their local environment, so food sources can vary widely in different habitats. Despite this, puffins tend to choose small fish and molluscs for most of their food.

What is a puffin’s favorite food?

It’s hard to say what a puffin’s favorite food is, because even within different groups, their eating habits vary.

However, puffins do like to eat small fish. They can hold fish up to 18 cm (7 in) in their jaws, but most choose smaller fish around 7 cm (3 in).

We’re not sure whether puffins prefer smaller fish because of their taste, or because they can catch more fish quickly and easily.

Puffin with mouth full of fish in flight

How do puffins eat food?

You may have seen puffins and fish extend their signature beaks to eat them as they return to their nests. Puffins don’t simply swallow all the fish at once.

Instead, it takes them back to the den, gives them some if they had young at the time, and eats them one by one until their plate is empty.

They eat about 40 fish a day, so they need to go to sea several times a day to fill their stomachs. They also often eat small fish underwater while hunting.

How do puffins find food?

Puffins fly through the water, propelling themselves with their wings and steering with their feet. They hunt by sight while underwater and will make several short dives, catching up to 10 fish at a time.

They dive to about 60 meters, but cannot hold their breath for more than about 30 seconds. Therefore, several fast, deep dives are required to satisfy their demands.

Puffins swim in the water looking for fish

What type of fish do puffins eat?

Puffins eat a variety of fish, including herring, hake, capelin, sand eels and even cod. They also eat many other sea creatures, including octopus, squid and shrimp.

What else do puffins eat besides fish?

Puffins eat many different sea creatures. Their diet depends largely on local conditions. So, some puffins eat squid, octopus and shrimp. Some also eat crabs and jellyfish. Other puffins have also been seen eating zooplankton.

small group of common puffins

How much fish do puffins eat in a day?

An adult puffin eats about 40 fish per day.

However, puffins eat about 100 fish a day. Adult puffins can hold about 10 fish in their mouths, so they need to hunt heavily during the breeding season to feed themselves and their young.

What do puffins eat in winter?

A puffin will eat any fish and other sea life it can find during the winter. They usually continue to eat small fish, but in winter they also eat marine invertebrates.

Puffin brings back mouth full of fish to feed chicks

What do puffins eat?

Baby puffins are fed fish by their parents from the moment they hatch. A single puffin can eat about 100 fish a day, so the breeding season is the best time to watch the adults feeding.

What do puffins drink?

Puffins rinse their food with salt water. They push excess salt out of the nasal glands.

Puffin with a big fish in its mouth

Puffin Diet FAQs

What Do Atlantic Puffins Eat?

Atlantic puffins eat almost exclusively fish, including herring, capelin, hake, and sand eels.

What do horned puffins eat?

Horned puffins eat mostly small fish. A horned puffin also holds the record for the number of fish held in its mouth at one time, 62 fish!

What Do Tufted Puffins Eat?

Tufted puffins can happily feed on fish, but will occasionally prey on octopus, squid, shrimp, zooplankton, and jellyfish.

One-horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata)

Do Puffins Eat Crabs?

Puffins have been known to eat crabs. It’s not the most common food source for puffins, but some have been sighted with tiny crabs in their mouths.

Do Puffins Eat Worms?

Atlantic puffins do eat marine worms, but not earthworms. All of the puffins’ food comes from the sea.

Do Puffins Eat Bugs?

Puffins do eat marine invertebrates, especially in winter.

Do puffins eat plankton?

Yes, puffins can eat plankton, although they prefer smaller fish.

Close-up of Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)

Do Puffins Eat Anchovies?

If anchovies and puffins were in the same area, their diet would likely include anchovies and other small fish.

Do Puffins Eat Shrimp?

Yes, puffins do like to eat shrimp, although this depends a lot on the food sources in the area. However, if shrimp are available, puffins will eat them all day long.

Do Puffins Eat Plants?

Puffins don’t eat plants; they subsist on fish and other small sea creatures.

Do Puffins Eat Meat?

There is no evidence that puffins eat meat. All their food comes from the sea, mainly small fish and some small sea creatures.