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WATCH FOR PUFFINS

If not the world’s cutest bird, puffins are certainly in the running. Round, black-backed, and white-chested, with wings barely long enough to propel their cannon -ball bodies through the air, they sport large beaks with geometric patterns of red, yellow, orange, and black.

Puffins resemble penguins somewhat, but are actually in the auk family. They swim like penguins too, with those short wings outstretched underwater. Their waterproof feathers keep them warm all winter while they dive up to 200 feet seeking prey such as herring and hake. The birds average 10 inches tall, and their stubby wings can flap up to 400 times a minute—allowing a puffin to reach flying speeds of 55 miles per hour.

Nicknames for puffins include “clown of the sea” and “sea parrot.” Their scientific name, Fratercula arctica, means “little brother of the north,” supposedly because their coloring resembles the dress of certain monks.

Puffin-watching boat tours are available to Machias Seal Island from Cutler in Maine and from Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. It’s the only island where puffin watchers may go ashore, and only about fifteen people are allowed on the