North Atlantic Puffins are found in North America and this painting was inspired by a trip to the rugged coastal village of Elliston, Newfoundland -often called the “Root Cellar Capital of the World,” and also home to one of North America’s most accessible puffin colonies. Nestled on the Bonavista Peninsula, the area is a haven for wildlife and a place of breathtaking natural beauty.
I spent hours nestled in the windswept grasses atop the cliffs, camera in hand, waiting for the perfect moment to capture the charm of the Atlantic Puffin in its natural setting. This painting is the result of that experience.
Each evening, the puffins return from long hours at sea and gather along the cliff’s edge like performers before a crowd. They waddle, grunt, and bow, offering tufts of grass, moss, or tiny flowers in elaborate courtship rituals. When a gift is accepted, the pair bobs their heads in unison, lifting their brightly colored bills toward the sky—framed by the last golden light of day.
________________________________________
- About Atlantic Puffin Conservation
The Atlantic Puffin, beloved by birders and artists alike, is considered a threatened species in parts of its range. In the 19th century, populations declined sharply due to egg collecting and hunting. In the 20th century, breeding colonies at the southern edge of their range continued to dwindle.
Conservation efforts; such as Audubon’s Project Puffin, which sucessfully reintroduced puffins to former nesting islands off the coast of Maine have helped. However, new challenges loom. Climate change is altering sea temperatures and fish distributions, sometimes leaving puffins with little food to raise their young. Introduced predators like rats and foxes further threaten nesting sites.
While puffins have long adapted to native predators like gulls and skuas, they are not equipped to handle these modern pressures. Warming seas and shrinking food sources now represent the most urgent threat to this iconic seabird’s future.