Atlas of Seabirds of Portugal

Distribution, movements and phenology

The Atlantic Puffin is a species found mainly in the North Atlantic, which, outside the breeding season, disperses to pelagic environments (Guilford et al. 2011). The Moroccan coast and the western Mediterranean represent the southern limit of its range (Billerman et al. 2026). In Portugal, it occurs as a winter visitor and a passage migrant, being present mainly between October and early April (Catry et al. 2010a). Based on data from 129 birds fitted with GLS devices between 2008 and 2023 in various colonies across northern Europe, there was extensive use of the Portuguese EEZ, with records throughout all months of the year. Most sightings were concentrated in the Mainland sub-area, particularly in the areas furthest from the coast in the centre and north of the region. Significant concentrations of the species were also recorded north-east of Madeira and north-west of the Azores, with these areas likely marking the southern limit of the species’ distribution during the wintering period (Fayet et al. 2017).

Abundance and population trends

The global population has been estimated at 12 to 14 million mature individuals, with 70% to 95% of this population concentrated in Europe (BirdLife International 2025). Iceland and Norway, which host around 80% of the European population, have recorded sharp declines since the early 2000s, with frequent breeding failures and iconic colonies in collapse. As the species has a predominantly oceanic distribution during the wintering period, there are no recent or historical estimates of the number of birds occurring in Portugal; however, based on the data used for the environmental status assessment, it is estimated that there are thousands of birds, at least on the Mainland. A pattern corroborated by stranding events involving several thousand birds that have occurred recently in the country (Oliveira et al. 2023c).

Despite some variation in abundance figures for the continental shelf, this population has not achieved Good Environmental Status for the respective indicator. In the case of Madeira and the Azores, there is no information regarding population trends, thus preventing an assessment of their environmental status.

Ecology and habitat

It nests on grassy coastal slopes, cliffs and rocky slopes, digging its nests into the ground. During the winter, it has a wide distribution and is found in distinctly pelagic habitats; its distribution may depend on oceanic productivity and the movements of schools of small pelagic fish (Harris et al. 2010). During the wintering period, its diet includes small fish, crustaceans and cephalopods (Falk et al. 1992), although there is no information regarding its diet in Portugal.

Threats and conservation

The species is highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly to rising sea surface temperatures, which affect the availability, distribution and quality of prey, leading to frequent breeding failures (Durant et al. 2003; Sandvik et al. 2005). Extreme weather events also cause mass mortalities (Costa et al. 2026). These impacts are exacerbated by overfishing, invasive predators in colonies, human disturbance, marine pollution (including oil spills and plastics) and, potentially, by the expansion of offshore infrastructure (BirdLife International 2025). Monitoring of stranding events, measures to minimise bycatch in fishing nets, and oil spill prevention and response plans are potentially important for the conservation of the species in Portugal.