Waiting for Wings: The Return of Iceland's Puffins

Spring in Iceland can be deceptive. One day the ground is dusted in snow, the next the air carries the unmistakable feeling of a new season approaching. Even though winter still lingers, spring has arrived, and that means one thing for wildlife lovers around Reykjavík: puffin season is almost here.

Every year, Atlantic puffins leave the open ocean behind and begin their journey back to Iceland’s coastal cliffs and offshore islands to breed. Their colourful beaks, unmistakable waddles, and endless personality make them one of the country’s most beloved seabirds. For many locals and visitors alike, their arrival is one of the true signs that spring has begun.

Earlier Arrivals in Recent Years

For years, puffin sightings around Reykjavík typically began in April. However, observations from the past few seasons suggest that these birds may be arriving slightly earlier than before. Since 2023, the first sightings have consistently taken place during the final weeks of March rather than the beginning of April.

Naturalists often spot the first puffins far out at sea before they begin settling near their nesting grounds. These early arrivals are likely returning adults preparing for another breeding season alongside the same mates they reunited with in previous years. Puffins are known for their strong breeding-site loyalty and often return to the same burrows year after year. Watching the first birds appear after a long winter has become a tradition many guides eagerly anticipate every spring.

Life Far from Land

Although puffins seem highly social during summer, much of their lives are spent alone on the open ocean. Outside the breeding season, they transform into true pelagic seabirds, drifting across vast stretches of the North Atlantic in search of food.

During winter, puffins spend months far from shore following schools of fish and surviving rough ocean conditions. Unlike the busy colonies we see in summer, wintering puffins are usually solitary or travel in very small groups.

This time of year is also particularly demanding because puffins undergo their annual moult. During this process, they replace important flight feathers and temporarily lose the ability to fly. For several weeks they must survive entirely at sea while relying only on swimming and diving to catch food.

Stormy weather and limited prey can make this period extremely difficult.

A Difficult Winter for Seabirds

Across parts of the North Atlantic and Europe, this past winter brought reports of seabird wrecks - events where weakened or deceased seabirds wash ashore in unusually high numbers. Puffins, along with species such as guillemots and razorbills, were among the birds most affected.

Scientists believe a combination of severe storms and food shortages may have contributed to the problem. Long periods of rough weather can make feeding difficult, especially for seabirds already weakened from moulting or migration.

At this stage, it remains too early to know what impact these conditions may have had on overall puffin populations or this year’s breeding success. Researchers will be watching colonies closely once birds return to shore in greater numbers over the coming months.

Why Food Matters During Breeding Season

The success of a puffin breeding season depends heavily on the availability of fish close to nesting sites. Puffins rely on small fish species to feed their chicks, known as pufflings.

When food is plentiful nearby, adult puffins can return quickly and frequently to their burrows, allowing chicks to grow rapidly. In years with lower prey availability, however, adults must travel farther offshore to forage. This means chicks receive fewer meals and take longer to develop.

Ocean conditions therefore play a major role in determining how successful a breeding season becomes.

The Countdown Begins

For now, all that remains is the waiting game.

With recent trends showing earlier spring arrivals, the first puffins could appear any day now. Soon, the waters surrounding Reykjavík may once again be filled with the sight of orange-beaked seabirds skimming low across the waves before returning to their nesting islands.

No matter how many times they return, puffins never fail to capture attention. Their arrival marks the beginning of another season filled with wildlife, longer days, and the excitement of Icelandic spring.

The only question left is: when will the first puffin of the season be spotted?