Overwinter Movement of Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) Breeding in the Gulf of Maine: Inter- and Intra-Colony Effects

Abstract

To identify potential threats and prioritize areas for protection, modern conservation efforts rely on spatial data. While it is often impossible to study the movements of entire populations, we can examine patterns among individuals and groups to better understand populations as a whole. We used geolocator tags to determine where Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) at the southern edge of their range, vulnerable to warming waters and anthropogenic influence, spend the nonbreeding season, and whether birds from different colonies or parts of the same colony used different overwintering strategies. Between 2013 and 2017, tags were deployed on 97 puffins breeding on three islands in the Gulf of Maine: Machias Seal Island, Matinicus Rock, and Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge. Most tagged puffins remained in or near the Gulf of Maine throughout the autumn and early winter months, venturing as far south as Cape Hatteras (ca. 35°N) in February, March, and April, before returning to their respective colonies. Three individuals travelled north to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and waters around Newfoundland immediately after breeding, returning to the Gulf of Maine in mid-winter. We found no evidence of inter- or intra-colony differences in overwinter movement. This is the first study focusing on overwinter movements of puffins breeding at the southern edge of their range in North America and can assist in the development of policy regarding management and protection of important marine areas for puffins and other species.