Supplementary Feeding of Young Puffins, Fratercula arctica

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Abstract
The results of feeding wild young puffins on St Kilda and the Isle of May, Scotland [United Kingdom] an additional 50 g of food/day and comparisons of their growth with captive young puffins given unlimited food are given. Comparisons are also made on young fed by a single parent and on controls. The young raised on unlimited food became much heaver than controls. The young given additional food were lighter, but still attained significantly heavier weights than controls. These differences were less marked on the Isle of May than on St Kilda. Young fed by a single adult either died or developed slowly and took longer to fledge than controls. Puffins on St Kilda are having difficulty in rearing young, even though the population is now increasing after a period of decline.