In the past 30 years, the tufted puffins populations along the Oregon coast have dramatically decreased from 5,000 to just a few hundred. This is such a drastic decline in population and the reasons are varied and uncertain. Predatory birds, climate change, overpopulation (people), changing ocean conditions, and simply not enough food and space for the birds to thrive as they once did.

This is the story of many coastal places where puffins once were aplenty.

We must change our ways or we will see the bright, quirky little birds disappear completely.

Read more here.

Scientists are gluing tags to puffins to try and figure out why their numbers are dropping.

Puffin numbers had been rising over the last few years, but last year showed a sudden sharp drop.

So researchers on the UK’s biggest puffin colony, the Farne islands, are gluing little recording devices to the birds to track where they go.

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((original source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8120000/newsid_8127900/8127972.stm))