Close-Up View Of An Atlantic Puffin

Photo courtesy of Todd Kwiczak.
Today's picture features a close-up view of one of nature's most interesting birds: the Atlantic Puffin. Seabirds that dine primarily on fish, the puffin's normal breeding territory covers much of the north Atlantic including the Faroe Islands, Iceland, eastern North America and northern Europe with a range that extends from well within the Arctic Circle southward to Maine and the northern part of France. During the winter they tend to stay far out to sea, venturing as far south as North Carolina and the Mediterranean.

Puffins are often mistaken for penguins, and they do look a lot alike. But in fact they are two distinct species that live in opposite hemispheres. Like their southern counterparts, Atlantic Puffins are excellent swimmers capable of diving up to 200 feet down into the ocean currents in order to catch their prey.

About the photo: Photographer Todd Kwiczak took this wonderful close-up photo of a beautiful Atlantic Puffin in the Shetland Islands off the Cliffs at Hermaness Nature Reserve. He captured the image with his Canon Rebel XT with 400mm F5.6L lens and a Kenko 1.4x teleconverter. The picture was taken handheld as he lay on the grass. To see more of Todd's wonderful images, please visit him at his website.

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