![]() Kress explains: “Most seabirds catch fish and then regurgitate them to feed their young. However, scientists working at the colony, which is supported by Audubon Society, have recently uncovered a worrying trend – a decline in puffin fledgling survival rates. Today, there are around 1,000 pairs of puffins on Eastern Egg Rock and other islands nearby. This came with a grant of 50,000 Swiss francs which he used to extend his programme to other seabirds and other parts of the world. In 1987, Kress was given a Rolex enterprise award for his efforts. It is not so much the colour of the decoy that was important we found but the accuracy of its silhouette.”Ī puffin chick struggles to swallow a butterfish. However, we succeeded to the extent that the technique is used today round the world to attract birds to new colonies. “At the time, our decoy plans were scoffed at. It is one of only a handful of spots in the US where the species nests. After several years, Kress and his team succeeded, establishing a puffin colony on Eastern Egg Rock in 1981. One-foot-high wooden replicas were peppered round the island to entice young puffins to land, socialise and eventually breed with other curious puffins. The solution, he decided, was to use puffin decoys in the same way that wildfowl hunters employ decoys to attract duck and geese to their guns. “We had to find a way to persuade them to settle on Eastern Egg Rock instead, ” says Kress. The puffin is also a highly social bird and usually returns to its parents’ colony to breed after spending several years at sea. ![]() Reintroduction was no easy task, however. “I was smitten by them.” Some starve to death even though their parents are bringing them plenty of fish “Puffins are monogamous, loyal and great providers for their young,” says Kress.
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