The Near Extinction of Maine's Puffins

Puffins once thrived along the coast of Maine. Their colorful beaks and charming waddle made them a beloved fixture of the state's coastal landscape. But overhunting pushed these seabirds to the brink of local extinction. By the late 1800s, puffins had nearly vanished completely from Maine's shores.

Enter the Puffin Man

In 1973, a young biologist named Steven Kress looked at the puffin-less coast and decided to take action. He launched Project Puffin with a bold mission: bring these birds back to Maine after a century-long absence.

Kress's ideas were revolutionary in the world of wildlife migration. When he shared his plans with fellow scientists, the backlash was swift and harsh. Many experts called it a lost cause. Some critics were so opposed to the project that they tried to have Kress's work permits revoked.

But the criticism only fueled his determination.

An Innovative Approach

Kress began by moving six 10-week-old pufflings (baby puffins) from Newfoundland to Eastern Egg Rock, an island off the Maine coast. His team carefully raised these young birds and tagged them before they headed out to sea, where puffins typically spend their first few years of life.

Then came the waiting game. Would the pufflings remember their new home? Would they return?

The First Success

Four years later, Kress got his answer when the first tagged puffins returned to Eastern Egg Rock. It was proof that his concept could work, but he needed more birds to establish a true colony.

Knowing that puffins are highly social creatures, Kress came up with another creative solution. He placed puffin decoys and mirrors around Egg Rock to make it look like an established puffin community was already thriving there. Puffins flying overhead would see what appeared to be a bustling colony and be drawn to investigate.

A Thriving Comeback

The decoy strategy worked brilliantly. More puffins began stopping at Eastern Egg Rock, and many stayed to nest. What started with just six transplanted pufflings has grown into a population of over 3,000 puffins in the area today.

Kress's innovative techniques didn't just save Maine's puffin population. His methods have become a blueprint for conservation efforts around the world. Scientists now use similar approaches to restore seabird populations on every continent.

Legacy of Persistence

The story of the Puffin Man shows how determination can overcome even expert opposition. When everyone told Kress his ideas wouldn't work, he pushed forward anyway. His persistence not only brought puffins back to Maine but also changed how we approach wildlife conservation globally.

Today, visitors to Maine's coast can once again enjoy the sight of puffins diving for fish and caring for their young – all because one man refused to accept that they were gone forever.