Victor and Vixen, a pair of Atlantic Puffins that hatched the National Aquarium’s first Puffin chick in
2006, have done it again: They hatched their
fourth chick on July 4.

Photo Credit:  National Aquarium

Puffins co-parent their young and take turns incubating the egg, protecting
their nest, and carrying back small fish to keep their chick happily fed.

The Aquarium’s Puffins nest in special enclosures created to mimic the deep
burrows typically used by their species on the coastlines of western Europe,
Greenland, Iceland, and the northeastern coast of North America. In the wild, Puffin
couples have been observed reuniting at the same burrow site year after year.

Since hatching, the chick has been closely watched by staff aviculturists. Keepers
report that the baby is steadily gaining weight and appears to be quite
healthy.

The baby Puffin will remain in its burrow several weeks before it begins
making short exploratory trips into the exhibit.

Puffins are estimated to number in the millions, although hunting and egg
harvesting have reduced populations in some parts of their range.  Puffins are a national delicacy in Iceland.