His pet pluffins—plump, mischievous, green birds similar to penguins—frequently nab anything that isn’t nailed down, but Alta can win them over and change their feathers by feeding them.

Puffins are enchanting little seabirds. Here are 9 fascinating facts about puffins and their marvellous, yet sometimes challenging, lives in the wild.

The birds spend most of their lives in the open ocean. Observing birds at sea is nearly impossible, so much about puffins remains a mystery. Ecologists like Erpur Snær Hansen, who leads a team at the ...