Atlantic Puffin vs Eurasian Wren
Fratercula arctica compared with Troglodytes troglodytes
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Atlantic Puffin | Eurasian Wren |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fratercula arctica | Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Alcidae | Troglodytidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | 30.0 cm (11.8 in) | 9.5 cm (3.7 in) |
| Wingspan | 56.0 cm (22.0 in) | 15.0 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 380.0 g (13.40 oz) | 9.0 g (0.32 oz) |
| Diet | Small fish, especially sand eels, herring, and capelin. Dives underwater using wings for propulsion, catching … | Insects and spiders, gleaned from dense vegetation, rock crevices, and bark. Active and restless forager. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Atlantic Puffin
Breeds on grassy cliff tops and offshore islands. Spends winter entirely at sea in the North Atlantic.
Eurasian Wren
Dense undergrowth in woodlands, gardens, hedgerows, and rocky areas. Prefers tangled vegetation close to the ground.
Song & Call Comparison
Atlantic Puffin
At burrow gives a low, moaning 'arr-arr-arr' growl. Silent at sea. At breeding colonies produces a series of grunting croaks. Chicks give soft peeping calls.
Eurasian Wren
Extraordinarily loud for its tiny size: a rapid, powerful stream of trills, buzzes, and churring phrases. One of Europe's loudest songs by volume relative to body weight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Atlantic Puffin
North Atlantic from eastern Canada and northeastern United States to Iceland, Norway, and northwest Russia.
Eurasian Wren
Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe to Japan. The only wren species found outside the Americas.
Conservation Status
Atlantic Puffin
Eurasian Wren
How to Tell Them Apart
Atlantic Puffin
Black upperparts and white underparts with a distinctive white face. In breeding season, the face brightens and colourful bill plates develop. Winter plumage is duller with a darker face.
Large, laterally compressed, triangular bill — bright orange, blue, and yellow in breeding season
Eurasian Wren
Warm rufous-brown upperparts with fine dark barring. Pale buffy underparts with barred flanks. Short, often cocked tail.
Thin, slightly curved, dark brown bill
About These Birds
Atlantic Puffin
The Atlantic puffin, often called the clown of the sea, is a charismatic seabird that nests in burrows on northern sea cliffs. Puffins can carry up to a dozen fish crosswise in their beaks at once thanks to backward-facing spines on their palate. Climate change and overfishing are threatening their food supply, leading to population declines.
Eurasian Wren
The Eurasian wren is one of the smallest birds in Europe but possesses an astonishingly loud song for its size. Males build multiple dome-shaped nests, from which the female selects one to line and use. In British folklore, the wren is known as the king of birds for outwitting the eagle in a flying contest.