Every August, kids in Heimaey, Iceland rescue pufflings (baby penguin-looking birds that mistake streetlights for the ocean).
By morning, these Icelandic kids climb 200-meter cliffs and launch the fluffy chicks into the sky for their first magical flight to the sea.
Here are a few videos and a short documentary on the sweet tradition.
Enjoy!
1)Young Kids
The video above is a family with cute kids and their tradition of rescuing the pufflings.
2) “Pufflings” Doc Short from the New Yorker
The documentary short above is of teenagers spending their nights rescuing pufflings. And then launching them off cliffs.
3) The Dodo’s Pufflings Video
This video above shows that adults also enjoy tossing the pufflings.
Background on Pufflings and the “Puffling Patrol”
Every August, on Heimaey Island in Iceland, something magical happens. Tiny puffins—called pufflings—take their first flights into the unknown.
But many get confused by the town’s bright lights and end up crash-landing on roads, in backyards, and even in people’s laundry.
This is where the Puffling Patrol comes in.
With cardboard boxes and flashlights, local kids and families search the streets at night, scooping up lost pufflings.
By morning, they’re at the cliffs, tossing the little birds into the air so they can catch the wind and start their journey to the sea.
A Race to Save the Pufflings
Heimaey is home to one of the largest puffin colonies on the planet. Every summer, millions of pufflings leave their cliffside burrows and attempt their first flights.
They’re supposed to follow moonlight to the ocean, but artificial lights from the town confuse them. Instead of reaching the sea, they stumble into town, where they’re at risk of being eaten by cats or hit by cars.
The Puffling Patrol isn’t just cute—it’s vital.
Puffins are in trouble worldwide because of overfishing and climate change.
Heimaey’s rescue tradition helps save hundreds of pufflings each year, giving them a better chance to survive and return to the island as adults.
The Rescue & Toss
The rescue isn’t as easy as it looks.
Kids stay up late, patrolling the streets and alleys to find stranded pufflings.
They gently scoop the birds into boxes, and the next morning, the real fun begins.
At the cliffs, the pufflings are weighed, checked for injuries, and tossed into the air like tiny feathered boomerangs.
But it’s not random—each toss needs the right height and angle to get the puffling safely to the ocean.
“Nights of the Pufflings” by Bruce McMillan
This quirky tradition was immortalized in Bruce McMillan’s 1995 book, “Nights of the Pufflings.”
Set on Heimaey, it’s a photo-filled story about the kids who save these lost birds.
McMillan coined the term “puffling,” which has since spread far and wide.
The book captures the heart of the Puffling Patrol.
From kids holding cardboard boxes full of pufflings to breathtaking shots of Heimaey’s cliffs, it’s a vivid look at the rescue mission.
McMillan’s work even inspired a 2001 contest to name the tradition officially. The winning title?
“The Puffling Patrol with Bruce the Rescuer”—a nod to the author’s role in bringing the story to the world.
Lesser-Known Puffling Facts
- Pufflings can’t survive without reaching the sea; they’ll starve or be eaten by predators if they stay on land.
- The rescue also helps scientists. By weighing and checking each bird, locals gather data to track puffin population health.
- Pufflings spend up to two years at sea, only returning to Heimaey to mate.
- This tradition has inspired other grassroots rescue efforts around the world.
- Pufflings may look clumsy on land, but they’re strong swimmers and excellent fliers once they hit the ocean.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just about saving a few pufflings—it’s about keeping an ancient bond alive.
Puffins are a huge part of Iceland’s culture and ecosystem, and Heimaey’s kids are their unlikely heroes.
By turning a late-night rescue into a community-wide effort, they’re helping ensure puffins have a fighting chance in a changing world.
Every puffling toss is more than a cute moment; it’s a step toward protecting a species in trouble.
Thanks for reading!
-Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc