Species fact sheet by Global Register of Migratory Species - www.groms.de
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Fratercula arctica (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonym:
Family: Alcidae
Order: Charadriiformes
English: Atlantic puffin
French: Macareux moine
Spanish: Frailecillo atlántico
German: Papageitaucher (There's a German version of this page!)
Norwegian: Lunde, Lundefugl (There's a Norwegian version of this page!)
Migration: intercontinental
Regions: Europe, North Africa, North America, North Asia

distribution map of Fratercula arctica 

“Winters largely offshore, widely dispersed at relatively low densities, sometimes off continental shelf and slope into pelagic zone. Post-breeding dispersal complex, with four basic patterns: Greenland and Newfoundland birds remain in W Atlantic, well offshore and dispersed widely; Irish Sea birds and some from N Britain move S to Bay of Biscay, and probably Mediterranean birds from E Britain, SW Norway and some from N Britain winter mostly in North Sea; those from Murmansk, N Norway, Iceland and European high Arctic and some 1st-winter birds from N Britain move W or SW; younger cohorts from all these regions move longest distances, as far as Greenland and Newfoundland. Extent and magnitudes of S movement during winter poorly known, but birds from S colonies appear to migrate farthest S, recorded regularly to W Mediterranean and NW Africa (Morocco) in E Atlantic and to New Jersey in W Atlantic. Return to breeding areas prolonged, with colonies usually occupied by breeders between mid-Mar and mid-May, indicating that spring movements begin during Feb and early Mar. Considerably more work required to identify main wintering areas and clarify patterns of movement.”
del Hoyo J, Elliott A & Sargatal J (eds) (1996), Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks, 720 pages, Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, p. 720

Further detailed information from the GROMS-database

See also (on other birds):

Riede, K. (2001): Global Register of Migratory Species. Weltregister wandernder Tierarten. Münster (Landwirtschaftsverlag)

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by Ansgar Tappenhölter