How do you recognise an Atlantic puffin?

The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica, in Latvian Atlantijas tuklītis) is a small auk. It has black upperparts, white underparts and, in the breeding season, a deep and brightly coloured bill. That bill is the most striking feature, but it becomes less colourful outside the breeding season, so a puffin seen at sea later in the year looks plainer than one at a breeding colony. The short wings allow flight, though the rapid wingbeats make the effort fairly apparent, which is itself a useful clue when the bird is in the air. The guide sums it up as a North Atlantic auk that nests on land and feeds at sea.

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