The stunning parrot of the sea, the Atlantic Puffin. These unique seabirds have a wide distribution in the northern Atlantic Ocean, from Maine, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland over to Iceland, Greenland, Norway and other northern European islands. On the nesting islands off of the Maine coast, numbers of Puffins had been on the decline and the birds were disappearing due to overhunting. In 1973, Project Puffin was initiated by the National Audubon Society to restore Atlantic puffins to nesting islands in the Gulf of Maine. Now the islands are protected and due to the efforts of Project Puffin, the colonies are doing very well. © Christie Wrazen 2018, Machias Seal Island ME, Hand-held.