Celebrate the seasonal return of Tufted Puffins and raise awareness about their conservation.
The Haystack Rock Awareness Program, in partnership with the Friends of Haystack Rock, is excited to announce the 2026 Welcome the Puffins Celebration on Saturday, April 18th from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Join us rain or shine at Haystack Rock on the beach to celebrate the return of Tufted Puffins to their nesting grounds.
Our knowledgeable interpreters will provide binoculars and spotting scopes to help visitors safely observe puffins and other nesting seabirds. Families can enjoy a fun and educational morning featuring a Tufted Puffin activity table and the interactive Tufted Puffin Predator Game, where children learn about the natural and human-caused challenges puffins face while raising their young.
Can’t attend in person? Follow the celebration live on our Facebook and Instagram channels.
Puffins in Oregon: A Call to Action
Tufted Puffins in Oregon continue to face significant declines. In 1988, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated approximately 4,858 birds statewide. By 2021, that number had dropped to just 553.
At Haystack Rock — the second-largest Tufted Puffin colony in Oregon and one of the most accessible viewing sites in the Northwest during breeding season — numbers have also fallen sharply. From roughly 400 birds in 1978, counts declined to just over 100 in recent years.
In response, Audubon’s Seabird Institute, with support from Friends of Haystack Rock, established a Tufted Puffin Coordinator position to strengthen collaboration and conservation efforts in Oregon. A growing working group that includes partners such as the Friends of Haystack Rock, Haystack Rock Awareness Program, National Audubon Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State University, American Bird Conservancy, Bird Alliance of Oregon, and others are working toward a 10-year goal of halting the decline. Strategies include on-the-ground conservation, research, outreach, and community engagement.
“As important as it is that we continue taking action to protect Tufted Puffins in Oregon, it’s equally important for people to understand why protecting this remarkable seabird matters,” said Katherine Luscher, Tufted Puffin Conservation Coordinator with Audubon’s Seabird Institute. “Events like Welcome the Puffins help build community support for conservation — plus, it’s impossible not to smile when you see one of Oregon’s iconic seabirds.”
About the Tufted Puffin
Tufted Puffins typically arrive at Haystack Rock in early April – and we’ve heard that puffins have been sighted swimming in the area, but not on the rock yet. Most return to lifelong mates and the same burrows used in previous seasons. They spend about 16 weeks at the rock preparing burrows, incubating a single egg for approximately 43 days, and raising their chick — known as a puffling.
By late June through August, visitors may glimpse adult puffins carrying bills full of fish back to their burrows. Pufflings fledge 38–59 days after hatching and depart under the cover of darkness, heading to the open ocean where they will spend the winter without parental care.
To learn more about Tufted Puffins or to support conservation efforts, visit the Friends of Haystack Rock website.