Even though Iceland’s national bird is the magnificent Gyrfalcon, the Atlantic puffin has become the most precious bird and even attraction there.
In the small town of Vestmannaeyjabaer (the Westman Islands), located on a roughly five-square-mile island off the southern coast of Iceland, it’s perfectly normal to see baby puffins being thrown off cliffs each year. This unusual old tradition brings the whole community together.
https://www.boredpanda.com/icelandic-town-rescues-thousands-baby-puffins/
@stueytheround right! It is a preservation thing🖤
@stueytheround @damselfly59
I totally missed how this conversation began, or what it is about.
I just know that I must be a terrible person, because all I could think for a second was:
"Whatever 'pufflings' are, I want to throw some off a cliff! That sounds fun!"
I think I had an image in my head of the porgs, from Star Wars.
@AskTheDevil Puffling is the rather delightful term for a baby puffin! @damselfly59
@AskTheDevil It really does sound like fun, but imagine how awful you'd feel if you threw one, saying "Fly, my feathered friend." and it didn't make it 😢😢
@damselfly59
Killjoy.
; )
I would probably feel bad.
Fine, I'll go find some animal to be nice to!
🖤
@AskTheDevil porging and puffing 😂 @stueytheround
@stueytheround @damselfly59 I’m pretty sure they get confused by the city lights, because they should be going for the reflections on the water. (If I remember the article I read correctly.)
@stueytheround @damselfly59 Yep, it’s the lights according to the linked article.
@sfleetucker That's right! They switch all the street lights out while they go throw the birds back to sea? @damselfly59
@damselfly59 I saw something about this. It's like, if they leave the pufflings where they are, they'll definitely starve, so any remaining after the majority have migrated elsewhere are thrown off the cliffs in the hope they'll fly, so they can then find food.