Puffin aged 34 dies after being found washed up on Aberdeenshire beach amid severe weather

A wildlife charity has said it was “honoured” to care for a 34-year-old puffin in its final days after it washed up on a beach in Aberdeenshire.

The bird was found on Balmedie Beach following severe weather and taken into the care of New Arc Wildlife Rescue in Ellon.

The wildlife charity has had a number of puffins admitted into its care in recent years amid a “puffin wreck” unfolding on the Scottish coastline, with dead and exhausted birds washing ashore.

Puffin wrecks are usually attributed to prolonged stormy weather or a failure in the food chain.

Staff at the rescue centre have been monitoring the situation and came across one “extraordinary” puffin after it washed up on Balmedie Beach.

Tagged with a leg ring issued by the British Trust for Ornithology, it emerged that the puffin was originally tagged on the Isle of May on May 11, 1995, when it was believed to be around three years old.

The charity said the “remarkable” puffin is the oldest Atlantic puffin admitted into their care, and the oldest bird they have ever had a ring recovery for.

Despite their best efforts, the bird was too weak to recover and passed away.

A spokesperson said: “While we could not return them to the sea, we are honoured to have cared for such an extraordinary individual in their final chapter.

“Over more than three decades, this puffin would have weathered countless storms, shifting oceans, and changing seas.

“Their story is a powerful reminder that no bird is ‘just a bird’. Each one carries a lifetime of journeys we rarely see and stories we may never fully know.

“These remarkable creatures are true wonders of the natural world, and they deserve our respect, compassion, and continued commitment to their protection.”