The Puffin: a poem for the National Bird competition

It's often late in April
when the puffins all arrive,
and soon they've started breeding
so the colony can thrive.

The thing about the puffin
is its most amazing beak.
If he wasn't quite so handsome
then you'd say he was a freak.

Trying to describe that beak;
it's like a wonky cone.
It's really hard to miss him;
he's a picture with your phone.
The most surprising thing
about the mum and daddy puffin
is how they use those great big beaks
and all the fish they stuff in.

All the puffin babies
are called pufflings, don't you know?
Without those bright red beaks
it's hard to find them in the snow.

But somehow mum and dad
come home and find them on their ledge.
They were getting bored, so they
decided to go fledge.

The pufflings fly out on the sea
but soon become confused
The lights from town mislead them
and their mums are not amused.

The pufflings crash into the streets
to mum and dad's dismay,
but lots of human children come
and help them on their way.

The children hunt the pufflings
where they're hiding in the dark
They carry great big flash lights
and they catch them in the park.

When morning comes they carry
all the pufflings to the sea.
They're kept in cardboard boxes
which seems slightly odd to me.

Before you throw the pufflings off
you have to hold them right
You grip them by their bodies
So the wings are free for flight.

Written by Nick and Tom for the National Bird choosing project