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Environment · Funchal · 18 October 2026

Wooden decoys helped reintroduce puffins to an island in a project started in 1973

A project initiated in 1973 by a biologist used wooden decoys to attract puffins back to an island.

In 1973, a biologist began an ambitious project to reintroduce seabirds to an island.

The innovative method involved using wooden replicas of puffins. These decoys were strategically placed to simulate the presence of an established colony.

The goal was to entice wild puffins to land and nest on the island, aiding in the recovery of the local population.

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