Tufted Puffin
Image: Alan D. Wilson (CC BY-SA 3.0)
NameTufted Puffin
Common NameTufted Puffin
Scientific NameFratercula cirrhata
FamilyAlcidae
Wingspan (cm)63
Length (cm)38
Weight (g)780
Plumage DetailsBreeding adults have a dark sooty-black body, a white face patch, and long, curly yellow-white plumes extending back from above the eyes. The bill is large, triangular, and bright orange with a yellowish base, and the eyes are reddish. Non-breeding plumage is duller, lacking the prominent tufts and featuring a smaller, duller bill.
Vocalization / CallGenerally quiet at sea, Tufted Puffins become vocal at breeding colonies. Their calls include low growls, grunts, and a distinctive 'arr-arr-arr' or 'ka-ka-ka' sound, often described as a low, guttural roar.
Primary Dietpiscivore
Primary Habitatscoastal cliffs, rocky islands, open ocean
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeFound across the North Pacific Ocean, from northern California and Oregon north to Alaska, across the Bering Sea, and along the coasts of Siberia, the Kuril Islands, and Japan.
Identifying Featuresprominent yellow-white head tufts (breeding plumage), large, bright orange triangular bill, dark sooty-black body, white face patch, reddish eyes
Description
The Tufted Puffin is a distinctive North Pacific seabird, easily recognized by its stout body, large orange bill, and prominent yellow-white head plumes during breeding season. These expert divers forage for fish and invertebrates in coastal waters, nesting in burrows or crevices on remote islands and cliffs.
