Tufted Puffin
Image: Karen L. Johnson (cc-by-nc)
NameTufted Puffin
Common NameTufted Puffin
Scientific NameFratercula cirrhata
FamilyAlcidae
Wingspan (cm)62.5
Length (cm)37.5
Weight (g)800
Plumage DetailsBreeding adults have a dark sooty-brown body, a white face patch, and prominent yellow-gold feather tufts extending back from behind the eyes. Their large, triangular bill is bright orange with a yellow base. In non-breeding plumage, the face is dark, the bill is duller, and the tufts are absent.
Vocalization / CallVocalizations are generally low, guttural growls and grunts, often described as "arrr-arrr-arrr" or "krr-krr-krr," particularly around breeding colonies. They are relatively quiet at sea.
Primary Dietpiscivore
Primary Habitatsmarine, coastal cliffs, rocky islands
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeBreeds along the coasts of the North Pacific Ocean, from northern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska, across the Bering Sea to the Russian Far East, including the Kuril Islands and northern Japan. Winters offshore in the North Pacific.
Identifying Featuresyellow head tufts (breeding plumage), large orange and yellow bill, white face patch (breeding plumage), dark body plumage, stocky build
Description
The Tufted Puffin is a distinctive seabird known for its striking yellow head plumes during breeding season and large, brightly colored bill. These highly pelagic birds spend most of their lives at sea, coming ashore only to breed in large colonies on remote islands and coastal cliffs.
