A puffin is a type of seabird, not a penguin. While puffins and penguins share some similarities in appearance and habitat, they belong to different biological families. Puffins are a type of auk and are most closely related to other auks, murres, and guillemots. Penguins are unique birds that live almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere. Puffins live across the northern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. So while penguins and puffins may look alike to the untrained eye, they are actually quite different types of birds.
What is a Puffin?
The puffin is a medium-sized, short-winged seabird in the auk family. There are four main species of puffin:
- Atlantic Puffin
- Horned Puffin
- Tufted Puffin
- Rhinoceros Auklet (also known as the Rhinoceros Puffin)
Puffins spend most of their lives out at sea, only coming to coastal land to breed. They have predominantly black and white plumage, with colorful beaks that change color during breeding season. Their bodies are stocky with large heads and short, triangular wings better suited for swimming than flying. Puffins can dive underwater to catch small fish, crustaceans, and other food. They nest in burrows or rocky crevices, often in large colonies with other seabirds.
Some key facts about puffins:
- There are around 10 million Atlantic Puffins across the northern Atlantic Ocean.
- The Tufted Puffin has yellow head plumes that recede outside of breeding season.
- The Rhinoceros Auklet has a horn-like growth on its beak.
- Puffins can hold several small fish crosswise in their beaks at one time.
- The Atlantic Puffin is the official bird symbol for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
What is a Penguin?
Penguins are flightless seabirds found exclusively in the southern hemisphere. While many people imagine penguins living in frigid polar climates, penguins actually live as far north as the Galapagos Islands along the equator and as far south as Antarctica. The 18 different species of penguins all live in the southern hemisphere, with most species concentrated in Antarctica.
Some key facts about penguins:
- The largest penguin species is the Emperor Penguin, which can grow up to 120 cm (47 in) tall.
- The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin, averaging around 33 cm (13 in) tall.
- Penguins can swim at speeds up to 15 to 20 miles per hour.
- Most penguins live in large colonies for safety and warmth.
- Penguins have a thick layer of insulating fat and overlapping feathers that keep them warm in frigid waters.
- Male and female penguins take turns incubating eggs and caring for chicks.
- Penguins molt all their feathers at once every 1-2 years, which temporarily leaves them unable to swim.
The key traits all penguin species share are their inability to fly, their upright posture, their black and white coloring, and their adaptation to cold climates, aquatic environments, and predatory behaviors. Their unique adaptations allow them to thrive in the challenging conditions of the southern oceans.
Differences Between Puffins and Penguins
While puffins and some penguins have similar black and white coloring, upright postures, and waddling movements on land, they have several key differences that put them in separate biological families:
Puffins | Penguins |
---|---|
Live in the northern hemisphere | Live exclusively in the southern hemisphere |
Can fly, though not great distances | Completely flightless |
Shorter, more triangular wings | Flippers better suited for swimming |
Live along rocky coasts and cliffs | Live on ice packs, beaches, and rocky coasts |
Eat small fish and crustaceans | Eat fish, krill, and squid |
Nest in burrows or rock crevices | Nest on ice or sandy beaches |
Closely related to auks | Distinct and isolated family |
Some key differences that set puffins and penguins apart are their geographic ranges, flying abilities, wings, preferred nesting habitat, and taxonomic families. These reflect their underlying biological differences shaped by their environments.
Geographic Range
Puffins live across the northern stretches of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There are puffin species found along the northeast coast of Canada, Alaska, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Russia, Japan, and Korea.
In contrast, penguins live exclusively in the southern hemisphere. Their range stretches as far north as the Galapagos Islands along the equator, down along the coast of South America, around southern Africa, and all across Antarctica.
The puffin’s northern range means it lives in generally cooler environments than penguins. The northern Atlantic and Pacific are cold ocean waters, but have significantly warmer climates than Antarctica where many penguin species are concentrated.
Flying Abilities
Puffins can fly, though their short triangular wings make them better adapted for diving and swimming. Their wings provide enough lift to stay aloft and even carry small fish back to feed their young.
Penguins are completely unable to fly. Their flippers are designed for propulsion in water, not air. Their flippers and wingbones are rigid and flattened to efficiently push them through water as they “fly” underwater. On land, their upright stance gives them a waddling gait very different from a puffin’s walk.
Wings
A puffin’s wings are short and triangular, which provides lift and allows them to “fly” underwater as they dart after fish and crustaceans. Their wings provide enough lift to fly short distances in air.
A penguin’s wings have evolved into rigid, flattened flippers. Their bones are dense compared to other birds to help them dive to depths of up to 500 feet in search of food. Their flippers propel them gracefully through the water. On land, their rigid flippers provide balance as they waddle and walk upright.
Nesting Habits
Puffins nest in rocky crevices or dig burrows along cliffs and slopes. They prefer isolated, rocky islands for protection from predators. Their nests are lined with grass or feathers.
Penguins nest in large colonies on the ground, either on ice or sandy beaches in warmer climates. Emperor penguins famously incubate their single egg and care for new chicks through the brutal Antarctic winter along icy coastlines.
Taxonomy
Puffins belong to the Alcidae family, which includes murres, guillemots, and auks. They are most closely related to other auks. There are four living species of puffin across three genera.
Penguins belong to their own unique family called Spheniscidae. This family includes 18 species across 6 genera. Penguins are highly adapted for their distinctive aquatic lifestyle and have evolved many unique traits compared to other birds.
Conclusion
While puffins and penguins certainly look similar in their black and white coloring and upright stances, they are distinct types of seabirds adapted to very different environments. Puffins are northern seabirds capable of flight and most closely related to auks, while penguins are flightless birds of the southern hemisphere perfectly adapted to their cold water environments. So a puffin is definitely not a penguin, but rather a unique type of auk adapted for living on the open northern oceans.