The tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) is a medium-sized seabird in the auk family. It is easily distinguished by its black body, white face, and golden yellow tufts of feathers on either side of its head. The tufted puffin is found along the Pacific coast of North America and eastern Russia. Its name refers to the “tufts” or “puffs” of bright yellow feathers on its head during breeding season.
What is a tufted puffin?
The tufted puffin is a medium-sized seabird measuring about 28–35 cm (11–14 in) in length with a wingspan of around 60–68 cm (24–27 in). It has a short, thick black bill that is brighter orange at the base and bluish-gray during the nonbreeding season. Its eyes are surrounded by orange-red eyelids. The puffin’s stocky black body appears rounded due to its dense, white underplumage. Its short black legs and webbed feet set far back on its body are adapted for swimming.
During the breeding season, the puffin develops golden yellow tufts or horns above each eye. These yellow “eyebrows” are made up of curly, stiff feathers up to 5 cm (2 in) long. The horn starts growing before breeding and is shed afterwards. The function of these tufts is unknown but they may serve as ornaments or signals for attracting a mate.
The male and female tufted puffin look nearly identical although the male is usually slightly larger than the female. The juvenile puffin resembles the adult but its beak is smaller and its feathers are mostly greyish-brown. It takes about 3 years for the puffin to acquire its full adult plumage.
Where does the tufted puffin live?
The tufted puffin has a circum-North Pacific distribution, found along the Pacific coast of North America from British Columbia to California and across the Bering Sea to Russia and Japan. Its breeding colonies are located on islands and offshore sea stacks along this rocky coastline habitat.
Major breeding sites include the Channel Islands off southern California and islands throughout the Pacific Northwest such as Vancouver Island, the Scott Islands, and Triangle Island. Other key nesting areas are found in the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Commander Islands, Kuril Islands, and Sea of Okhotsk.
During the nonbreeding season, the puffin spends most of its time far offshore over deep ocean waters. It ranges as far south as northern Japan. Some immature birds may remain in sheltered bays and inlets throughout the winter.
What does the tufted puffin eat?
The tufted puffin is a pelagic seabird, meaning it feeds far out at sea. It dives underwater to catch small fish, crustaceans, squid, and other marine invertebrates. Its main prey includes Pacific herring, northern anchovy, capelin, sand lance, and juvenile rockfish. It also eats euphausiids, copepods, amphipods, pteropods, and polychaete worms.
The puffin is an excellent swimmer and can dive to depths of 60 m (200 ft) or more. It uses its strong webbed feet for propulsion and its wings for steering underwater. Tufted puffins often feed in large, circling flocks by diving in unison to drive fish into bait balls near the surface.
They catch prey one at a time in their bill, then swallow it at the surface before diving again. They are able to grasp fish up to 18 cm (7 in) long crosswise in their bill due to small, backward-facing spines on their palate and tongue that help them secure slippery prey.
Tufted puffin breeding and nesting
Tufted puffins return to their breeding colonies starting in mid-April. They nest in burrows dug into grassy slopes or rock crevices on offshore islands and islets. Both the male and female work to excavate the burrow using their bills and feet. Their burrows are 1 to 2 meters long (3-6 ft) and widen at the end into a nest chamber.
Puffin pairs exhibit strong nest site fidelity and often reuse the same burrow site year after year. They line the nest with grasses, feathers, shells and other materials. Tufted puffins usually lay a single egg in June or July. The egg is incubated by both parents for about 40 days before hatching.
The chick, or puffling, remains in the nest burrow where the parents feed it small fish. After about 6 weeks, the fully grown chick emerges from the burrow and flies out to sea in August or September. The parents continue to feed their fledged chick at sea for several more weeks as it becomes independent.
Tufted puffins reach sexual maturity at 4-5 years old. Their average lifespan is 15-20 years in the wild. Puffins face threats from introduced predators, oil spills, commercial fishing, and climate change. Their global population is estimated at 2.5 million individuals.
Tufted puffin characteristics
The tufted puffin has several key physical and behavioral characteristics:
- Medium-sized black seabird with white underplumage
- Bright yellow head tufts during breeding season
- Orange bill with blue-gray base
- Reddish-orange feet and eye rings
- Stocky body shape with rounded profile
- Excellent swimmer and diver
- Feed on small fish, crustaceans, squid
- Nest colonially in burrows on offshore islands
- Highly pelagic outside breeding season
- Vocalizations include grunts, growls, bills clacking
- Lifespan 15-20 years
In the water, tufted puffins flap their wings to propel themselves. On land, they stand and walk upright with a somewhat awkward, rolling gait. Their wings are fairly small relative to their body size to allow efficient diving and swimming. Puffins spend most of their lives at sea, coming ashore only to breed.
Tufted puffin taxonomy
The tufted puffin belongs to the following taxonomic classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Charadriiformes
- Family: Alcidae
- Genus: Fratercula
- Species: Fratercula cirrhata
It is one of three puffin species in the genus Fratercula, along with the Atlantic puffin (F. arctica) and horned puffin (F. corniculata). Its closest relative is the horned puffin which overlaps parts of its range.
Etymology and naming
The tufted puffin’s scientific name is Fratercula cirrhata. Fratercula is the Latin word for “little brother”, possibly referring to the puffin’s black and white plumage resembling a friar’s robes.
Cirrhata comes from the Latin cirrhus meaning “curl” or “tuft”, in reference to its yellow head tufts. The common name “puffin” refers to its puffy appearance due to its white underplumage and chunky body shape.
It is known by several other regional names including crested puffin, tufted auk, sea parrot, and mossy-horned puffin. In Russian it is called koniok or korshunok, meaning “little tufted one”. Its Japanese name is eto-karasumaru meaning “laughing puffin”.
Tufted puffin in culture
The tufted puffin features prominently in the mythology and art of Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest. It was considered a symbol of affection and fertility due to its strong pair bonds and colony life.
Puffin beaks and tufts were prized for ceremonial purposes. Herring, one of the puffin’s main foods, was an important fish for coastal tribes as well. Puffins continue to appear frequently in indigenous art, jewelry, clothing, and other cultural items of the region.
The puffin is the provincial bird of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It appears on the province’s official coat of arms and flag. The puffin is considered a symbol of the province due to its large nesting colonies there and importance to the local ecology and culture.
A puffin character named Puffin Rock appears in the Irish children’s television series and books of the same name. The series follows the adventures of young puffling Oona and her family and friends.
Key facts about the tufted puffin
Here are some key facts about the tufted puffin:
Category | Facts |
---|---|
Scientific Name | Fratercula cirrhata |
Common Names | Tufted puffin, crested puffin, sea parrot |
Distribution | North Pacific: Western North America and Eastern Russia |
Habitat | Rocky coasts, offshore islands, open ocean |
Size | Length 28-35 cm (11-14 in), Wingspan 60-68 cm (24-27 in) |
Diet | Small fish, squid, crustaceans, marine invertebrates |
Life Span | 15-20 years |
IUCN Status | Vulnerable |
Conclusion
In summary, the tufted puffin is a distinctive black and white seabird recognizable by its golden head tufts. It lives along the coasts of the North Pacific Ocean where it nests colonially in burrows and feeds far out at sea. The puffin is an important part of the ecology and culture of the region. However, its populations face ongoing threats from human activities and habitat loss. Conservation efforts seek to protect remaining puffin colonies and raise awareness of this iconic seabird.