Creature Feature – Tufted Puffin
This week features the letter ‘T’, and today’s spotlight is the Tufted Puffin.
The Tufted Puffin, often called the ‘parrot of the sea’, is a brightly coloured bird that inhabits both the ocean and coastal land. In early spring, its beak and feet turn a vibrant orange in preparation for the breeding season. These puffins nest on islands and steep, rocky cliffs, hunting in the ocean. The Tufted Puffin is a skilled feeder, capable of holding up to 20 small fish crosswise in its beak during a single catch. They are also great underwater swimmers, typically holding their breath for up to 30 seconds, with some diving for up to a minute. While their maximum dive depth isn’t precisely known, they have been recorded diving to depths of 200 feet (approximately 60 metres).
Did you know? A group of puffins is called a “circus”!
Taxonomy
Scientific Name: Fratercula cirrhata
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Fratercula
Tufted Puffin Fact File
Size: The Tufted Puffin is the largest of all puffin species, measuring approximately 35 cm (14 inches) in length with a similar wingspan
Distribution: Found in North America, specifically Washington state, British Columbia, and Alaska. Their winter range extends across the North Pacific to Japan and California
Diet: Primarily fish and marine invertebrates
Behaviour: They form dense breeding colonies on islands or steep cliffs. They hunt in the ocean, diving and using their wings to swim underwater when hunting for prey
IUCN Status: Least Concern
