# Tufted Puffin (*Fratercula cirrhata*) The Tufted Puffin is a colorful bird with a funny, fluffy hairstyle! They have bright orange beaks and love to dive underwater to catch fish. These birds are great swimmers and can hold their breath for a long time! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Tufted Puffin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tufted_Puffin_Alaska_%28cropped%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Alan D. Wilson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tufted_Puffin_Alaska_%28cropped%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Tufted Puffin has a striking black body with a prominent white face patch, crowned by distinctive long, golden-yellow feather tufts extending back from its eyes. Its large, triangular bill turns vibrant orange and yellow during breeding season, making it easily identifiable. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Alcidae - **Genus:** Fratercula ## Interesting facts - Baby puffins are called 'pufflings' and they grow very fast on a diet of fresh fish! - Puffin pairs often return to the exact same burrow year after year to raise their single chick. - They spend most of their lives far out at sea, only coming ashore to breed. - Tufted Puffin feet are bright orange too, perfect for steering when they swim fast! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Wings:** Tufted Puffins can 'fly' underwater, flapping their powerful wings to propel themselves through the ocean in pursuit of fish. - **Fish-Holding Beak:** Tufted Puffins have a specially adapted, serrated beak that helps them carry up to a dozen small fish at once for their chicks. - **Deep Sea Diver:** Tufted Puffins can dive over 60 meters deep to catch food, thanks to their dense bones and efficient oxygen use. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 35-40 cm - **Wingspan:** 60-70 cm - **Weight:** 0.7-0.8 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 65 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1 - **Incubation:** 40-45 days ## Diet & Feeding These sea birds mainly eat small fish and marine invertebrates caught by diving deep underwater. - **Primary Foods:** Sandlance, Herring, Capelin, Squid, Crustaceans - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Adults and chicks are hunted by this large raptor. - **Eaten by:** [Glaucous-winged Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/glaucous-winged-gull) (*Larus glaucescens*) — Gulls prey on eggs and young pufflings in colonies. - **Hunts:** Pacific Sandlance (*Ammodytes hexapterus*) — A primary food source, caught by diving underwater. - **Hunts:** [Pacific Herring](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pacific-herring) (*Clupea pallasii*) — Frequently hunted for food, especially for chicks. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Tufted Puffin? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Tufted Puffin? 35-40 cm ### What is Tufted Puffin's wingspan? 60-70 cm ### How much does Tufted Puffin weigh? 0.7-0.8 kg ### How long does Tufted Puffin live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Tufted Puffin move? 65 km/h ### What does Tufted Puffin eat? These sea birds mainly eat small fish and marine invertebrates caught by diving deep underwater. ### Where is Tufted Puffin usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Oregon Coast Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/oregon-coast-aquarium) — Oregon, US · Aquarium - [Seattle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seattle-aquarium-washington) — Washington, US · Zoo - [Monterey Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monterey-bay-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo - [Alaska SeaLife Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alaska-sealife-center) — Alaska, US · Zoo - [Seattle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seattle-aquarium) — Washington, US · Aquarium [View all places to see Tufted Puffin](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tufted-puffin) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Tufted Puffin: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tufted-puffin)