General

Tufted Puffin: Medium-sized seabird, black overall except for white face and glossy yellow plumes behind eyes. Bill is large, mostly bright red with yellow and sometimes green markings. Legs and feet are bright orange. Sexes are similar. Winter adult is duller with paler underparts, white eyebrows, no eye plumes, and smaller, dull orange bill with black base. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but has olive-brown bill, dark eye, and white or dark underparts.

Range and Habitat

Tufted Puffin: Breeds from northern Alaska south to northern California and spends winters at sea off breeding grounds; also winters in Asia.

Breeding and Nesting

Tufted Puffin: One white or blue egg, often spotted, is laid in a burrow on an island or coastal cliff. Egg is incubated for approximately 41 days by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Tufted Puffin: Feeds on anchovies, other small fish, squid, octopus, crabs, zooplankton, and jellyfish; forages by diving from the surface, usually far from shore.

Vocalization

Tufted Puffin: Usually silent except for occasional growling notes uttered around nest site.

Similar Species

Tufted Puffin: Rhinoceros Auklet resembles juvenile, but has much thinner bill.