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Bird name:

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arcticaOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)
Codes: Common Name: ATPU Scientific Name: FRAARC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 177025
Least Concern
 
Atlantic Puffin: The breeding adult Atlantic Puffin has black upperparts, white underparts, white face, and large, parrot-like, orange and gray bill.  The eyes are surrounded by orange and black markings.
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Atlantic Puffin Variations

Atlantic Puffin
Winter
Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic Puffin
Juvenile
Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic Puffin
Breeding Male
Atlantic Puffin

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Overview

Atlantic Puffin: Medium seabird with black upperparts, white underparts, white face, and large, parrot-like, orange and gray bill. Eyes surrounded by orange and black markings; legs and feet are bright orange. The only puffin nesting on the Atlantic Coast. Swift direct flight.

Range and Habitat

Atlantic Puffin: Occurs in and around the north Atlantic. Disperse in winter over open ocean, reaching as far south as the Azores and Canary Islands. During summer, frequents rocky cliffs of the north Atlantic and northern Europe.

Topo Map: Upright-perching Water-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"arrr-uh"

Interesting Facts

 Atlantic Puffins work very hard to fly fast—they flap their wings at 300-400 beats per minute to maintain flight.

 They have a series of backward-pointing spines that project from the tongue and top of mouth and allow them to hold food in place while more is being caught. The record in Canada is 61 fish in one bird’s mouth.

 It is the official bird of the Canadian province Newfoundland and Labrador. The genus name Fratercula means “little brother” or “friar” which may refer to its black and white dress.

 A group of puffins has many collective nouns, including a "burrow", "circus", "colony", "improbability", and "puffinry" of puffins.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Samira Belous

Splitbar
Range Map for Atlantic Puffin

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Family Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)_blue
Species Fratercula arctica
Length11.5 - 13.5 Inches
Wingspan22.5 Inches

Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic Puffin: Medium seabird with black upperparts, white underparts, white face, and large, parrot-like, orange and gray bill. Eyes surrounded by orange and black markings; legs and feet are bright orange. The only puffin nesting on the Atlantic Coast. Swift direct flight.

● Song: "arrr-uh"

● Foraging & Feeding: Atlantic Puffin: Eats small fish, mollusks, and crustaceans; forages by diving from the surface and swimming underwater with wings.

● Breeding & nesting: Atlantic Puffin: One white round egg, sometimes with brown or lavender spots, is laid in a nest, usually in a burrow lined with grass, feathers, seaweed, and leaves, and built at top of a cliff or on an island. Incubation ranges from 39 to 45 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Atlantic Puffin: Razorbill has black bill, hood, legs, and feet, lacks black collar, and has white trailing edge on wings.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats, often close to water.
Atlantic Puffin: Breeding Male
● Range & Habitat: Atlantic Puffin: Occurs in and around the north Atlantic. Disperse in winter over open ocean, reaching as far south as the Azores and Canary Islands. During summer, frequents rocky cliffs of the north Atlantic and northern Europe.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationCommon but local
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight13.4 Ounces
Upright-perching Water-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX