Tufted Puffin

The Tufted Puffin, also known as the crested puffin, is a medium-sized seabird from the auk family, Alcidae. It is the largest of the puffin species, measuring approximately 35 cm in length with a wingspan to match, and weighing around 1.6 pounds. The bird is predominantly black with a striking white facial patch. Its bill is thick and red with yellow and occasional green markings. The species is named for its distinctive yellow tufts that appear on both sexes during the breeding season.

Identification Tips

Adult Tufted Puffins are unmistakable with their black bodies, white faces, and large red bills. During the breeding season, they sport bright red feet and their namesake yellow tufts. In contrast, their winter plumage is less vibrant, and the tufts are absent. Juveniles can be identified by their grey-brown breasts, white bellies, and shallower, yellowish-brown bills. They bear a resemblance to the horn-less and unmarked rhinoceros auklet.

Habitat

Tufted Puffins favor islands or cliffs that are inaccessible to predators, near productive waters, and high enough for successful takeoff. They prefer soft soil substrates with grass for burrow creation.

Distribution

These birds breed from Washington state and British Columbia, through southeastern Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands, and the Sea of Okhotsk. Their winter range extends across the North Pacific to Japan and California.

Behaviour

Tufted Puffins are social birds, forming dense breeding colonies. They are adept divers, using their wings to swim underwater when hunting for prey. They may remain purely aquatic until the age of three, only returning to land to breed.

Song & Calls

The vocalizations of the Tufted Puffin are less well-documented in this guide, but they are known to produce a variety of sounds, particularly during the breeding season.

Breeding

Breeding occurs on isolated islands, with nests typically being simple burrows lined with vegetation and feathers. Courtship involves skypointing, strutting, and billing. A single egg is laid and incubated by both parents for about 45 days, with fledglings leaving the nest between 40 and 55 days.

Similar Species

The Tufted Puffin can be confused with the Horned Puffin, but the latter lacks the distinctive yellow tufts and has a white belly extending up to the throat.

Diet and Feeding

Their diet consists of fish and marine invertebrates, with adults favoring invertebrates like squid and krill, while nestlings are fed primarily fish near coastal colonies and invertebrates in pelagic habitats.

Conservation status

The Tufted Puffin is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, changes in the ecosystem due to climate change have led to mass die-offs, raising concerns about their future.

Predators and threats

Predators include snowy owls, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and the Arctic fox. They mitigate these threats by nesting on inaccessible cliffs and mammal-free islands, and by laying eggs in burrows to protect against scavengers.

Relationship with humans

Historically hunted by the Aleut and Ainu peoples for food and feathers, the Tufted Puffin is now protected throughout its range. It is a familiar sight along the Russian Pacific coast and is celebrated for its unique appearance.