puffin

Puffin refers to seabirds in the genus Fratercula, within the auk family (Alcidae). They are compact, strongly built birds with black upperparts, white underparts, and a distinctive large, colorful beak that changes hue during the breeding season. Puffins are excellent divers and spend much of their lives at sea, returning to coastal colonies to breed.

There are three commonly recognized puffin species: the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica), the tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata), and the horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata). The Atlantic puffin breeds along North Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America, while the tufted and horned puffins inhabit the North Pacific, from Alaska to California (tufted) and into the Bering Sea and western North America (horned). Distinctive features help tell the species apart: the tufted puffin bears long head plumes; the horned puffin has a small yellow horn-like patch above the eye; the Atlantic puffin lacks these head ornaments.

Puffins reach about 27–30 cm in length and are proficient divers, using their wings to swim underwater in search of prey. Their diet consists mainly of small fish such as herring, capelin, and sand eels. They typically nest in burrows or crevices on inaccessible coastal cliffs or islands, often in large colonies. They usually raise one chick per breeding season, with both parents sharing incubation and care duties. Chicks fledge after several weeks and often depart the colony at dusk to avoid predators.

Conservation concerns arise from overfishing and changes in prey availability, habitat disturbance, oil spills, and introduced predators on breeding sites. Puffin populations are monitored and protected in many regions, reflecting their ecological and cultural significance.