Common Name: Tufted Puffin. MORE IN PUFFIN CATEGORY. The Tufted Puffin is a pelagic species in the auk family. Another adaptation, heavy bones, allows the Tufted Puffin to dive up to 200 feet in pursuit of prey, mostly fish and squid; the birds can stay underwater for more than a minute. This week: the Skuas and Jaegers, and the Auks, Murres, and Puffins, two widespread groups of oceanic birds. Puffins are members of the seabird family called alcids. TREND: Decreasing in south; may be increasing in north. The Tufted Puffin is one of the most abundant and conspicuous seabirds nesting in the north Pacific. Tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica – not represented at Georgia Aquarium) Genus name, Fratercula, means “little brother” in Latin, a reference the black and white coloration of these birds, which resembles the robes of a monk. As with other members of the family Alcidae (web-footed diving birds), the Tufted Puffin's wings are relatively short and adapted for swimming underwater. Discover How Long Atlantic puffin Lives. Puffins belong to a group of seabirds known as auks, or alcids. The Tufted Puffin is a seabird of the open waters, islands, and coastal cliffs of the north Pacific. Tufted Puffin in burrow by Maksimillian, Shutterstock. The Tufted Puffin is a bird who live along the Washington and California coast, and anywhere else in the northern pacific, with a few exceptions. There are various types of puffins such as the Atlantic puffin, the horned puffin, and the tufted puffin. This distinctive member of the auk family is larger than other puffin species, but the species is best differentiated by its bold white mask and golden head plumes in the … In addition, plastic trash in the ocean is often mistaken for food by hungry puffins and other seabirds, which risk starvation when they fill up on undigestible plastic instead of fish. The horned puffin and the tufted puffin are found in the Pacific Ocean. The Tufted Puffin is a seabird of the open waters, islands, and coastal cliffs of the north Pacific. Types of Puffins . POPULATION: Approximately 3.5 million. The Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) also known as Crested Puffin, is a relatively abundant medium-sized pelagic seabird in the auk (Alcidae) family found throughout the North Pacific Ocean. It is larger than other puffin species and distinctive in appearance, with a bold white "face-mask" and golden head plumes in the breeding season. Black-footed albatr... Albatross. This information is used to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Tufted Puffin. Tufted puffins’ colorful plumage and wry antics have long attracted onlookers at Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast. The scientific name for a puffin is Fratercula. With “denticles” on the roof of their mouths and a locking tongue, the birds are able grab and hold 5 to 20 small fish crosswise for delivery to chicks at the nest. Habitat Oceans. Coast Range. They live on the north Pacific Ocean. ; there are 3 extant species of puffins, common, horned, and tufted Tufted Puffin Common Name: Tufted Puffin Scientific Name: Fratercula cirrhata Description. BIRD OF THE WEEK: SCIENTIFIC NAME: Fratercula cirrhata. You'll find it in dense, large colonies during the breeding season in the spring and summer. Thousands of tufted puffins — the instantly recognizable black and white birds with large orange beaks — starved to death in the Bering Sea from 2016 to 2017. Tryton2011 / Shutterstock. Best known for their brightly c… Sadly, bycatch in fishing nets kills thousands of Tufted Puffins and other seabirds, such as Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, and Common Murre, each year. Puffins are small seabirds that belong in the scientific family Alcidae. Size like this one on Anacapa Island off the coast of California. They nest in burrows on cliff edges or among rocks and boulders on Pacific cliffs. They are medium-sized, have dark feathers with patches of white near the head, and have a rounded head. Horned Puffin. Link Copied. While nesting, the puffin is very social — flocks of 10 to 25 birds may leave the colony to gather food for their mates and chicks. They also pro… The Puffin is a small species of seabird that is closely related to other auks such as guillemots. The Tufted Puffin can capture and hold multiple small fish crosswise in its bill, routinely 5 to 20 fish at a time, for delivery to chicks at the nest. They live on the north Pacific Ocean. Tufted Puffins, also known as Crested Puffins, are named for the yellow tufts that males and females both develop on the side of the head during breeding season. Distribution: Tufted puffins are widespread in the North Pacific Ocean and nest on coastlines and offshore islands from southern California to Alaska and across the ocean from Japan to the shores of northeastern Asia. The tufted puffin nests in burrows or tunnels on inaccessible rocky cliffs and offshore islands. Changes in the distribution and abundance of forage fish due to overfishing and climate change are apparently causing declines in southern populations of Tufted Puffin, while increasing northern populations as birds shift their range northward. The Puffin's scientific name is Fratercula arctica. The Tufted Puffin LLC. The Tufted Puffin is a pelagic species in the auk family. 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