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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
puffin |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Charadriiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Alcidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Fratercula
spp.; there are 3 extant species of puffins, common,
horned, and tufted |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Although
not closely related, puffins are similar in shape
and color to penguins. Like penguins, puffins have
a vertical posture, wide webbed feet and are strongly
counter-shaded with a black dorsal side and a white
ventral side. Yet, puffins differ in having broader
and very colorful bills and, unlike penguins, are
able to fly. |
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| SIZE: |
Common
puffins (Fratercula artica) are 20-30 cm
(8-12 in.) tall |
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| WEIGHT: |
Common
puffins weigh between 396-482 g (14-17 oz.) |
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| DIET: |
Fishes
and aquatic invertebrates |
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| INCUBATION: |
Incubation lasts from 29-45 days. During the breeding
season their colorful bills become especially vivid.
Both parents incubate the egg and feed the chick. |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
Puffins
are colonial nesters that lay 1 egg each year. |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
Approximately
3-5 years |
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| RANGE: |
Puffins
nest along the coastlines of Russia, Norway, Iceland,
the British Isles, Western France, and Maine east
to Greenland |
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| HABITAT: |
Typically
pelagic and found in the cold, ocean waters of the
Northern Hemisphere. All three species come onshore
to breed. |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
| REGIONAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Puffins
are small seabirds that belong in the scientific
family Alcidae. There are three species
of living puffins: common, horned and tufted.
These birds, along with auks, guillemonts, and
murres of alcids exist today. Humans hunted the
largest member of this family, the great auk,
into extinction by 1834.
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| 2. |
Puffins possess adaptations that allow them to thrive
in the harsh, cold ocean waters of the Northern
hemisphere. A layer of fat acts as insulation
while their feathers trap air for extra warmth. They
also produce oil from a gland by their tail. The
oil, once spread over their feathers, helps repel
water. |
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| 3. |
Besides penguins, alcids are the only birds that
swim with their wings, rather than their feet. Puffins
may dive deeper than 24 m (80 ft) to catch fish.
Their specialized bills are laced with sharp hooks
that help hold fish. One puffin was seen with
more than 60 fish in its bill at one time. In
the air, puffins are powerful flyers, beating their
wings 300-400 times a minute to achieve speeds up
to 64 kph (40 mph). |
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| 4. |
Puffins
are colonial nesters that lay one egg each year. During
the breeding season, their bills become vivid and
colorful. Both parents incubate the egg and
feed the chick. |
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| 5. |
Puffins
nest along the coastlines of Russia, Norway, Iceland,
the British Isles, Western France, and Maine east
to Greenland. Puffins and other alcids can
also be viewed by visiting SeaWorld Florida, SeaWorld
California, and SeaWorld Texas. |
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Natural
predators include gulls, sharks, and killer whales. Humans
also hunt puffins, sometimes with devastating
results. As European colonists first arrived
in the New England area, puffins were hunted for
their meat. Later, puffins were taken for
reasons beyond susentance, as their feathers were
used for pillow stuffing and hat decorations. By
1901, only one pair remained south of the Canadian
border by Maine's Matincus Rock.
Because
of protection by the National Audubon Society
and the United States government, puffins have
made a comeback. The puffin population on
Matincus Rock is around 150 pairs now. The
1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects puffins,
as well as most bird species within the United
States. This important law prevents the transportation,
sale or taking of migratory birds, nests, and
eggs.
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| |
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|
|
Harris, M.P. The Puffin. Staffordshire, England.
T & AD Poyser, Ltd. 1984. |
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|
Nettleship, D. and T. Birkhead (Eds.). The
Atlantic Alcidae: The Evolution, Distribution
and Biology of the Auks Inhabiting the Atlantic
Ocean and Adjacent Water Areas. London. Academic
Press Inc. 1985.
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| Peterson,
R.T. Peterson Field Guides: Western Birds.
Boston. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990. |
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| http://www.audubon.org/bird/puffin/questions.html#5 |
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Gough,
G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification
Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center, Laurel, MD.
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/infocenter.html |
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