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.

Puffins possess specialized 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 special gland by their tail. The oil, once spread over their tail feathers, helps repel water.

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. 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 had more than 60 fish in its bill at one time. In the air, puffins are powerful flyers, beating their wings 300 to 400 times a minute to achieve speeds up to 64 kph (40 mph).

Natural predators include gulls, sharks, and killer whales. Humans also hunt puffins, with sometimes devastating results. Historically, as colonists arrived in the New England area, puffins were hunted at first for their meat. Later, 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. Puffins, as well as most birds in the United States, are protected by the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This important law prevents the transportation, sale or taking of migratory birds, nests, and eggs.

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.