Which
bird is it?
Tufted Puffin
Fratercula cirrhata
The range of the Tufted Puffin in Alaska
closely overlaps that of the Horned Puffin, but it is more than twice
as numerous in the state as a whole, and 12 times more numerous in
the Aleutian Islands.
The Tufted Puffin nests primarily in earthen burrows, which the birds
excavate to depths up to 2 meters (6.5 feet). Digging is done mainly
with the beak, and accumulated soil is scraped and kicked backwards
out of the burrow, being vigorously thrown beyond the entrance. Grasses
and other vegetation are collected from near the burrow for the nest.
The clutch consists of one egg.
A more specialized feeder than the Horned Puffin, the Tufted Puffin
relies almost entirely on fish, which it obtains by pursuit-diving
throughout the water column. It usually feeds far offshore, commonly
to 80+ kilometers (50+ miles) off the Pribilofs. The availability
of Sand Lance and/or Capelin is a critical factor in the growth rates
of the chicks of both Tufted and Horned puffins.
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