Photo: Alan D. Wilson / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Tufted Puffin
Fratercula cirrhata
Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.
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The Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) is a member of the Alcidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 774 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Alcidae Auks
- Genus Fratercula
- Species cirrhata
Where it lives
Arctic to temperate northern Pacific coasts: northern Chukotka, Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Kuril and Commander is. (eastern Russia), off southeastern Hokkaido (northern Japan), Bering Sea is., Aleutian Is., western, southern Alaska to central California
Quick facts
- Weight
- 774 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Alcidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Tufted Puffin hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it swims and feeds in and around water.
Migration
The Tufted Puffin is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) belongs to the Alcidae family of the order Charadriiformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers PAL, NA Arctic to temperate n Pacific coasts: n Chukotka, Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Kuril and Commander is. (e Russia), off se Hokkaido (n Japan), Bering Sea is., Aleutian Is., w, s Alaska to c California.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 774 g, with a wing length of about 19.4 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.1 million km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Tufted Puffin?
The Tufted Puffin is a large bird that weighs around 774 g.
Where does the Tufted Puffin live?
The Tufted Puffin is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering PAL, NA Arctic to temperate n Pacific coasts: n Chukotka, Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Kuril and Commander is. (e Russia), off se Hokkaido (n Japan), Bering Sea is., Aleutian Is., w, s Alaska to c California, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Tufted Puffin belong to?
The Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) belongs to the Alcidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Tufted Puffin eat?
The Tufted Puffin hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Tufted Puffin migrate?
The Tufted Puffin is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Tufted Puffin endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
How large is the Tufted Puffin's range?
The Tufted Puffin has a mapped global range of about 1.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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