I have to admit that the Tufted Puffin is one of my favorite birds. Its clownish looks and antics are endearing to me. And, it seems completely harmless (unless you are a sand eel).
They live throughout the northern Pacific Ocean and nest mostly offshore on small islands.
They dive in the ocean for fish.
Classification:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Fratercula
Species: F. cirrhata
Photos:
Tufted puffin in profile
"Another shot of that wonderfully cooperative Tufted Puffin at the Alaska SeaLife Center. The Center was really nice, and I wish we’d had more time to spend there. It is largely funded out of penalties extracted from Exxon after the Valdez disaster, and does some nice educational work as well as acting as a rehab center for various kinds of sea creatures."
Photo courtesy of Unhindered by Talent
Tufted puffin
"Tufted puffin at the SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska The SeaLife Center is wonderful. Visitors can walk into the enclosed bird viewing area and see the birds, without being stuck behind glass. There is a large area for them with rocks, branches, and a deep pool to swim and dive into. This puffin hopped on a rock right next to me."
Photo courtesy of [_Vanessa_] Read the rest of this entry »
