U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Tufted Puffin

„ Tufted puffins are seabirds that „ Tufted puffins are silent except for their prey and invasive predators thrive in the open waters, islands some low growling around their that invade their burrows. Since the and coasts of the North Pacific, from nests. mid-1990s, tufted puffin populations Japan through the Aleutian Islands in Oregon and Washington have and south from Oregon to southern „ Using their webbed feet, tufted dropped more than 95 percent. California. puffins dig burrows up to six feet long in the soil or in natural rock „ Prime spots to view these birds are „ As soon as chick is fully grown, crevices. The tunnel ends in a grass- Face Rock in Bandon, Oregon, and parents leave the chick to fend for and feather-lined nest with one egg. Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, itself. Males and females can hold from five which has the largest breeding to 20 fish crosswise in their bill to population of tufted puffins. The best „ They winter on the open ocean, carry food to their young. viewing time is May to August, when “flying” below the waves to catch colonies of nesting puffins can be small fish and invertebrates. „ Tufted puffins are threatened by seen along the entire Oregon Coast, plastic debris, gill-nets, reduction in especially in the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Alan D. Wilson/Wikimedia

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fws.gov/refuges June 23, 2016