Puffin, also called sea parrot, is a diving bird that lives in the Arctic waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A puffin has a thick body, a large head, and a high, flattened bill. The three species (kinds) of puffins are the Atlantic puffin, the horned puffin, and the tufted puffin.
During the breeding season, colored growths form on the puffin’s beak. Atlantic and horned puffins have white feathers on the breast, underparts, and sides of the head. They have blackish feathers on the back, wings, tail, and throat. The tufted puffin is dark underneath, with a white face and pale golden plumes on the sides of the head.
Loading the player...Atlantic puffin
Puffins feed chiefly on fish. They are expert swimmers and divers and come to land mainly from May through August, during the breeding season. Puffins make their nests in large colonies on rocky coasts and islands. The female lays one white egg in a burrow or crevice in the rocks. The chick stays in the burrow for seven to eight weeks after hatching. The chick then emerges and learns how to feed on its own.
Puffins are the first seabirds found to use tools. Scientists believe puffins use sticks to scratch themselves, most likely to get rid of ticks from their plumage (feathers).
See also Bird (Birds of the Arctic).
