tufted puffin

The tufted puffin (Lunda cirrhata) is a species of puffin found in the northern Pacific Ocean. Puffins are diving birds belonging to the auk family, known for their large, brightly colored, triangular beaks. They nest in large colonies on cliffs, typically laying a single egg in a deep burrow. Both parents feed the young fish until they are deserted, after which the young puffins remain alone until they are ready to fly to sea. The tufted puffin is primarily blackish-brown with white cheeks and distinctive yellow plumes extending backward from over its eyes. It is a Pacific relative of the horned puffin (F. corniculata) and is found in more southerly Pacific distributions.12