San Francisco Bay Area Bird Watching
SeaBirds of Marin, SF Bay and Gulf of the Farallones
SeaBirds of Marin, SF Bay and Gulf of the Farallones
Tufted Puffin
Sea Birds of the San Francisco Bay, Marin, Northern Coast + Gulf of the Farallones.
Photography ©SFBAYIMAGES.com (Buy or License Photo)
A Tufted Puffins spreads his wings. South East Farallon Island.
Photography ©SFBAYIMAGES.com (Buy or License Photo)
A Tufted Puffins spreads his wings. South East Farallon Island.
Tufted Puffin Scientific classification
- Tufted Puffin Kingdom: Animalia
- Tufted Puffin Phylum: Chordata
- Tufted Puffin Class: Aves
- Tufted Puffin Order: Charadriiformes
- Tufted Puffin Family: Alcidae
- Tufted Puffin Genus: Fratercula
- Tufted Puffin Species: F. cirrhata
- Fratercula cirrhata
Description:
Tufted Puffins are around 35 cm (15 in) in length with a similar wingspan and weigh about three quarters of a kilogram (1.6 lbs). Birds from the western Pacific population are somewhat larger than those from the eastern Pacific, and male birds tend to be slightly larger than females.
They are mostly black with a white facial patch, and, typical of other puffin species, feature a very thick bill which is mostly red with some yellow and occasionally green markings. Their most distinctive feature and namesake are the yellow tufts that appear annually on birds of both sexes as the summer reproductive season approaches. Their feet become bright red and their face also becomes bright white in the summer. During the feeding season, the tufts moult off and the plumage, beak and legs lose much of their lustre.
Tufted Puffins are around 35 cm (15 in) in length with a similar wingspan and weigh about three quarters of a kilogram (1.6 lbs). Birds from the western Pacific population are somewhat larger than those from the eastern Pacific, and male birds tend to be slightly larger than females.
They are mostly black with a white facial patch, and, typical of other puffin species, feature a very thick bill which is mostly red with some yellow and occasionally green markings. Their most distinctive feature and namesake are the yellow tufts that appear annually on birds of both sexes as the summer reproductive season approaches. Their feet become bright red and their face also becomes bright white in the summer. During the feeding season, the tufts moult off and the plumage, beak and legs lose much of their lustre.
Other Information:
Tufted Puffin are adorable. Their slightly comical appearance makes them very enduring. Around the San Francisco Bay area they can be found in the Gulf of the Farallones. You can take one of the many Bay Area natural history tours to the Farallon Islands to see them. They are typically found along with many other seabirds around May, June and July. Additionally they can be found September through November. However, occassionally a typically migrating Tufted Puffin will set up permanent residence and you can seen the lone Puffin or pair of Puffins on any given trip to the Farallon Ilsands.
Tufted Puffin are adorable. Their slightly comical appearance makes them very enduring. Around the San Francisco Bay area they can be found in the Gulf of the Farallones. You can take one of the many Bay Area natural history tours to the Farallon Islands to see them. They are typically found along with many other seabirds around May, June and July. Additionally they can be found September through November. However, occassionally a typically migrating Tufted Puffin will set up permanent residence and you can seen the lone Puffin or pair of Puffins on any given trip to the Farallon Ilsands.
Sea Birds of the San Francisco Bay, Marin, Northern Coast + Gulf of the Farallones.
Photography ©SFBAYIMAGES.com Scroll Down the Page for More Photos
Tufted Puffins Smiles back at a boat full of admirers with his full mating plumage, South East Farallon Island. Why do birds get so gussied up for sex?
Photography ©SFBAYIMAGES.com Scroll Down the Page for More Photos
Tufted Puffins Smiles back at a boat full of admirers with his full mating plumage, South East Farallon Island. Why do birds get so gussied up for sex?
Sea Birds of the San Francisco Bay, Marin, Northern Coast + Gulf of the Farallones.
Photography ©SFBAYIMAGES.com (Buy or License Photo)
Tufted Puffin study of flight.
Photography ©SFBAYIMAGES.com (Buy or License Photo)
Tufted Puffin study of flight.
Sea Birds of the San Francisco Bay, Marin, Northern Coast + Gulf of the Farallones.
Photography ©SFBAYIMAGES.com (Buy or License Photo)
Tufted Puffin study of flight.
Photography ©SFBAYIMAGES.com (Buy or License Photo)
Tufted Puffin study of flight.
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