Horned Puffin

Horned Puffins are very similar to the Atlantic Puffin of the Atlantic Coast, but are found along the Pacific Coast, primarily around Alaska and the west coast of Canada.  They are also larger than their close relative in the Atlantic, and have different colors on their bills.  Horned Puffins nest on rocky islands on the coastline of Alaska and the Aleutians, but in winter may range widely through the North Pacific.  The Tufted Puffin also shares much of the same habitat as the Horned Puffin, but with a good view, the two species are generally easy to differentiate.   The photo on the right shows an adult Horned Puffin with a beakful of fish, a common sight when Puffins are raising their (single) chick and foraging for food to bring back to the nest. 

Habitat

The Horned Puffin inhabits cold marine waters of the North Pacific Ocean, including coastal seas, offshore islands, and the continental shelf. It breeds on rocky islands, sea cliffs, talus slopes, and grassy headlands, nesting in rock crevices or shallow burrows. Outside the breeding season, Horned Puffins spend nearly all of their time at sea, often far from land in productive northern ocean waters.

Diet

Fish makes up a majority of the diet, with capelin and sand lance particularly preferred. While the young are fed a diet of almost entirely fish, the adults will also feed on squid, crustaceans, and marine worms.

Behavior

During the summer breeding months, they are typically found nesting in colonies, often in conjunction with other Alcids. Food is acquired by swimming underwater and capturing fish and other prey with their beaks.

Nesting

Horned Puffins typically nest in burrows that are between 1 and 3 feet deep, although they will also often use crevices in cliff faces, or in protected areas among rocky boulders. Nesting colonies are almost exlusively found on offshore, rocky islands.

Song:

The Horned Puffin is generally quiet while at sea but becomes vocal at breeding colonies. Adults produce low, deep growls, grunts, and purring or moaning calls during courtship and territorial interactions around nesting sites. These subdued vocalizations are much less conspicuous than those of many seabirds and are heard primarily at close range within breeding colonies.

Migration:

The Horned Puffin is a partial migrant that breeds on coastal islands of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and eastern Siberia, then disperses widely across the North Pacific Ocean after the breeding season. Rather than following well-defined migration routes, most birds spend the winter far offshore in pelagic waters, returning to the same breeding colonies each spring. They remain almost entirely at sea outside the nesting season.

Interactive eBird Map:

Similar Species:

Tufted Puffin, Atlantic Puffin

Compared with Atlantic Puffin: The Horned Puffin has a distinctive fleshy black "horn" above each eye during the breeding season and a mostly white face, whereas the Atlantic Puffin lacks the horn and has a smaller, more triangular bill. Atlantic Puffins are also restricted to the North Atlantic, while Horned Puffins occur in the North Pacific.

Compared with Tufted Puffin: The Horned Puffin has a white face, black crown, and no head plumes, whereas the Tufted Puffin is mostly black with long, pale yellow head tufts during the breeding season. Tufted Puffins also have a heavier bill and a more robust appearance than the smaller, more delicately patterned Horned Puffin.

Conservation Status:

The Horned Puffin is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of its broad distribution across the North Pacific and its large overall population. However, some colonies face localized threats from climate change, warming ocean conditions, invasive predators on nesting islands, oil pollution, and fisheries interactions that can reduce food availability. Despite these concerns, the species remains widespread and is not currently considered globally threatened.

Further Information:

1) eBird - Horned Puffin

2) Cornell - Horned Puffin

3) Audubon Guide- Horned Puffin

Photo Information:

August 8th, 2010 - Fox Island, Ressurection Bay, Alaska - Terry Sohl