Tufted Puffin

Fratercula cirrhata

Predict Sightings

Habitat

Aquatic

Diet

VertFishScav

Active Time

Diurnal

Size

774 g

About This Species

Look for stocky, black-bodied birds with vivid orange bills and drooping golden head plumes perched on rocky sea cliffs or crash-landing awkwardly on grassy burrow colonies — the distinctive plumes are only present in breeding plumage, so visits between May and August offer the most striking views. During feeding bouts, watch the water's surface near offshore rocks and kelp beds, as they dive repeatedly and often return to the colony carrying multiple small fish crosswise in the bill. Dawn and dusk are the most active periods around nesting colonies, when birds stream in from foraging trips and rivals jostle at burrow entrances, making headlands on islands such as the Farallon Islands, Alaska's Pribilofs, or Oregon's Three Arch Rocks ideal vantage points.

Ethical Viewing Guidelines

Maintain a minimum distance of 50 metres from individuals and at least 100 metres from breeding colonies, using a spotting scope or telephoto lens to observe without crowding nesting sites on cliff faces and rocky outcrops.
In the United States, they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which prohibits any disturbance, harassment, or take, while Canadian observers should be aware of equivalent protections under the Migratory Birds Convention Act; if visiting colonies in Russia or Japan, follow local wildlife regulations and obtain any required permits before approaching known breeding sites.
Approach slowly and from downwind where possible, limit time spent near active colonies to avoid flushing birds from nests, and withdraw immediately if individuals show signs of alert behaviour such as repeated head-turning, alarm calling, or abandoning a burrow entrance.

LCAvesCharadriiformesAlcidae

Seasonal Activity

72,138 sightings · 2000–2026

Citizen science records via GBIF

All monthsThis month

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae

Traits

Diet: VertFishScav
Foraging: Aquatic
Activity: Diurnal
Body mass: 774 g

Photo

CC-BY-4.0

Occurrence data from GBIF.