Tufted and Horned, originally uploaded by dcumminsusa.

The caption reads:

I have now seen and photographed 2 of 3 alcids. On the left is the Tufted Puffin and on the right is the Horned Puffin. They swim by moving their wings in a similar manner as they do when they are in flight. They flap their wings up to 400 times per minute so when combined with their stocky bodies it is somewhat comical to see them in flight.

I was fortunate to photograph them during mating season. Why is that? During mating season the beaks and feet become vibrant in color and the tufts grow to full size. The tufts molt off after mating season. The horned puffins retain their horns year round.

The horned puffin population is starting to decline due to rats appearing on the islands where they nest.

We simply can never have ENOUGH puffin coloring pages, can we? I found some new free puffin coloring pages on various sites today. You can download them, print them out and color them. You can even send them to me after scanning them in or email me below to get my mailing address to mail them once they are finished and I will post them to Puffinpalooza. I will do this for an entire class even! The offer is open for anyone interested!

Puffin Coloring Page from Learning Treasures

Click on this small picture to open the page where you can print this to color!

Puffin Coloring page from First School

Click on the image to open the coloring page to print!

 

Puffin Coloring page by My Free Colouring Pages

Click on the image to open the page to print!

Puffin coloring page by Kid Zone

Click on the image to open the puffin coloring page to print!

 

Here are some more puffin coloring pages and some activity worksheets for teachers and classrooms — all by ABC Teach

Puffin coloring page

Click on the image to open the puffin activity page to print!

More puffin activities from ABC Teach click below… (more…)

This puffin means business. =) Two-for-one puffins in this photo with the Tufted Puffin looking at the camera and the Horned Puffin in the background. This photo was taken at the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward. Ironically, the Alaska Sealife Center was funded in part by the settlement from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Interesting.

puffins through dirty glass, originally uploaded by seamonkey mags.

Even through the dirty glass, these little birdies are adorable!

My dearest friends went to the Point Defiance Zoo again today and spent a lot of time with the puffins! They had so much fun. Apparently, the little puffins were very friendly today. One came right up to the barrier, so close they could have picked it up! They did not though because that would set a bad example and could harm the little bird. The puffins at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington are Tufted Puffins. And they are adorable! The gave these pictures and videos to me so I can share with all of you!

You can see more puffin videos on our youtube channel  — The Puffinpalooza official youtube channel!

Look at me! I'm cute! (Tufted Puffin at the Point Defiance Zoo in July 2010)

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Point Defiance Zoo 23, originally uploaded by djwudi.

Tufted Puffins.

See puffin swim.

One very passionate and creative man, Henry Lappen, took his love and knowledge for birds coupled with his passion for performance arts and created an educational artistic experience for all: A Passion For Birds. According to his website,

A Passion for Birds uses masks to inspire an appreciation and understanding of the avian world. Captivated by Henry Lappen’s beautiful masks and comic portrayal of birds, participants learn how animals adapt to their environment, and why they look and act the way they do.

• Birds’ beaks are compared with common tools.
• Feathers and footprints are explored.
• Science facts and anecdotes are shared.

A Passion for Birds covers several of the core curriculum standards for science. A curriculum guide is available.
 Henry’s combined love and knowledge of birds, and his extraordinary ability as a performer make for a very lively show.

Throughout it all, Henry dances among the crowd demonstrating the form and motion of the different species. Learning some specific mime skills, and imaging more, the audience joins him, taking on the character of each bird while gaining additional knowledge about it. Participants don the masks, and soar as Eagles, stalk as Herons and swim as Puffins. Additional topics include nest building, preening and hiding from danger.

One of his birds of choice is the ATLANTIC PUFFIN!!! =) See the photograph below of his puffin mask…

Photo Source: http://www.henrylappen.com/birdgallery/index.html

You can watch a video clip of the performance here. Or if you are in the Massachusetts area in the end of July,

“The Massachusettes Department of Conservation and Recreation will present “A Passion for Birds”, a comic, interactive, educational show, at 11 a.m. Sunday, July 31, at Wachusett Mountain State Reservation 345 Mountain Road. Created and performed by Henry Lappen, “A Passion for Birds” (formerly Birds in Their Habitat) uses realistic, handmade masks to explore how different birds have evolved different shapes and behaviors to adapt to their environment. Participants get a chance to try on the masks and soar as Eagles, swim as Puffins, and stalk as Herons. This program is free and registration is not required. For information, call Matt at (978) 464-2987.”¹

1. http://www.leominsterchamp.com/news/2010-07-16/Your_City/A_PASSION_FOR_BIRDS_PERFORMANCE.html [↩]

Here is a great video of puffins eating at the Seattle Aquarium, it is a free-for-all. They swim so fast underwater!