Horned Puffin

Originally uploaded by ConstantineD

Another fantastic horned puffin photo from Constantine D. Definitely worth seeing up close.

Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata)

Originally uploaded by ConstantineD

The Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata) is an auk, similar in appearance to the Atlantic Puffin; this bird’s bill is yellow at the base and red at the tip. It is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish. It nests in colonies, often with other auks.

The yellow bill plate grows before the breeding season and is shed later. They have a small fleshy black “horn” above their eyes. They have a white face with a dark line extending from the back of the eye and red feet.

This species breeds on rocky islands off the coasts of Siberia, Alaska and British Columbia, in burrows, in rocky cavities or among rocks. It winters far out to sea. Feeding areas are usually located fairly far offshore from the nest. There is usually one chick and both parents feed the young.

Horned Puffins will return from hunting with several small fish in their beaks. They also eat squid and crustaceans.

The population of these birds has declined due to the introduction of rats onto some islands used for nesting.

Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)

Originally uploaded by ConstantineD

Another fabulous photo of a Tufted Puffin by ConstantineD on flickr.

Female Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata)

Originally uploaded by ConstantineD

The Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata) is an auk, similar in appearance to the Atlantic Puffin; this bird’s bill is yellow at the base and red at the tip. It is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish. It nests in colonies, often with other auks.

The yellow bill plate grows before the breeding season and is shed later. They have a small fleshy black “horn” above their eyes. They have a white face with a dark line extending from the back of the eye and red feet.

This species breeds on rocky islands off the coasts of Siberia, Alaska and British Columbia, in burrows, in rocky cavities or among rocks. It winters far out to sea. Feeding areas are usually located fairly far offshore from the nest. There is usually one chick and both parents feed the young.

Horned Puffins will return from hunting with several small fish in their beaks. They also eat squid and crustaceans.

The population of these birds has declined due to the introduction of rats onto some islands used for nesting.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_Puffin

Did he see us?

Originally uploaded by ippop

These puffins are playing hide-n-go-seek with this photographer, ippop from flickr. It is so much fun. Maybe they think since they can’t see him—he can’t see them. Puffins are quirky little birds, aren’t they?

Puffin

Originally uploaded by ippop

Another fantastic photo by ippop on flickr. This really is gorgeous!!

lundapysja (puffin) photo taken by Konný Guðjónsdóttir on flickr

A note from the photographer:

The story behind this picture is that I live in Westman islands, Iceland and in august every year the small puffins
fly to the lights in the town and the people (mostly children) go around and save them and send again to sea.

I found this one on my front door step one, one night when I come home and we put in a box for a night and the next morning we went to the shore to let the puffin go. But I took a picture of it before.

For few years ago we rescue a lot of puffins, from maybe 5 to 100 for one night. But now there are so few puffins that
it´s a luck to find one.

Thanks again to the photographer. You can check out this photo and more of hers by clicking here.

Photo by David Cheskin

A puffin at the Seabird Centre’s SOS Puffin project, a conservation project to reinstate puffins on Craigleith Island, near Edinburgh. Photo: David Cheskin

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After my find yesterday in the University of Washington archives—I did a search for more old puffin photographs. I found some! YAY! =) I love history and puffins and puffin history.

A Tufted Puffin guarding its egg at Three Arch Rocks while Finley and Bohlman capture the shot during a 1903 photography trip to the area.¹

Tufted Puffin at Three Arch Rocks -- 1903

Close up shot of a Tufted puffin at Three Arch Rocks, 1903. Hand painted glass slide by Finley and Bohlman.²

Close up shot of a Tufted puffin at Three Arch Rocks, 1903. Hand painted glass slide by Finley and Bohlman.

A hand painted glass slide of Tufted Puffins at Three Arch Rocks in 1903 by Finley and Bohlman.

((http://digitalrepository.fws.gov/u?/nctcdiglib,744))

A hand painted glass slide of Tufted Puffins at Three Arch Rocks in 1903 by Finley and Bohlman.

A hand painted glass slide of a tufted puffin taken by Finley and Bohlman at Three Arch Rocks during a 1903 vist. Three Arch Rocks would later become the west coast first bird refuge in 1907.³

A hand painted glass slide of a tufted puffin taken by Finley and Bohlman at Three Arch Rocks during a 1903 vist. Three Arch Rocks would later become the west coast first bird refuge in 1907.

A hand painted glass slide of a tufted puffin taken by Finley and Bohlman at Three Arch Rocks during a 1903 vist. Three Arch Rocks would later become the west coast first bird refuge in 1907. Under the Model Bird Law Finley was able to end sea bird shooting parties to the area in 1904.⁴

Tufted Puffin 1903 Finley and Bohlman b

A Tufted puffin guarding its egg at Three Arch Rocks, 1903. A hand painted glass slide by Finley and Bohlman. Thier photographs of Three Arch Rocks in 1903 would later help the area become a bird refuge in 1907.⁵

A Tufted puffin guarding its egg at Three Arch Rocks, 1903. A hand painted glass slide by Finley and Bohlman. Thier photographs of Three Arch Rocks in 1903 would later help the area become a bird refuge in 1907.

1. http://digitalrepository.fws.gov/u?/nctcdiglib,829 [↩]
2. http://digitalrepository.fws.gov/u?/nctcdiglib,742 [↩]
3. http://digitalrepository.fws.gov/u?/nctcdiglib,745 [↩]
4. http://digitalrepository.fws.gov/u?/nctcdiglib,746 [↩]
5. http://digitalrepository.fws.gov/u?/nctcdiglib,743 [↩]

While researching the Tufted Puffin I came across these wonderful Tufted Puffin photographs taken on Carroll Island, Washington State in June of 1907. This is an island in Clallam County. These photographs are part of the University of Washington archive. Sources cited below.¹²

1. http://content.lib.washington.edu/u?/wastate,1375 [↩]
2. http://content.lib.washington.edu/u?/wastate,1389 [↩]