Archive for the ‘Puffins’ Category
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
Watch for the many rare and spectacular birds that can be seen here. Haystack Rock is the closest accessible observation point to see tufted puffins
during their spring and summer nesting seasons. Tens of thousands of common murres can be seen in spring and summer on Bird Rocks near Chapman Point. Many varieties of shorebirds are spotted on beaches and estuaries during spring and fall migrations. Look for a variety of seabirds and
ducks in fall and winter. From spring to early fall, pelicans can be observed soaring just above the waves or diving into the water with a splash. See bald eagles and peregrine falcons as they patrol the coast year-round.
You can read more about Cannon Beach here.
Tags: Cannon Beach, Oregon, puffins at haystack rock, Puffins in Cannon Beach, puffins in Haystack Rock, puffins in Oregon, see puffins in Cannon Beach, see puffins in Oregon, visit puffins in Cannon beach, visit puffins in oregon
Posted in Cannon Beach, Oregon, Puffins, travel | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Puffin Poster
(You can click on the poster to buy it!)
Paul A. Lanquist is a Northwest artist who currently lives near Mt. St. Helens Washington with his wife and family. Paul is a dedicated outdoor enthusiast, has been a commercial artist and Illustrator for 20 years and has worked for a variety of companies such as Fred Meyer, Danner Boots, GI Joe’s, Whole Foods, Luhr Jensen, and Princess Cruise Lines. His unique style captures the rugged, quaint, friendly and dignified personality of life in United States and Canada. Paul believes that part of being a good illustrator is learning to build from past experience and to study the work of other American illustrators. Through the years Paul has gravitated to the work of illustrators from the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s that use color and design to communicate their ideas in a straightforward way. The natural beauty of America is another important influence in Paul’s work. By combining the nostalgic look and feel of the past with the spectacular scenery of this country, Paul has created destination and travel items that capture the beauty and lifestyle found there.
Tags: commercial art, illustrated puffins, nature art, Northwest art, outdoor art, Paul A. Lanquist, Paul Lanquist, posters with puffins, puffin art, puffin poster, puffins and outdoor art, puffins illustrations, Washington Artists, Washington State Artistis
Posted in Alaska, Puffins, art, illustrations, puffin art | No Comments »
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
One of our young readers had a birthday this week! And we wanted to wish her a very, very happy birthday! When we told the Maddhatress about our new friend having a birthday—she painted her a couple of happy birthday pictures! We scanned them in and here they are…

Happy Birthday from the Maddhatress (and Puffinpalooza.com)
Picture #2…for twice the fun!

And a second Happy Birthday from the Maddhatress and Puffinpalooza.com
See the puffin peeking out of the teapot door? Cute! Thanks Maddhatress and we hope our new friend had a wonderful birthday!
Tags: birthday picture, friendly reader, happy birthday, puffin picture
Posted in Puffins, art, birthday, drawings, puffin art | No Comments »
Sunday, September 27th, 2009
And yet another great photograph from victorcerutti on flickr.
This puffin is scooping down. Colorful beak. The clown of the sea swimming about finding food. Great action image capture.
Tags: alks, Atlantic Puffin, északi lunda, frailecillo, Fraret, loại chim biển, lund, lunde, LUNNEFÅGEL, Lunni, macareux, martı, maskonur, Mormonas, papagaio-do-mar, Papageientaucher, papegaai duiker, Papegaaiduiker, photos of puffins, Pictures, pictures of puffins, puffin, puffin photo, puffin picture, Puffinin, puffino, zog deti, пуффин, сякеркамі, топірець, топорик, тупик, פּאַפין, البفن, पितरेल, นกพัฟฟิน, 帕芬, 鳥, 퍼핀
Posted in Atlantic Puffin, Photograph, Photos, Pictures, Puffin photos, Puffins, puffin pictures | No Comments »
Friday, September 4th, 2009
Talking to the Zookeepers pays off!! Next time you visit a zoo—say hello and don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Tufted puffin couple at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, WA
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium currently has 20 tufted puffins in its exhibit, 9 males and 11 females. The tufted puffins range in age from 1 to 31. They currently have the oldest living puffin in captivity at 31 years of age!! He is only 3 years younger than me! =) Not only is he the oldest living puffin in captivity but tufted puffins are thought to only be capable of producing and raising chicks until their mid-twenties but this 31-year-old tufted puffin is a proud papa this year! The Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium also has the oldest living female in captivity at 27 years old. And if all this isn’t enough to make you get excited they also have 3 tufted puffin pairs that they believe are raising chicks this year. I wrote ‘they believe’ because the zookeepers try to let the tufted puffins raise the chicks as naturally as possible so the zookeepers do not check on their progress. They wait and are surprised by the little ones in the exhibit. How fun is that?!?

This is one of the tufted puffin mothers who had a chick this year

The youngest tufted puffin chick at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium as of August 2009!
The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is currently in the middle of some intensive training with their puffins as well. In the past year they have been training them to eat from the zookeepers’ hands so that they can better deliver any vitamins and medications the puffins may need. The training has been extremely successful so far. Part of this training for the last 6 months included working on scale training the puffins (training the puffins to step on a scale in order to get more frequent weights) instead of having to catch the puffins and hold them to get their weight. Catching them is extremely stressful for the puffins and so the the new weighing techniques has been very effective for both the zookeepers and the puffins. The Pt. Defiance Zoo now has weights on all birds except for about 4.
It is amazing what some hard work can produce! These quirky adorable little birds are definitely smarter than the zookeepers realized. I, for one, am looking forward to discovering more about the little pufflings and the progress of the training at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium!
For more information on the puffin exhibit (within the Rocky Shores exhibit) at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium—you can visit them online at their official website or in person at:
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
5400 N Pearl St # D Ruston, WA 98407-3296
(253) 591-5337
What are the hours and days of operation to see the puffins at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium? The zoo is open from 9:30-6:00 until September 7. After that the zoo is open from 9:30-5:00. The birds can be viewed any time during those hours, their exhibit is never closed.
When are the best times to go to see the puffins at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium if you have questions?
They feed their puffins 3 times a day during breeding season, twice a day during non-breeding season. As of right now, they are fed at approximately 8:00, 12:00-1:00, and 3:00-3:30. They will discontinue the last feeding during non-breeding season. This isn’t really definitive, but there is not a set schedule to when they feed their animals but this is a good guess. I will update you when I find out more…
Tags: alcidae, auk, clown of the sea, Fratercula cirrhata, little brother, pelagic seabird, puffin, Tufted Puffin, tufted puffins
Posted in Chicks, Fratercula cirrhata, Interesting Information, Oldest Puffin, Oldest Puffin in captivity, Photograph, Photos, Pictures, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Puffin Babies, Puffin Lovers, Puffin exhibits, Puffin photos, Puffins, Puffling, Puget Sound, Tufted Puffin, Visit, Washington State, Where can I see puffins?, Where can I see tufted puffins?, Zookeeper, alcidae, auk, puffin chicks, puffin pictures, research, training | No Comments »
Monday, August 31st, 2009
Another fabulous photo of a Tufted Puffin by ConstantineD on flickr.
Tags: Fratercula cirrhata, picture of a tufted puffin, picture of puffin, puffin photo, puffin picture, Tufted Puffin
Posted in Fratercula cirrhata, Photograph, Photos, Pictures, Puffin photos, Puffins, Tufted Puffin, Uncategorized, puffin pictures | No Comments »
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
by: Emma Snow
It is August on the coast of Iceland, and the air is filled with the deep garbled growls of hundreds of puffins. The social birds have come to shore for the short breeding season, and the rocky banks are dotted with their squat, football-shaped bodies. From the ocean bursts a shiny five-year-old male carrying a dozen small herring in his beak. Flapping his wings mightily, he rises from the waves to the rocky cliffs where a hungry chick waits silently in a burrow hidden in the rocks. The puffin circles the sky above the burrow several times, looking out for herring gulls, which sometimes wait ashore to steal a puffin’s catch. But the coast is clear and the puffin swoops down, entering the dark burrow with a flurry. Instantly the chick springs to life, demanding its meal with tiny squeals. Downy gray and plump, with a sliver of a beak, the chick hardly resembles its striking black and white father. Large and colorful beaks, which will fall off after the season is over, have given these arctic birds their nicknames—the sea parrot.
It was once questioned whether the pelagic puffin was a cross between a bird and a fish. Awkward and clumsy-looking on land, it certainly appears more adept in the sea, where its short wings effectively propel it through the water after small herring and sand eels. Its webbed feet function as a rudder, allowing the bird to maneuver sharp turns. Puffins can fly, and will actually beat their wings 100-400 beats per minute to become airborne. But because of the effort required to take flight, puffins will nest on cliffs where they more easily swoop down into the ocean. Puffins fly low to the water, and can reach speeds up to 55 miles per hour.
A puffin’s diet comes from the icy depths of the ocean, and an average dive can last twenty or thirty seconds, or more. With their specialized beaks, puffins are able to hold several fish at a time. Their raspy tongues hold fish against spines on their palate while they open their beak for more. An average catch would be 10-12 fish, but one puffin reportedly brought 62 fish in its beak at one time! Waterproof feathers provide protection from the chill of even the coldest waters in the arctic region. Even its coloration lends to its survival in the sea. The puffin’s dark coloring on its back make it difficult for predators to distinguish it from the dark waves as it floats on the ocean, while from below its white underside masks it from ocean enemies. This deceptive coloring is called counter shading.
Around the world it is estimated that 12-15 million puffins exist as three species: The horned puffin, named for its horny projections above its eyes; the tufted puffin, which has conspicuous straw-colored feathers extending from its crown during mating season; and the Atlantic puffin, the only puffin to live on the Atlantic Ocean, which has a steel-blue triangle at the base of its beak. In the 1800s over-hunting obliterated a native population in Maine, which has since been restored. They are not presently threatened. Puffin colonies are found breeding off the coasts of Alaska, Canada, North America, and North Asia; although Iceland is the breeding quarters of the largest population of puffins. Coastlines are filled with thousands of breeding pairs during the summer months. Puffins are monogamous, and while companions may part for the winter, which they spend out on the open sea, they usually return to the same partner, and even the same nest.
The rigorous mating ritual begins while the pair is still at sea. Breeding pairs engage in billing each other, skypointing (flying straight up), and strutting. By the time birds reach the shore, partnerships are well-established. The male digs the burrow using his beak to cut into the soil and his feet to shovel the rocks and other loose material away. Ideally, the burrow will be 2-3 feet long and protected from predators by rocks. Here the female lays one egg per year. Together, the pair incubates the egg, each taking a turn holding it under one wing and pressing it against its body. Cooperating in this way, both birds are able to leave the nest to feed.
When the egg hatches 40-53 days later, the parents continue to share responsibility for the chick. Feeding occurs four to five times a day, and after the first day of life the chick can be left alone in the burrow to wait for its next meal. The chick remains in the burrow about 40-55 days, whereupon it waits until evening before independently approaching the opening of the burrow for the first time. The fledgling sets out to sea on its own, where it will live for the next two years. Puffins reach sexual maturity at 3 years old, but will not generally return to their nesting grounds to mate until 4-5 years old. Puffins live long lives of 20 years or more.
Historically humans have used the puffin for meat and clothing (its skin is waterproof and warm when worn with the feathers turned inside), but hunting is generally discouraged today. In some countries it is forbidden by law. Meanwhile, man has come to value puffins as indicators of ocean health. By observing the condition of the puffin population, scientists determine whether over-fishing or harmful pollution is taking place. Oil spills threaten puffins by de-waterproofing their feathers, making them vulnerable to cold temperatures. Another negative impact on puffin colonies has been the unintentional introduction of rats and foxes to summer nesting areas.
About The Author
Emma Snow has always adored wild animals. Emma provides content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com and Riding Stable http://www.riding-stable.com.
Tags: Chicks, how fast do puffins beat their wings, how fast do puffins flap their wings, parrot of the sea, Puffins, puffins beat their wings, puffins diet, puffins fly, puffins swim, pufflings
Posted in Puffin Babies, Puffin diet, Puffins, Puffling, fish, flying, food, puffin chicks, swimming | No Comments »
Saturday, August 29th, 2009
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
Tags: auk, Fratercula corniculata, Horned Puffin, horned puffin photo, horned puffin picture, photo of horned puffin, picture of horned puffin
Posted in Fratercula corniculata, Horned Puffins, Puffin photos, Puffins, fish, puffin pictures | No Comments »
Friday, August 28th, 2009
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?
Tags: puffin photographs, Puffin photos, puffin pictures, puffins hiding
Posted in Puffin photos, Puffins, Uncategorized, puffin pictures | No Comments »
Thursday, August 27th, 2009
Another fantastic photo by ippop on flickr. This really is gorgeous!!
Tags: puffin photo, puffin photograph, puffin photography, puffin picture
Posted in Puffin photos, Puffins, Uncategorized, puffin pictures | No Comments »