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!
In the past 30 years, the tufted puffins populations along the Oregon coast have dramatically decreased from 5,000 to just a few hundred. This is such a drastic decline in population and the reasons are varied and uncertain. Predatory birds, climate change, overpopulation (people), changing ocean conditions, and simply not enough food and space for the birds to thrive as they once did.
This is the story of many coastal places where puffins once were aplenty.
We must change our ways or we will see the bright, quirky little birds disappear completely.
Tufted Puffins are not found in the UK or possibly the whole of Europe. So imagine the surprise of the British people who saw one off the coast on September 16th at the Oare Marshes reserve in the Swale Estuary near Faversham about 1 1/2 hours east of London.
This little bird, the clown-of-the-sea, is definitely far from home in a place very different from the natural habitat of puffins which consists of rocky sea cliffs at the Oare Marshes. His unexpected appearance begs the question, how did the find his way to the UK?
It seems the sighting of the Tufted Puffin is as exciting for the British as it is for us puffin lovers—inspiring people to travel from hours away to see it for the first time in a place it never visits. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for people in the UK.
It reminds me how lucky I am to be living in a state where the Tufted Puffin feels at home, Washington State. But for how much longer? With global warming, natural predators and a lack of funds to really help protect them? I cringe at the thought of losing the Tufted Puffin and revel in the mishap chance of a wayward Tufted Puffin finding its way to the coast of the UK. Maybe he fancied a spot of tea. Maybe he was simply lost at sea.
M Wright (Photo)
Whatever brought the Tufted Puffin to the UK pales in comparison to the joy he will bring to the bird lovers who will visit him while he is there. We should all enjoy the Tufted Puffin while we can—near or far from its home—with its long, fuzzy eyebrows and quirky little walk before he moves on to a different place…due to climate change or worse due to neglect, habitat loss or natural predators.
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…
A friend is visiting New York and she went to the Central Park Zoo where she promptly sent me a photo from her cell phone.
Tufted Puffins at the NYC Central Park Zoo
According to the official Central Park Zoo they have approximately 15 Tufted Puffins at their location. =) YAY for puffins!
For now, here is the general information about the NYC Central Park Zoo in case you wish to visit:
Location: East Side between 63rd and 66th Streets
Detail:
- Hours: April – Oct. Monday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm, Weekends 10 am – 5:30 pm; Nov. – March Daily 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Admission to Wildlife Center includes admission to Children’s Zoo: Adults $10.00; Senior Citizens (65+) $7.00; Children 3-12 $5.00; Children under 3, Free
- General Information: 212-439-6500
This is the story of a professor who went to visit the Tatoosh Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the coast of Washington State. Here lives the tufted puffin. Read his story, see his photographs… you won’t be sorry you did.
The first of the portly, colorful seagoing birds showed up the first week of April after eight months floating and diving on open seas, said Nala Cardillo, the coordinator of the Haystack Rock Awareness Program.They nest and raise their chicks each spring and summer at Haystack Rock.
The Tufted Puffin has the long eyebrows (really they are feathers but they look like long eyebrows or a slick hairdo). It is found on the West coast of the U.S. and Canada, from California up to B.C. up to Alaska. It can also be found in the Aleutian Islands, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands and throughout the Sea of Okhotsk.
You can tell the Tufted Puffin from other puffins not only by the long feathers on its head but also by its dark belly.
This is a beautiful bird and happens to live off the coast of my state. However, going to see them is no easy task. They are well protected. This is a good thing for them. =)
I am working on a puffin finder page. I should be finished within the week. It will have both the natural habitats and the zoos, sanctuaries, aquariums etc. where you can find puffins.
YAY!!! If you know of a place that is NOT listed that has puffins, please email me.
INTERESTING FACT
It was onced believed that a Puffin was a fish as well as a bird. People thought it was born from rotting piece of wood floating in the sea, instead of hatching out from an egg as we know it does today.
