| Range: |
Northwestern United States and Canada, to Russia, south to Japan |
| Habitat: |
Open ocean, rocky shorelines |
| Conservation Status: |
Common |
| Scientific Name: |
Fratercula cirrhata |
During breeding season, this puffin sports bright yellow tufts of feathers. These can help attract mates as they flash in the breeze. The bird's cheek feathers are bright white, and its body is black. Like all puffins, tufteds are better at swimming than flying. They dart after fast-moving fish and snatch them up in their large beaks. The tufted puffins' home range overlaps with that of the Horned Puffin, though tufteds usually winter further south, along the coast of California and on the main Japanese island of Honshu.
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