Friday 30 September 2022

Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Fratercula ("little brother; friar") cirrhata ("curly haired")

 

Breeding plumage Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) on LHalf Moon Bay Pelagic - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 750g  /  Length: 35m  /  Wingspan: 63cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Tufted Puffin is the largest and most distinct of the three Puffin species, and is named for the long blonde "swoops" of feathers on its head while in breeding plumage. A species localised to the North Pacific, it is found ranging from California to Northern Japan, although outside the breeding species it heads out to sea. Amazingly, this species has actually been recorded in the UK, with a single bird having turned up very briefly at a site widely featured on this blog: Oare Marshes!

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Fratercula
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds along the Coast of all 4 Continental Pacific States
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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