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Home/Species/ Tufted Puffin

Fratercula cirrhata

(Pallas, 1769)

Tufted Puffin

G5Secure Found in 58 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). © Nathan Dubrow; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Nathan Dubrow; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). © Dubi Shapiro; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Dubi Shapiro; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). © David McQuade; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© David McQuade; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). © mario balitbit; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© mario balitbit; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). © Karim Bouzidi; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Karim Bouzidi; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). © Eric Ellingson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Eric Ellingson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100853
Element CodeABNNN12010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyAlcidae
GenusFratercula
Other Common Names
Macareux huppé (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Often placed in the monotypic genus Lunda (AOU 1983).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-07
Change Date1996-11-27
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Range Extent Comments
BREEDS: arctic coast of eastern Siberia and Cape Lisburne, Alaska, to northern Japan in western Pacific and Farallon Islands (central California) in eastern Pacific. WINTERS: offshore from Alaska and Kamchatka south through breeding range to central California and southern Japan; accidental in Hawaii (AOU 1983). Center of abundance appears to be western Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutians.
Occurrences Comments
A world total of 1031 known colonies tabulated in Piatt and Kitaysky (2002); some of these may be combined in occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
Many Alaskan colonies probably have been devastated by introduced foxes (Lensink 1984). Present low numbers in California possibly are due to oil pollution and/or crash in the sardine population. Many are killed in Japanese gill-net fishery in North Pacific. See Lensink (1984), King (1984), and Ogi (1984).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Nonbreeding: primarily pelagic. Can be found well out to sea all year; summer observations probably immature nonbreeders (Johnsgard 1987). Immatures more likely than adults to winter in bays (Johnsgard 1987). Probably the most pelagic of alcids. Nests on offshore islands or along the coast. Nests on slopes in ground burrows, sometimes under boulders and piles of rocks, occasionally under dense vegetation (AOU 1983); also recorded nesting in sandy estuarine islands along north-central Alaska Peninsula (Spendelow and Patton 1988). May nest in association with murres, cormorants, auklets, gulls. See Spendelow and Patton (1988) for further details on nesting habitat.

Ecology

Solitary or in pairs when at sea.

Reproduction

Breeding begins late April in south to early June in north. Mean laying date is in early June in the western Gulf of Alaska. Incubation, by both sexes, lasts 42-53 days (average 46). Young are tended by both adults for 43-53 days (average 46), then go to sea untended by adults. Many occupied burrows never have eggs laid in them (Johnsgard 1987).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WashingtonS1BYes
AlaskaS5Yes
CaliforniaS1Yes
OregonS1BYes
CanadaN2B,N4N
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS3B,S4NYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)
11.3 - Temperature extremesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (58)
Alaska (48)
AreaForestAcres
Bering LakeChugach National Forest965,076
Bering LakeChugach National Forest965,076
ChichagofTongass National Forest555,858
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Chugach-14Chugach National Forest184
Chugach-14Chugach National Forest184
Chugach-15Chugach National Forest56
Chugach-15Chugach National Forest56
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Dall IslandTongass National Forest105,780
Exit Glacier DonutChugach National Forest126
Exit Glacier DonutChugach National Forest126
Exit Glacier DonutChugach National Forest126
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
Freshwater BayTongass National Forest44,933
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
McKenzieTongass National Forest83,103
MontagueChugach National Forest204,875
MontagueChugach National Forest204,875
MontagueChugach National Forest204,875
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
Outer IslandsTongass National Forest99,862
Port AlexanderTongass National Forest120,681
Prince William Sound Is.Chugach National Forest118,698
Prince William Sound Is.Chugach National Forest118,698
Prince William Sound Is.Chugach National Forest118,698
Sheridan GlacierChugach National Forest224,683
Sheridan GlacierChugach National Forest224,683
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
Taku-SnettishamTongass National Forest664,928
Tenakee RidgeTongass National Forest20,527
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
Oregon (8)
AreaForestAcres
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
Washington (2)
AreaForestAcres
Madison CreekOlympic National Forest1,223
Madison CreekOlympic National Forest1,223
References (27)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. Baird, P. H. 1991. Optimal foraging and intraspecific competition in the tufted puffin. Condor 93:503-515.
  4. California Department of Fish and Game. 2005. California's plants and animals. Web resource downloaded 12 April 2005, available at http://www.dfg.ca.gov.
  5. Gaston, A. J., and J. M. Hipfner. 2000. Thick-billed Murre (<i>Uria lomvia</i>). No. 497 IN A. Poole and F. Gill, editors, The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 32pp.
  6. Gaston, A. J., et al. 1994. Population parameters of thick-billed murres at Coats Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Condor 96:935-948.
  7. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  8. Hasegawa, H. 1984. Status and conservation of seabirds in Japan, with special attention to the short-tailed albatross. Pages 487-500 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  9. Hatch, S. A., and M. A. Hatch. 1990. Breeding seasons of oceanic birds in a subarctic colony. Can. J. Zool. 68:1664-1679.
  10. Hyslop, C., and J. Kennedy, editors. 1992. Bird trends: a report on results of national ornithological surveys in Canada. Number 2, Autumn 1992. Migratory Birds Conservation Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, Ontario. 20 pp.
  11. Johnsgard, P. A. 1987. Diving birds of North America. Univ. Nebraska Press, Lincoln. xii + 292 pp.
  12. King, W. B. 1984. Incidental mortality of seabirds in gillnets in the North Pacific. Pages 709-715 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  13. Lensink, C. J. 1984. The status and conservation of seabirds in Alaska. Pages 13-27 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Publ. No. 2.
  14. Mostello, C. S., N. A. Palaia, and R. B. Clapp. 2000. Gray-backed Tern (Sterna lunata). No. 525 in A. Poole and F. Gill (editors). The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 28 pp.
  15. Nettleship, D. N. 1996. Family Alcidae (auks). Pages 678-723 in J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal (Eds.) Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. 3. Lynx Editions, Barcelona, Spain.
  16. Ogi, H. 1984. Seabird mortality incidental to the Japanese salmon gill-net fishery. Pages 717-721 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  17. Piatt, J. F., and A. S. Kitaysky. 2002. Tufted Puffin (<i>Fratercula cirrhata</i>). <i>In</i> The birds of North America, No. 708 (A. Poole and F. Gill, editors). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 32 pages.
  18. Pierce, D. J., and T. R. Simons. 1986. The influence of human disturbance on tufted puffin breeding success. Auk 103:214-216.
  19. Poole, A. F. and F. B. Gill. 1992. The birds of North America. The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. and The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA.
  20. Pough, R. H. 1957. Audubon Western Bird Guide. Doubleday. 316 pp.
  21. Schreiber, E. A., R. W. Schreiber, and G. A. Schenk. 1996. Red-footed Booby (<i>Sula sula</i>). No. 241 in A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The birds of North America. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The Amerian Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC. 24 pp.
  22. Sealy, S. G., editor. 1990. Auks at sea. Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Studies in Avian Biology No. 14. vi + 180 pp.
  23. Spendelow, J. A. and S. R. Patton. 1988. National Atlas of Coastal Waterbird Colonies in the Contiguous United States: 1976-1982. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Report 88(5). x + 326 pp.
  24. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  25. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2015. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; 90-day findings on 25 petitions, notice of petition findings and initiation of status reviews. Federal Register 80(181):56423-56432.
  26. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2020. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Eleven Species Not Warranted for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species. Federal Register 85(233):78029-78038.
  27. Wehle, D. H. S. 1983. The food, feeding, and development of young tufted and horned puffins in Alaska. Condor 85: 427-442.