![]() Reasons for the decline are uncertain, but may include reduced prey availability, predation at nesting colonies, human disturbance (mainly historical), and factors related to climate change. The species is very rare during the winter months.įor maps of range-wide distribution and conservation status of this species, check out NatureServe Explorer and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Redlist.įormerly common in Washington along the outer coast and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and San Juan Islands, tufted puffins have suffered the reduction and disappearance of many breeding colonies in the state, accompanied by a dramatic population decline. The population has been declining since at least the 1980s, with minimum population estimates falling from 23,342 birds in 1978 through 1982 to 2,958 birds in 2009, and only 19 of 44 historical breeding sites remaining occupied. In Washington, breeding occurs on islands along the northern outer coast and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Steep population declines throughout the southern part of its range suggest that the species may be undergoing a significant range contraction. It spends the winter at sea, and nests during spring and summer in coastal colonies from California north to Alaska, and from Siberia south to Japan. The tufted puffin is found throughout the upper latitudes of the North Pacific Ocean. Tufted puffins at colonies experience predation from bald eagles and other predators, and kleptoparasitism (food stealing) by gulls. Two adult tufted puffins in breeding plumage on a rocky cliff. ![]() In scarce prey years, adults will feed the most nutritious food to their chicks until fledging, at which time the chicks are fully independent. Nesting tufted puffins prefer to forage locally for their nestlings, and are famed for carrying many – occasionally more than 20 – small fish at one time, neatly lined up and carried crosswise in their large bills. Rates of chick growth and survival depend on prey availability and quality. Incubation is performed by both members of the breeding pair and usually lasts between 43 and 46 days. Preferred nesting habitat includes grassy slopes, bluffs, and plateaus with soil deep enough for burrowing in locations free of introduced predators and human disturbance. Rocky areas and thickets are sometimes used for nesting. Nesting occurs in burrows where a single egg is laid. The breeding season extends from mid-April to early September in Washington. They are members of the auk family, with stocky bodies adapted to “flying” underwater as they dive in pursuit of a wide range of fish and invertebrate prey. kuhnmi - Creative Commons kuhnmi - Creative Commonsįoraging occurs from nearshore waters to open sea during the breeding season. An adult tufted puffin in flight with fish in its beak.
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