Birds of North America

Puffins

Fratercula

Lives, Habitats & Pictures of the Puffins

There are three types of puffins found in North America. The Atlantic Puffin, which is the smallest, lives on the eastern shores along the coast the Atlantic Ocean. The Horned Puffin and the Tufted Puffin lives along the western coast of the Pacific Ocean.

Puffins are recognized by their mostly black and white plumage and large multi-coloured bills. They raise their young in cavities, which they make by digging into the sides of banks, usually on islands, where there is more protection from land base predators. These stocky looking birds, with wings that appear to be too small, live next to the water, where they are able to dive into the water after a short flight. Small minnows are their main diet,which they will sometimes hold in neat rows on both sides of their bills.

Click on the bird names listed below to see pictures of Puffins

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Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB