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Field Guide for all the Birds of North America

Puffins

Puffins

Alcidae

Information, images and range maps on over 1,000 birds of North America, including sub-species, vagrants, introduced birds and possibilities

There are three types of puffins found in North America.

The Atlantic Puffin is the smallest and lives on the eastern shores along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The Horned Puffin and the Tufted Puffin live 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 side of banks, usually on islands where there is more protection from land-based 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 and they will sometimes hold the minnows in neat rows on both sides of their bills.

Click on bird images or names to see pictures of the Puffins

Atlantic Puffin

Horned Puffin

Tufted Puffin

References to Other Bird Sites:

Avibase - the world bird database This site provides the user with a complete list of bird species, broken down per country, or in the example of the US or Canada, per state and province. Here, bird species names are available in other languages, a great asset to be used as a translation of foreign bird names.

ABA - American Birding Association This site represents an organization that maintains official records of all birds species that have been proven to have been seen inside the perimeters of the North American Continent and the surrounding bodies of water. Regular revised versions are posted to keep the bird list current at all times. This is the list used by all serious birders over their lifetime. You may be aware of the movie called the "Big Year". It was with this list that all the competing birders used in an attempt to set a new record as to how many bird species that could be seen by an individual birder in one calendar year.

I hope you will take advantage of these suggested websites. I have used each of them, in one way or another, throughout the years in my quest to better identify and understand our fine feathered friends.

Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB