Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 15 in
38 cm - Weight
- 17–22.9 oz
483–648 g
Other Names
Cool Facts
- The Horned Puffin carries small fish crosswise in its bill and delivers them to its nestlings. One individual was observed carrying 65 fish at once.
- Unlike other puffins, which nest in burrows, the Horned Puffin typically nests in rock crevices and cliffs.
Habitat
Ocean
Breeds on rocky islands in cliff crevices and among boulders, rarely in ground burrows. Winters at sea.
Food
Fish
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Condition at Hatching
- Covered in down, can walk, but stays in nest.
Nest Placement
Cliff
Behavior
Surface Dive
Dives underwater to capture prey, using its wings to swim.
Conservation
Least Concern
Drift-net fisheries on the high seas killed tens of thousands of Horned Puffins until the practice was largely eliminated by the early 1990s. Coastal fisheries still cause some Horned Puffin deaths. All large breeding colonies of Horned Puffins in North America are located within national wildlife refuges in Alaska.
Credits
- Piatt, J. F., and A. S. Kitaysky. 2002. Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata). In The Birds of North America, No. 603 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.