North Pacific seabird known for the small, black fleshy "horn" above each eye during breeding season. Often called "sea parrots". Range: Mainly found along the coastline of Alaska, often nesting alongside Tufted Puffins.

Horned Puffin

Horned Puffins have white cheeks, a dark grey/black throat, and a bright yellow/red beak.

Horned Puffin

Diet & Hunting: They catch multiple small fish (like sand lance and capelin) at once using specialized spines on their tongue and mouth roofs. Habitat: They nest in large colonies in rocky crevices on coastal islands in Alaska, Russia, and Japan, spending winters far out at sea.

Horned Puffin

Bill Change: In late summer, they shed the outer, colorful layers of their beaks, leaving a smaller, duller, and darker bill for winter. The "horn" is a fleshy spike above the eye, visible only in summer.

Horned Puffin
Underwater Flight: Horned puffins are extremely agile, using their wings as oars and feet as rudders to "fly" underwater.
Life Cycle: They mate for life and lay only one egg per year, with both parents sharing incubation duties.