Atlantic Puffin [Fratercula arctica]
Description
The Atlantic Puffin is a small, stout seabird that is known for its black back and white undersides. Its face is primarily white with a characteristic large, parrot-like beak that is brightly colored in orange and yellow during the breeding season. This species is pelagic, spending the majority of its life out at sea. It nests in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, laying a single white egg in a burrow excavated in soft soil or in a crevice among rocks. The Atlantic Puffin feeds by diving and swimming underwater, using its wings for propulsion and its feet for steering. Its diet consists mainly of small fish, especially sand eels, but also consumes squid and crustaceans.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Charadriiformes
|
| Family |
Auks, Murres, and Puffins
Alcidae
|
| Genus |
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula
|