Photo: Lisa Hupp/USFWS · Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · Public Domain
Seabirds
Tufted Puffin
Fratercula cirrhata
A striking seabird with a bright orange bill and long golden head plumes during breeding season. Tufted Puffins nest in burrows on steep, grassy sea cliffs and spend winters far out at sea.
Current regional viewing notes
Offshore waters near Icy Strait and Point Adolphus; occasionally seen from the Hoonah ferry terminal area during boat excursions.
Dataset note: This legacy field can be specific to Southeast Alaska/Hoonah and is not a complete statewide range statement.
Habitat
Open ocean and rocky coastal islands with grassy slopes for nesting burrows.
Diet
Small fish such as sand lance, herring, and capelin; also squid and invertebrates.
Natural history note
Tufted Puffins can dive to depths of over 200 feet and carry multiple small fish crosswise in their bills to feed their chicks.