Tufted Puffin

Tufted puffins nest in colonies but they travel and feed alone at sea. Young tufted puffins may live entirely on the open ocean, returning to land to breed once they reach 3 years old. Every year they return to the colony where they were born and usually to the same mate. They breed in colonies on islands, nesting in burrows in grassy areas on slopes or cliffs during the spring and summer. Both males and females build the nests which they line with grass and feathers. Tufted puffins typically lay one egg per year, possibly 2 in the southern part of their range. Eggs are white to bluish-white with gray and brown spots. Both males and females lay on the eggs for about 41 days. Both parents feed their young by carrying fish in its bill and dropping them on the ground near the nest. Tufted puffins may venture far from the colony, sometimes spending 1 to 2 days away from the nest to find food. Young leave the nest about 45 days after hatching.