amnhnyc:It’s a “tuft” life for the Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). This sea b

amnhnyc:

It’s a “tuft” life for the Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). This sea bird inhabits the North Pacific, where it lives in a large colony that nests on rocky cliffs.

It uses its thick bill to dig burrows as deep as 5 feet (1.5 meters) into a cliff! Throughout much of the year, it has an orange bill, and its body is covered in sleek black plumage. But come breeding season, a patch of white embellishes its face, its bill becomes a bright orange-red color, and a golden yellow tuft grows above each eye! The transformation happens to both males and females.

Photo: Alex Derr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, flickr

#AnimalFacts #TuftedPuffin #birds #puffin #nature #dyk
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