General Description: Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) are plump seabirds that are the northern hemisphere counterpart to penguins. Adult Tufted Puffins are black overall with thick necks, massive orange bills, and orange feet. In summer, adults get a white face, yellow on the bill, and long tufts of yellow feathers that fall onto the neck. In winter, they lose the tufts and fancy colors.

Taxonomy: Charadriiformes, Alcidae.

Favored Habitat: Tufted Puffins are birds of the open Pacific Ocean and coastal areas.

Where to Find: Don't look for Tufted Puffins around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them along the Pacific coast from northern California north to Alaska.

Comments: These birds live on the open ocean but return to land and nest on rocky cliffs and islands.

If you were a tasty little fish, this might be the last face you ever see!