Tufted Puffin

Linnean Classification: Eukarya, Animalia, Chordata, Aves, Charadriiformes, Alcidae, Fratercula, Fratercula arctica

Regulator: Tufted Puffins are Regulators because they are warm-blooded organisms with the ability to regulate and maintain a relatively stable and constant internal environment and temperature (homeostasis), even with the variability of external environments.

Migration: It is known that Tufted Puffins migrate for the winter, though it is not completely known to where they migrate. In the areas of northernmost breeding colonies, seas freeze solid in the winter so it is thought that the Puffins migrate to very far offshore, where they are seldom observed.

Generalist: Tufted Puffins do live in a variety of environments and biomes and are adapted to each of them. They are found along the Pacific Coast, from the freezing climates of Alaska to the warmer rocky coasts of California, and from fairly close to shore burrowing on on sea cliffs to far out of sight of land, to treeless islands at sea.

Consumer: It is a consumer, as it cannot produce it’s own food but must consume other organisms to get the nutrients and energy its needs.

Omnivore: Puffins are omnivores, as they consume both plants and animals. However, they are primarily carnivorous, with a diet of mainly small fish, plankton, squid, and small invertebrates.

Niche: Tufted Puffins live along the Pacific Rim, found from mid-California to throughout southeastern Alaska. They can be found in several coastal habitats, throughout the Northern Pacific with the exception of estuaries. They tend to breed in colonies on islands, on steep grassy slopes clifftops, or midocean. They feed on fish and other sea animals, like silverside, herring, krill, zooplankton, squid, amphipods, crabs, and shrimp. Their main predators include Bald Eagles, gulls, ravens, snowy owls, arctic foxes, rats, and humans.