The horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata) is an auk found in the North Pacific Ocean, including the coasts of Alaska, Siberia and British Columbia. It is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish. It nests in colonies, often with other auks.
It is similar in appearance to the Atlantic puffin, its closest relative of the North Atlantic, but differs by a "horn" of black skin located above the eye, present in adult birds.
Etymology
The binomial name of this species, Fratercula corniculata, comes from the Medieval Latin fratercula, meaning "friar"; their black-and-white plumage resembling the robes of monks. Corniculata means "horn-shaped" or "crescent-shaped", in reference to the black horn above the bird's eye.
The vernacular name puffin – puffed in the sense of swollen – was originally applied to the fatty, salted meat of young birds of the unrelated species, the Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus), formerly known as the "Manks puffin". It is an Anglo-Norman word (Middle English pophyn or poffin) used for the cured carcasses. The Atlantic puffin acquired the name at a much later stage, possibly because of its similar nesting habits, and it was formally applied to that species by Pennant in 1768. The Ainu people of Sakhalin call them etupirka, which means "beautiful beak".
Description
thumb|left|This juvenile lacks the horn and brilliantly colored [[Beak#Rhamphotheca|rhamphotheca seen in sexually mature birds during the breeding season]]
thumb|Horned puffin in eclipse plumage.
The height of the adult puffin is approximately , the weight is approximately , and the wingspan is approximately . Horned puffins are monomorphic (the male and female exhibit the same plumage coloration). Sexually mature birds have a small fleshy black "horn" extending upwards from the eye, from which the animal derives its common name — the horned puffin. A dark eyestripe extends backwards from the eye towards the occiput. The cheeks are white, with a yellow wattle at the base of the bill. The legs and feet are orange.
The horned puffin's bill, which is larger than those of other puffin species, is red at the tip and yellow at the base.
In summer (breeding) plumage, the bill's outer layer – the rhamphotheca – grows in size and turns bright yellow with a dark orange tip. The size and color of the rhamphotheca helps to attract a mate. The brilliant outer layers of the rhamphotheca are shed in late summer, as the face reverts to a gray and black color, and the legs and feet fade to a pale fleshy color. This phase is referred to as eclipse plumage. The puffin's bill has fluorescent properties that are also used to attract a partner. Puffins can see ultraviolet rays, allowing them to spot luminescence on the bills of other puffins during the courtship display.
The horned puffin chick has smoky-gray cheeks and a fine, black triangular-shaped beak. The feet are pinkish or greyish. The juvenile's height is less than that of the adult at the time of leaving the nest. Young puffins lose their greyish facial spots during their first springtime. The beak gains its developed form at the age of one year and continues to grow over the years, reaching the brightest coloration at five years, the point of sexual maturity. becoming an "A-gaa-kah-kha-kha". These noises are most often produced by adults and are similar to bellowing, described as the "distant sound of a chainsaw".
The sounds during the mating season can be transcribed as "Op-op-op-op-op".
Distribution and habitat
thumb|Three horned puffins on a cliff in Alaska.
The horned puffin is relatively common across its range. More rarely, the species travels as far south as Japan and the coasts of Oregon and California.
Horned puffins live among steep rocky slopes and cliffs. Unlike other puffins, they dig little or no burrows, preferring rock crevices or shelters under piles of rock for home and shelter.
As of 2023, for the last several years, at least one Horned Puffin has been seen spending the summer months at Smith Island, Washington, in the Salish Sea, alongside the local breeding population of Tufted Puffins. Researchers, with help from several commercial Whale Watching companies in the region, are trying to figure out if this is a lone individual, or a potentially a mated pair. If it is the latter, this would add a breeding location for the species hundreds of miles away from their normal grounds.
Behavior
Flight
thumb|left|A horned puffin flying over the ocean
To achieve flight, horned puffins either jump off a cliff to gain momentum, or races across the water to reach the speed required for takeoff. The puffin's dominant display is to holding its beak open with its tongue lowered (known as "gaping"), back feathers erect, stepping in place as it rocks from side to side. This gesture is often made towards a rival puffin, who may either back down or fight with the intruder. During fights, puffins lock bills and beat each other with their wings, and the two combatants may tumble down a slope or cliff still locked in battle.
At sea
thumb|A horned puffin floating on the water's surface
Horned puffins spend half of their time on water, paddling along the surface with their feet. They are extremely agile underwater, to the point that their movement can be called "underwater flight" rather than swimming. Their powerful wings serve as oars and their webbed feet work as a rudder. Water pressure keeps the feathers glued to the body, placing the puffin into an aerodynamic shape. Puffins can easily stay longer than one minute under water.
Like most other seabirds, horned puffins have waterproof plumage, which permits it to dive and prevents rapid heat loss. This is made possible by its feather disposition and a specialized gland near the tail called the uropygial gland. This secretes a greasy and hydrophobic liquid that the puffin spreads on its plumage with its beak, permitting it to float.
Food and hunting techniques
Adult horned puffins are quite general in their diet, feeding on fish, small invertebrates, crustaceans, polychaete worms and squid. They also feed on small algae and marine plants.
To catch fish, horned puffins dive down to about , pursuing prey mostly taking place at in depth. The puffin most commonly hunts in the early morning. Both parents participate in the feeding and rearing of the chick.
Reproduction
thumb|Horned puffin couple at [[Pribilof Islands]]
The horned puffin reaches sexual maturity between the age of five and seven years, The egg is oval, off-white in color with lavender, gray and brown highlights. Both parents take turns incubating the egg over about 41 days, and spend another forty days raising the chick. The fledgling leaves the nest alone and at night, making its way towards open water, then quickly dives and swims away to begin independent life.
Status
The total number of horned puffins is estimated at 1,200,000. 300,000 are located in Asia, while the other 900,000 are located in North America, with a high concentration in the Alaska Peninsula numbering 760,000.