Joe Kahlo
Meet the horned puffin, a stunning black and white seabird known for carrying large beakfuls of fish to their young.
Sporting a beautiful yellow and orange bill, it is very similar to its cousin, the Atlantic puffin.
The horns, which are what it’s named for are small fleshy spikes that you can see on breeding adults that go above the eyes of the unique bird.
They can dive over 100 feet to chase small fish and are known to bring back dozens a time back to their young.
They prefer to nest on cliffs, even though other puffin species typically dig earthen burrows for their nests.
These tough seabirds choose to spend their winters far away from the shore in the Pacific ocean
The horned puffin’s bill is the largest of all the puffin species.
It has been referred to as ‘clown-like’ due to their red and yellow coloring.
In breeding season, which falls in summer, the bills outer later gets bigger and the yellow brightens up with a dark orange tip.
The puffin’s fluorescent bills are used to attract a partner.
They can spot ultraviolet rays meaning they can spot the luminescence on the bills of other puffins while courting.
