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Tufted puffins (Lunda cirrhata) occupy the same role in the food web of the Arctic, as penguins

Mary Schwalm Tufted Puffin in the Central Park Zoo.

do in the Antarctic. In fact, those commercials you might see during the holidays of Polar bears and penguins drinking soda together are false. It is the puffin that would likely be seen in the company of a Polar bear as both live in the North Pole. But they seldom have SAG cards.

Habitat: Tufted puffins are open ocean birds, which come on land only during the breeding season. In fact, Tufted puffins are only “tufted” during the breeding season and molt their eyebrow-like tufts during the late summer/fall. The rest of the year is spent floating along the Northern Pacific, from the Japanese islands north along the Russian coast, across to Alaska, and south even as far as Santa Barbara, California.

Description: These members of the Auk family are able to fly, unlike their southern counterpart the penguin. Their short, rounded wings aid in flight but must be beaten furiously to stay airborne. The wings also act as flippers underwater. They generally weigh up to 28 ounces and are approximately 11 inches tall. Their yellow beaks are much shorter and thicker than penguins, and stand out vibrantly against the black of their feathers.

Diet: In the wild Tufted puffins eat capelin, sand eel, anchovy, Pacific herring, squid, sea urchins, and algae. At the CPZ, puffins are fed capelin, Vitamin E, and salt supplements.

Exhibit: The air temperature is kept between 32-34 degrees F. The water temperature is 42 degrees F and has a depth of 8 feet. The exhibit, across from the penguin exhibit, holds 6,000 gallons of water and is filtered at 150 gallons per minute. Lighting is an important factor for puffins as it stimulates breeding and molting seasons. Because NYC is in the Northern Hemisphere, we are on the same light cycle as the puffins. For example, during summer the days are longer and the sun is brighter. However, during winter, the days are shorter and the sunlight is weaker. You will see examples of this if you visit the Edge of the Icepack building, where both CPZ penguins and puffins are on the Northern Hemisphere’s light cycle.

Life span: Tufted puffins will live approximately 25 years.

Threats: Current threats to Tufted puffins are oil spills, over fishing, and the introduction of the Arctic fox to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

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