About:
Did you know that a horned puffin may carry over 50 small fish crosswise in their bills? Learn more about horned puffins.
Care & Wellness:
Since they live in colonies in the wild, the Zoo houses a large colony of these puffins. Many of them walk onto a scale for routine weighing. Their reward for participating is food or something like moss, which they use for nesting.
Behavior:
- Horned puffins are highly social, nesting in large groups and feeding in large flocks.
- Nests are in crevices on cliffs and often lined with feathers, grass, or debris collected by both parents.
- They may dive to depths of 40 meters in search of fish, squid, and other marine animals, using their wings to "fly" beneath the water.
- Elaborate courtships include head jerks and bill slapping, both involving their brightly-colored beak.
Endangered Status
- Extinct in Wild (EW)
- Critically Endangered (CR)
- Endangered (EN)
- Vulnerable (VU)
- Near Threatened (NT)
- Least Concern (LC)
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Fun Facts:
- After the young leave the nest, they may stay out to sea for three to four years until mature.
- Their bill becomes brightly colored during the breeding season.
- Parents stay in nest for six days after the young hatches to keep it warm.
- They may carry over 50 small fish crosswise in their bills.
