Horned Puffins, Tufted Puffins and Murres

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear
Brown Bear Fishing Golden Female and Cubs
Assorted Brown Bear Brown Bear Composites

Puffin the Clown X3277 M

A Horned Puffin strikes a clown-like pose on a rocky ledge at Duck Island.

This image is available cropped to 4:5 aspect ratio (VLG), and as above in a 5:4 ratio, in XL size.

All of the landscape (horizontal) large version images linked from the thumbnails are 1500 pixels wide.
Portrait (vertical) images are 1200 pixels tall (1290 pixels with title bar). Images designated with an “M”
in the shot number are 5:4 aspect ratio, 1500 x 1290 with a title bar, or 1500 x 1200 without the title bar.

Duck Island Mount Redoubt 0997

Duck Island with the conical shape of the Mount Redoubt volcano looming over it.

Duck Island and its larger neighbor Chisik Island (far left) form the Tuxedni Wilderness Wildlife Refuge,
a part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The two islands were established as a refuge for
seabirds, bald eagles and peregrine falcons in 1909, and were declared the Tuxedni Wilderness in 1970.
In 1980 the islands became a subunit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Almost all of the
Tuxedni Wilderness is on Chisik Island (Duck Island is six acres, Chisik is nearly 1000 times larger).

Mount Redoubt is an active stratovolcano (composite volcano built up of many layers)
in the Chigmit Mountains just west of Cook Inlet between Tuxedni Bay and Redoubt Bay.
It has erupted five times since 1900 (2009 was the last eruption). The 1989 eruption blasted
volcanic ash to 45,000 feet, catching a KLM 747 in flight, which safely landed at Anchorage.
The volcanic ash turned to glass inside the engines, causing all four engines to shut down.
This 1989 eruption was the first to be successfully predicted by the Chouet methodology.

Duck Island is sometimes known as Puffin Island due to the colony of Horned Puffins that live on the small rocky islet along with some Tufted Puffins, Common Murres (Guillemots) and other seabirds, although Horned Puffins make up most of the seabird population of the island.

Duck Island is home to approximately 5000 seabirds, which include about 3000 Horned Puffins which nest in the talus and rock crevices. The sea stack (shown in detail at right) is home to Kittiwakes and Common Murres, and Murres also nest in tightly packed groups under some of the alder and elderberry trees on the island. The island is also home to small groups of Cormorants, Parakeet Auklets and Glaucous-winged Gulls.

Duck Island Sea Stack 0931

Duck Island Sea Stack 0929 M

Sea stacks are steep (often vertical) columns of rock on a coast, formed by wind and water erosion.

In the two images above you can see the large Sea Stack on Duck Island which provides a home to
some of the seabirds, notably the Kittiwakes and some of the Common Murres. The detail image at
right is a 1000 x 1600 image showing detail of crevices that the Common Murres use for nesting.

Horned Puffins X3291

A group of Horned Puffins having a meeting on a rocky ledge on Duck Island.

Horned Puffins are one of three species of small Auks, which have a brightly colored beak
during the breeding season which they shed at the end of the season, leaving a small dull bill.
The breeding bill of the Horned Puffin is yellow at the base, with a red tip and an orange hinge.
The Horned Puffin looks much like its North Atlantic cousin, which has a black base on its beak.
Both the Horned and Tufted Puffins have the comical-looking curved, vertical “eyebrow” horns.

Puffin Portrait X3272

Puffin the Clown X3277

Two portraits of a Horned Puffin posing on a rocky ledge on Duck Island, in Tuxedni Bay, Cook Inlet, Alaska.
Both of these images are available cropped to 4:5 aspect ratio as above (VLG), and in a 5:4 ratio, in XL size.

Puffin Portrait X3272 M

A preview of the 5:4 XL (landscape) version of this portrait of a Horned Puffin (the 4:5 preview is above).

Puffin Portrait X3274

Puffin Portrait HS2465

Puffin with Bug HS2464 M

A profile portrait of a Horned Puffin watching a bug on Duck Island in Cook Inlet, Alaska.

Images in this section are in several different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Gallery Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.

Images can be found in the following Galleries (Direct Links):

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear
Brown Bear Fishing Golden Female and Cubs
Assorted Brown Bear Brown Bear Composites

Puffin Fish Story X3270

A Horned Puffin tells his colleagues all about the fish that got away. We’ve all heard that one...

Horned Puffins X3390 M

Horned Puffins perched on talus on the slopes of Duck Island in the Tuxedni Wilderness refuge.

Puffin Portrait X3437

A Horned Puffin practices his cute look in a rocky crevice on Duck Island.

Puffin Opera X3305

A Horned puffin practices his operatic technique on a rocky ledge.

Puffin Portrait X3311c M

A rear profile portrait of a Horned Puffin showing detail of the colorful mating beak.

Puffin Portrait HS2447c

Puffin Portrait HS2454c

A Horned Puffin provides numerous head poses in the hope of gaining a box cover for Puffin Cereal.

Puffin Portrait HS2451

The image above is the one which the Puffin chose. The editor’s decision is still forthcoming.

Images in this section are in several different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Gallery Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.

Images can be found in the following Galleries (Direct Links):

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear
Brown Bear Fishing Golden Female and Cubs
Assorted Brown Bear Brown Bear Composites

Puffin Portrait X3336

A Horned Puffin stands for a portrait on a rocky outcropping on Duck Island in the Tuxedni Wilderness.

Horned Puffins X3376

Horned Puffins X3381

Horned Puffins on a rocky outcropping on Duck Island. Both images are available
in SXL size as shown above, or as 2:3 detail crops in VLG size as shown below.

Puffin Portrait X3376c

Puffin Portrait X3381c

Detail crops from Horned Puffins 3376 SXL and 3381 SXL (both crops are available in VLG).

Puffin Portrait X3342 M

A Horned Puffin looks out to sea from a rocky outcropping on Duck Island.

Horned Puffins exhibit a type of deceptive coloration called countershading.
Countershading, or Thayer’s Law, is a form of camouflage in which the back
is darker and the belly is lighter. This helps to hide the Puffin from predators,
as when seen from above the dark back blends in with the ocean, and when
seen from below the light belly blends in with the lighter surface of the water.

Horned Puffins X3388

Horned Puffins X3389

Horned Puffins breed in colonies on coasts and islands. Breeding sites are often called “Puffin Island”.
Another Alaskan island is officially called Puffin Island, in the Kotzebue Sound off the Northwest Coast.

Horned Puffin Display X3323

A Horned Puffin spreads his wings in a display on a rocky outcropping on Duck Island.

Horned Puffin Display X3372

Puffins perform many kinds of displays. This wing spread and body puff may be a dominance
display or it may just be that this particular Puffin is hamming it up for the photographer. In another
display called “billing”, which is used specifically for courtship, two puffins rub their beaks together.
In the display called “gaping”, a puffin exhibits its displeasure by spreading its wings and opening
its bill while puffing up its body to look bigger. The wider the bill is, the more annoyed is the puffin.

Horned Puffin Display X3373 M

Horned Puffin Display X3382 M

Horned Puffin Display X3400 M

This sort of wing-spread display was always exhibited by a Puffin who was above others,
which is why I think this wing-spread display may be a “King of the Hill” dominance display.

Horned Puffin Display X3401 M

A Horned Puffin displays its wings while perched on a rock on Duck Island.

Images in this section are in several different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Gallery Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.

Images can be found in the following Galleries (Direct Links):

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear
Brown Bear Fishing Golden Female and Cubs
Assorted Brown Bear Brown Bear Composites

Horned Puffin in Flight HS2429

A Horned Puffin in flight over Duck Island in the Tuxedni Wilderness, Cook Inlet, Alaska.

Puffins are sort of like little flying footballs, with their stocky build and short wings which
are adapted for swimming with a flying technique under water. Due to a high wing loading
(the weight of the body divided by the area of the wing), Puffins beat their wings very rapidly,
as fast as 6 to 7 times per second, and while they can glide, they do it at a fairly high speed.

Horned Puffin in Flight HS2572

A Horned Puffin exhibits curiosity about the long black “bill” on the camera as it flies in to Duck Island.

Horned Puffin in Flight HS2585

Horned Puffin in Flight HS2586

Horned Puffin in Flight X3412

Horned Puffin in Flight X3464

Horned Puffins in flight over Duck Island, in Tuxedni Bay, Cook Inlet, Alaska.

The Horned Puffin uses its large, triangular bill to catch fish and marine invertebrates,
and can dive up to 80 feet to catch fish. Their legs are set well back on the body, making
the Puffin ungainly on land, and their short wings and high wing loading reduce their agility
in the air, but they are very good swimmers, using their wings for propulsion and their feet
to maneuver. The high wing loading makes takeoffs difficult, so the Puffins dive off cliffs
to take flight. Takeoffs on the water require that they run on the surface to gain speed.

Horned Puffin in Flight X3470

A profile portrait of a Horned Puffin in flight over Duck Island.

Common Murre in Flight X3487

The Common Murre in climbing flight, backlit by the sun in the early afternoon.

The Common Murre or Common Guillemot (also known as the Thin-billed Murre) is a
large auk similar to the puffin, with a similar body shape and wing design. They are also
fast in direct flight, but not very agile as their wings are adapted for maneuvering underwater.

Common Murres HS2390 M

Common Murres (Guillemots) nesting high on the Sea Stack at Duck Island.
They do not build a nest, instead incubating their single egg on a bare rock ledge.
The egg hatches after about 30 days of incubation, and about 20 days after hatching
the chick leaves the nesting ledge with the male parent, gliding out to sea with fluttering
wings for its first feeding dive. They are capable of diving as soon as they hit the water.
The female stays at the nest site for about two weeks after the chick leaves the ledge.
Both males and females moult after breeding and become flightless for 1-2 months.

Common Murres X3321

Common Murres (Guillemots) on a rocky outcropping on Duck Island in the Tuxedni Wilderness.

The Common Murre, or Thin-billed Murre, spends most of its time at sea pursuit-diving for fish.
Common Murres typically dive to depths of 100-200 feet (and are able to dive as deep as 500 feet).
They swim after the prey using their wings for propulsion, and can remain underwater for two minutes.

Horned Puffin in Flight SXL

A 1600 x 756 version of the SXL Composite (4510 x 2130).
Horned Puffins in flight over Duck Island, Cook Inlet, Alaska.

Images in this section are in several different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Gallery Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.

Images can be found in the following Galleries (Direct Links):

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear
Brown Bear Fishing Golden Female and Cubs
Assorted Brown Bear Brown Bear Composites

Tufted Puffin X3765

A Tufted Puffin in flight over Duck Island, in Tuxedni Bay, Cook Inlet, Alaska.

The Tufted Puffin or Crested Puffin is a medium-sized auk of the North Pacific Ocean.
There are far fewer Tufted Puffins than Horned Puffins on Duck Island, but the Tufted Puffin
is relatively abundant in the North Pacific. They have a thick red-orange bill and yellow tufts.
Like Horned Puffins, their wings are relatively short and adapted for diving and swimming
underwater, and they fly with a rapid wing beat at speeds of about 50 miles per hour.

Horned and Tufted Puffins XXL

A 1600 x 1099 version of the XXL Composite (4932 x 3387).
Horned and Tufted Puffins in flight over Duck Island, Alaska.

Horned Puffin Landing HS2375

Horned Puffin Landing HS2377

A Horned Puffin transitions to a vertical orientation and flaps forward to lose speed for landing.

Horned Puffin Landing HS2378

Horned Puffin Landing HS2379

A Horned Puffin preparing to land on a rocky outcropping on Duck Island.

Horned Puffin Landing HS2381

A Horned Puffin lands on Duck Island as a group of his colleagues look on.

Horned Puffin Landing Sequence XXL

A 1600 x 1212 version of the XXL Composite (4930 x 3735)
showing a Horned Puffin coming in for a landing on Duck Island.

Horned Puffin Landing HS2502

Puffin Commentary HS2537

Horned Puffins often watch the landings and seem to comment on landing techniques.

Puffin Commentary HS2538

A pair of Horned Puffins discuss the landing technique of one of their fellows on Duck Island.

Images in this section are in several different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Gallery Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.

Images can be found in the following Galleries (Direct Links):

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear
Brown Bear Fishing Golden Female and Cubs
Assorted Brown Bear Brown Bear Composites

Horned Puffin with Fish HS2510

A Horned Puffin returning from the sea with fish. The waters around Duck Island are relatively warm,
with lower salinity and nutrient levels, and Puffins must travel further out to sea to find schools of fish.
When they return, they carry multiple fish in their bill, generally 6-10, but one was seen with 65 fish.

Horned Puffin with Fish HS2563 M

A Horned Puffin returns from the sea with a beak full of fish at mid-day over Duck Island.

Horned Puffin with Fish HS2611

Horned Puffin with Fish HS2613

A Horned Puffin flies directly towards the camera with a beak full of fish.

Horned Puffin with Fish HS2680 M

A Horned Puffin flies back to Duck Island with a fish mustache at mid-day.

Horned Puffin with Fish HS2681

Puffins feed almost exclusively on fish, which they catch during dives from the surface.
They occasionally catch squid or other marine invertebrates, carrying them back to land.

Horned Puffin with Fish HS2682

A Horned Puffin flies directly towards the camera with a fish mustache at mid-day on Duck Island.

Horned Puffin with Fish SXL

A 1600 x 1114 version of the SXL Composite (4005 x 2788)
showing Horned Puffins in flight with fish over Duck Island, Alaska.

Images in this section are in several different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Gallery Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.

Images can be found in the following Galleries (Direct Links):