| Puffin | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Atlantic Puffin (F. The Atlantic Puffin ( la Fratercula arctica) is a Seabird Species in the Auk family. arctica)
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||
|
Fratercula arctica |
Puffin describes any of three auk species (or alcids) in the bird genus Fratercula (Latin: little brother — probably a reference to their black and white plumage, which resembles monastic robes) with a brightly colored beak in the breeding season. This article is about a family of birds For the American ornithological journal see The Auk. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone is the religious practice in which one These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving. Any water in the sea that is not close to the bottom is in the pelagic zone. Seabirds are Birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil. The Tufted Puffin was formerly placed in the genus Lunda.
All three puffin species have large bills. Anatomy Stegosaurus --> Beaks can vary significantly in size and shape from species to species They shed the colourful outer parts of their bills after the breeding season, leaving a smaller and duller beak. Their short wings are adapted for swimming with a flying technique under water. In the air, they beat their wings rapidly (up to 100 times per minute) in swift flight, often flying low over the ocean's surface.
Breeding
The male Atlantic Puffin builds the nest and exhibits strong nest site fidelity. Both sexes of the Horned Puffin help to construct their nest. The burrows of the Atlantic and Horned Puffin are usually about 1 metre (3 feet) deep, ending in a chamber, while the tunnel leading to a Tufted Puffin burrow may be up to 2. 75 metres (9 feet) in length. The Atlantic Puffin burrow is usually lined with material such as grass, leaves and feathers but is occasionally unlined. The eggs of the Atlantic Puffin are creamy white but can be occasionally tinged in lilac.
Puffins form long-term pair bonds. The female lays a single egg and both parents incubate the egg and feed the chick. The incubating parent holds the egg against its brood patch with its wings. The chicks fledge at night. Fledge is the stage in a young Bird 's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight After fledging, the chicks spend the first few years of their lives at sea, returning to breed after three to seven years.
Like many auks, puffins eat both fish and zooplankton, but feed their chicks primarily with small marine fish several times a day. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Zooplankton are the Heterotrophic (sometimes detritivorous) type of Plankton. The puffins are distinct in their ability to hold several (sometimes over a dozen) small fish at a time, crosswise in their bill, rather than regurgitating swallowed fish. This allows them to take longer foraging trips, since they can come back with more energy for their chick than a bird that can only carry one fish at a time. Foraging theory is a branch of Behavioral ecology that studies the foraging behavior of animals in response to the environment in which the animal lives
Species
Three species are recognized today:
- Atlantic Puffin, Fratercula arctica
- Horned Puffin, Fratercula corniculata
- Tufted Puffin, Fratercula cirrhata
The genus Fratercula probably evolved in the northern Pacific, like most lineages of auks. The Atlantic Puffin ( la Fratercula arctica) is a Seabird Species in the Auk family. The Horned Puffin ( Fratercula corniculata) is an Auk, similar in appearance to the Atlantic Puffin; this bird's bill is yellow at the base and red The Tufted Puffin ( Fratercula cirrhata) is a relatively abundant medium-sized Pelagic Seabird in the Auk (Alcidae family found throughout The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions However, at least 2 undescribed prehistoric species are known to have lived in the western Atlantic comparatively soon after the genus' emergence:
- Fratercula sp. 1 (Yorktown Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, USA)
- Fratercula sp. 2 (Yorktown Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, USA)
Another extinct species, Dow's Puffin (Fratercula dowi) was found on the Channel Islands of California until the Late Pleistocene or Early Holocene. The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel The Late Pleistocene (also known as Upper Pleistocene or the Tarantian) is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. The Holocene is a Geological epoch which began approximately 10000 years ago (about 8000 BC It is possible that it became extinct due to overhunting and egg-collecting by early human settlers.
In culture
- There are several islands around the world called Puffin Island.
External links
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic