The tufted puffin has tufts of feathers
that curl back from each side of the head. They have black bodies with a white
face. They have orange feet and their bills are red and yellow. They are similar
to the horned puffins.
In the late summer puffins shed the outer layer of their bill leaving a small
dull colored bill. The white feathers also turn a dusky gray color. In summer
and nesting season the bill gets larger and more colorful. The colorful bill
is why they call them sea parrots.
Puffins are made for swimming rather than flying. Under water they use their
wings to propullsion and the webbed feet to maneuver. That makes it easier
to catch fish. The puffins somehow line up the fish when they catch them so
that the head is hanging out of one side of the beak and the tail out of the
other. They hardly ever lose the fish in their mouth.
If you go to Alaska I can almost garantee that you will see a puffin.