Tufted puffin
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
A tufted puffin can catch another fish while holding fish in its bill.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Tufted puffin
- Scientific name
- Fratercula cirrhata
- Japanese name
- エトピリカ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Alcidae
- Genus
- Fratercula
It is widespread in cold parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and some come to islands in Hokkaido to breed.
Its name means “beautiful bill” in the Ainu language, and its bright orange bill really stands out.
Outside the breeding season it lives at sea. It can fly in the air and can also swim underwater as if flying.
How the Tufted puffin lives
In the summer breeding season, it digs a nest burrow in places such as grassland atop cliffs. The parent carries caught fish and other food to the burrow. The chick stays in the burrow until it can fly.
葛西臨海水族園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: 36–41 cm
- Diet
- Mainly fish, squid, and crabs
- Range
- Arctic coasts of Alaska and Siberia, Bering Sea islands, Aleutian Islands, and parts of Hokkaido
- Conservation status in Japan
- Critically Endangered (CR)Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)
Where the Tufted puffin has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- エトピリカ
- 简体中文
- 簇羽海鹦
- 繁體中文
- 簇羽海鸚
- 한국어
- 댕기바다오리
- Español
- Frailecillo coletudo
- Français
- Macareux huppé
- Deutsch
- Gelbschopflund
- Português (Brasil)
- Papagaio-do-mar-de-penachos
- Italiano
- Fratercula dai ciuffi
- العربية
- بفن ذو خصلتين
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Puffin berumbai
- Tiếng Việt
- Hải âu cổ rụt mào lông
- Русский
- Топорок
- বাংলা
- টাফটেড পাফেন
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 葛西臨海水族園 — エトピリカChecked: 2026-11-03
- Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)Checked: 2026-11-07
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
The conservation status in Japan is the category in the Red Lists of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, which assess the risk of extinction for wild animals in Japan.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Tufted puffin, look for this
- In the breeding season, look for its white face and golden plumes above its eyes.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
葛西臨海水族園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Tufted puffin
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Alcidae
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