The horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata) is a species of seabird in the auk family. They are found across the northern Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Horned puffins live and breed in coastal areas and islands and are commonly spotted along the rocky coasts of Alaska. Their preferred habitat are cliffsides and rocky slopes where they can easily take off towards the ocean. Horned puffins have a very unique ecosystem and habitat that allows them to thrive.
What is the horned puffins habitat?
Horned puffins nest in colonies on coastal cliffs and grassy slopes. Their nests are burrows dug into soil or rock crevices on these cliffs and slopes. The nesting sites are usually steep and rocky to provide protection from predators. Ideal nesting habitat has well-drained soil for burrowing and is located close to the ocean to allow for easy access to food sources.
During the breeding season, the horned puffin’s marine habitat extends several dozen kilometers out to sea. Their feeding grounds are typically over continental shelf zones or ocean banks where prey is abundant. Horned puffins are pursuit divers and can dive up to 60 meters to catch small fish, crustaceans, polychaetes, and other invertebrates.
Outside of breeding season, horned puffins undergo a molt while still offshore before migrating south. Their wintering habitat spans southwards from the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska to northern Japan and central California. They tend to winter further offshore or on the open ocean.
Key habitat features
- Nesting colonies located on cliffs and slopes near the ocean
- Well-drained soil or rock crevices for burrows and nests
- Close proximity to productive feeding grounds offshore
- Remote islands and coastal sites away from terrestrial predators
- Migratory wintering grounds in the open ocean
What does the horned puffin eat?
The diet of the horned puffin consists mainly of small fish, marine invertebrates, and zooplankton. Their main prey includes:
- Sand lance
- Capelin
- Herring
- Crustaceans (amphipods, copepods, krill)
- Squid
- Polychaetes (bristle worms)
Horned puffins use their sharp, brightly colored beak to catch and hold multiple prey items during a single dive. They typically dive around 30-60 meters beneath the surface, swimming with their wings and feet to pursue prey. Their diet varies based on the abundance and availability of prey in their marine habitat.
Key prey species
Fish like sand lance, capelin, and herring often form a major part of the horned puffin’s diet. These schooling fish provide an abundant food source when available. Crustaceans including amphipods, copepods, euphausiids, and mysids are also key prey providing abundant nutrition.
Who are the horned puffin’s predators?
Horned puffins face predation threats in both their terrestrial and marine habitats. On land, their main predators around nesting colonies include:
- Foxes
- Raccoons
- Rats
- Eagles
- Gulls
- Ravens
These predators target eggs, chicks, and even adult puffins when they can gain access to nesting burrows and crevices. At sea, the main predators are:
- Sharks
- Orcas
- Seals
Their pursuit diving puts horned puffins at risk of predation from below on the open ocean. Puffins must be vigilant when entering and exiting the water near their breeding colonies as well due to the abundance of aerial predators.
Anti-predator adaptations
Horned puffins have evolved several key adaptations to avoid predators:
- Nesting on steep, rocky cliffs or slopes to deter terrestrial predators
- Nesting in dense colonies for group defense
- Digging deep burrows to protect eggs and chicks
- Rapid, darting flight maneuverability to evade aerial predators
- Cryptic black and white plumage for camouflage at sea
- Ability to dive and swim quickly to evade marine predators
How do horned puffins raise their young?
Horned puffins employ some unique breeding strategies and parental care techniques to successfully raise their chicks each year. Here is an overview of their reproduction process:
Mating and Egg Laying
- Breeding begins around May or June when colonies return to nesting sites.
- Monogamous pairs recreate their pair bonds from previous years.
- Females lay a single egg from late May to early July.
- The egg is laid directly on the bare ground at the end of their burrow.
- Egg is incubated for around 35-45 days before hatching.
Chick Rearing
- Both parents share incubation duties, taking turns warming the egg.
- They feed the newly hatched chick multiple times per day.
- Chicks are semi-precocial and leave the nest at 2-3 weeks.
- Parents continue to feed the chicks after leaving the burrow.
- Chicks fledge and become independent after 6-7 weeks.
This coordinated breeding effort and extended offspring care allows horned puffin chicks to survive and successfully recruit into the breeding population when they reach maturity at 2-3 years old.
How does climate change impact horned puffins?
Climate change and ocean warming are having significant impacts on the horned puffin’s ecosystem. Some of the key effects include:
Prey Availability
- Shifting fish and zooplankton distributions as waters warm.
- Loss of key prey species like capelin and sand lance in certain areas.
- Reduced prey accessibility and availability during critical periods.
Breeding Disruptions
- Altered timing of nesting and breeding due to temperature changes.
- Increased instances of nest abandonment and chick starvation.
- Reduced breeding success and number of chicks fledged.
Extreme Weather
- Increased intensity and frequency of storms can directly wipe out nests and chicks.
- Rising sea levels may inundate or erode low-lying nesting colonies.
- Rain storms during winter months may soak plumage leading to hypothermia.
These climate impacts have contributed to concerning declines in horned puffin breeding populations across their Alaskan and Canadian Arctic habitat over the last 30 years.
How does pollution impact horned puffins?
Pollution introduces a range of health and ecological threats to horned puffins and their marine environment. Some key pollution impacts include:
Oil Spills
- Direct feather fouling and hypothermia from contacting oil slicks.
- Toxic effects and organ damage from oil ingestion during preening.
- Reduced prey availability as oil spills damage food webs.
Plastic Waste
- Entanglement in plastic fishing nets or packing bands.
- Ingestion of plastic debris mistaken as prey.
- Absorption of toxins in plastics leading to immune and organ dysfunction.
Chemical Contaminants
- Bioaccumulation of heavy metals like mercury and lead.
- High concentrations of PCBs and pesticides.
- Reproductive issues, hormone disruption, and neurological damage.
Pollutants like these can move up the food chain and propagate through ecosystems, underscoring the need for better waste practices and environmental stewardship to protect species like the horned puffin.
What conservation efforts help protect horned puffins?
Several conservation initiatives and legal protections help maintain horned puffin populations and their habitats. These include:
Protected Breeding Sites
- Designated seabird breeding reserves with limited human access.
- Restrictions on development or recreation near key colonies.
- Predator control programs on islands to reduce egg/chick loss.
Fishing Regulations
- Limits on commercial fishing for key prey species like herring and capelin.
- Mesh size restrictions and quotas to reduce bycatch.
- Seasonal or geographic fishery closures near colonies.
Legal Protections
- Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
- Protected under the US Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
- Legally designated as a Bird of Conservation Concern.
Further research, habitat monitoring, and public outreach efforts focused on horned puffins will also ensure their long-term survival as climate and ocean conditions continue to change across the North Pacific and Arctic.
Conclusion
Horned puffins have a fascinating and unique ecosystem adapted to the rocky coastal cliffs, grassy tundra slopes, and productive North Pacific waters they call home. While prey fish and invertebrates drive this food web, horned puffins also face predation pressure from above and below across terrestrial and marine environments. They exhibit specialized behaviors and parental care strategies focused on protecting their single-egg clutches. However, worsening climate change, pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing threats jeopardize horned puffin populations. Targeted conservation initiatives centered on protected reserves, fishing regulations, pollution control, and public education can help safeguard the future of these charismatic seabirds and their ecosystems.
