Puffin

Description

The most obvious characteristic of this bird is its large nozzle: compressed laterally in the shape of triangle and very coloured in bridal period (red point, bases dark blue, surrounded by yellow bands).
Mais after the period of reproduction, the coloured plates fall and the nozzle becomes smaller and more tern and darker. The bird can then be confused with the Little auk.
It presents a characteristic silhouette: enough large head, short Tail, rather round body. The Leg S webbed, relatively short, are red in summer then transfer with the yellow in winter. Of about thirty centimetres length, its Envergure can reach the 60 centimetres for a weight of 500 grams and 22 years a maximum age. The plumage is black on the back, the neck, the nape of the neck and the wings, but white on the belly, the cheeks and the top of the eye. This one, ringed of red is prolonged towards the back by an end black Sourcil.

The puffin emits a plaintive cry in period of nesting resembling a grognant and choked “arrr-ouh”.

Its short wing S confers a low flight to him on water but powerful. The puffin does not make use of its webbed legs to swim, but of its wings.

Behavior

The puffins pass the majority of their time in Mer, but return on ground to reproduce. In period of nesting they meet into broad colony S on the top of the cliffs. They dig Terrier S there (generally under cover grassy) to raise their single small there, in a Nid of feathers. The most known places of reproduction are located in Iceland, Scotland and Scandinavia. The most important French colony is established in northern Brittany on the archipelago of the Seven Islands.

Piscivorous bird, the puffin fishes in group while driving out under the water of the Motelle S, of the Lançon S or of the Sprat S, although he does not scorn Mollusque S (Calmar S and Ver S) or of the Crustacé S. Having a raspy language, presenting formations in spines directed towards the back, he can carry simultaneously to 50 preys in his nozzle.

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