The tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata), the largest of all the puffins, is named for the long, straw-coloured feathers extending back from its crown that appear annually on birds of both sexes as the summer reproductive season approaches. Its feet become bright red and the face turns bright white in the summer. Then, post-breeding, the tufts moult off and the plumage, and the beak and legs lose much of their lustre. The tufted puffin is mostly black with a white facial patch, and, typical of other puffin species, features a very thick bill which is mostly red with some yellow and occasionally green markings. Also known as the crested puffin, it can be found in many coastal habitats adjacent to the Washington coast and elsewhere in the northern Pacific, with the exception of estuaries.
