What does the Horned Puffin eat?

The Horned Puffin's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Primarily small fish (especially juvenile herring, capelin, sandlance, and slender barracudina), as well as squid and marine invertebrates (crustaceans and polychaetes) during the non-breeding season.

How it forages

Highly adapted for diving and underwater pursuit. They use their wings for propulsion underwater and their webbed feet for steering. They typically dive to depths of 10-30 meters but can go deeper. They carry multiple fish crosswise in their bills for their chicks, held securely by serrations on the bill and a specialized tongue.

When it feeds

Diurnal. Most active during daylight hours, particularly during breeding when foraging and chick-rearing are constant.

Explore the Horned Puffin