Horned Puffin look-alikes
Fratercula corniculata
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Open the appSeveral birds can be mistaken for the Horned Puffin. Compare the key differences below to confirm your sighting.
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Tufted Puffin
Fratercula cirrhata
Key differences
The Tufted Puffin has long, golden-yellow ear tufts that extend from behind the eye, a solid white face (not just around the bill), and an entirely orange bill (without the distinct yellow base and blue-grey gape of the Horned Puffin). They lack the fleshy horn above the eye.
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arctica
Key differences
The Atlantic Puffin has a grey face with a black triangular patch behind the eye, and a bill that is primarily red and grey (or blue-grey in some subspecies) with yellow ridges, but lacks the distinct yellow base and fleshy horn of the Horned Puffin. Its distribution is in the North Atlantic, not the North Pacific.
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