5 pointed curiosities about the cutest puffins

1. Colored nozzles

One of the most striking features of puffins is their colorful beak in vibrant orange and yellow tones. What many people do not know is that coloring is only like this during the breeding period, which can mean that they are healthier partners for raising a family. For the rest of the year, the beaks become faded as birds no longer need to draw attention.

2. Glow in the dark

The puffin beaks are so impressive that they even shine in the black light! The yellow part gets fluorescent shades that intrigue biologists. It is not yet known, however, if this feature has any functionality in the animal's life.

3. Different species

There are three species of puffins: the fradinho ( Fratercula arctica ), which has a bluish hue at the base of its beak and is found in the North Atlantic; the horned puffin ( Fratercula corniculata ), whose beak is well divided between orange and yellow and inhabiting the Pacific Ocean; and Fratercula cirrhata, which has no popular name in Portuguese, also lives in the Pacific Ocean and has a longer elongated beak with reddish and even greenish hues.

4. Fishing

The shape of the puffin beak facilitates fishing. Even a row of thorns on top of its beak, along with small thorns on its tongue, allows this bird to open its mouth right after a fishing trip to collect more fish - those already in its mouth can't escape!

5. Fisherman's Story

The above feature makes the puffins stop fishing only when their mouth is full of fish. It is common to see such a bird with up to 10 fish in its mouth, but the record was noted in a UK seabird that was found with no less than 62 goldfish in its mouth!