Just like a spoonbill that you just saw, this puffin has a very unique look. First of all, it has a big orange-reddish beak, which we often see on a parrot, but which is much shorter and bulky. And, a yellow line adorns its top. The puffin's head is all white. And, just behind the eyes starts the yellow plumes, which are extended to the end of the neck. The body is chubby with short black wings. Then, the eye-dazzling orange starts again because its big webbed feet are shining orange. All in all, the puffin is an amazing mixture of black, white, and eye-catching orange!

But, this wonder of nature is enjoyable only in summer. In winter this beauty is replaced to all gray with a smaller, dull reddish bill.

The puffin is actually a fairly small bird, with the height of only 10 inches (or 18 cm) and the weight of a little more than one pound (or 500 grams).

The name puffin is said to have come from a word that meant "fatling." With the feet set far back on the body, the puffin is indeed a cute, little chubby creature that walks crumsily on land. But, once down into the sea, it turns a remarkable swimmer and an excellent fisherman. Its main habitats are coastal areas in the Northeast and Northwest of Canada and the Unites States.

The puffin has long been used as the symbol of the adolescent books of a British book company. I was not a good reader of those books, but the picture of a puffin drawn on the books always attracted me.

Visit Audubon Society's birds search page, key in "atlantic puffin" on the search window, and enjoy reading about this bird's miraculous life.