1. Brightly Colored Beak: During the breeding season, adult Atlantic puffins develop a strikingly colorful beak, which becomes prominent and multi-hued. The upper part of the bill becomes orange-yellow, while the lower part turns blue and gray, creating a vibrant contrast against the rest of the plumage.
2. Puffed Face and Cheeks: Another distinctive feature of puffins is their puffed face and cheeks, which gives them a chubby and cartoon-like appearance. This swelling is not a permanent feature and is mainly associated with the breeding season when both male and female puffins develop this facial enlargement.
3. Black and White Plumage: The overall plumage of an Atlantic puffin is predominantly black and white. Most of the upperparts, including the head and back, are black. In contrast, the underparts, including the chest and belly, are white. This color contrast creates a sharp division between the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the bird.
4. Stout Body: Puffins have compact, sturdy bodies with relatively short wings and sturdy feet. They are well-suited for swimming and diving, as their bodies are designed to withstand the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.
5. Short Tail: Compared to other alcids, puffins have relatively short tails. Their tail feathers are usually pointed and lack the elongated central tail feathers found in many other alcids.
6. White Eye Stripe: A thin, white stripe extends from the base of the bill and passes over the eye and around the back of the head. This pale eye stripe helps in recognizing the species and separating it from other similar-looking alcids.
7. Flipper-like Wings: Puffins have short and narrow wings that appear almost flipper-like when extended. These wings are well-adapted for underwater flight, allowing puffins to propel themselves and maneuver efficiently through the water while hunting for fish.
8. Webbed Feet: Puffins have bright orange or red-orange colored feet that are fully webbed. These feet are equipped with sharp claws, giving puffins a strong grip on rocky surfaces as they come in and out of their nesting burrows.
9. Specialized Bills: The puffin's beak isn't just remarkable for its vibrant colors; it also serves several functions. The broad and deep bill is ideal for scooping up small fish and crustaceans during their underwater pursuits.
10. Social Creatures: Atlantic puffins tend to live in large colonies during the breeding season. These colonies can consist of thousands of individuals and are usually located on islands or cliffs with suitable nesting sites.
11. Cliff-Nesting: Puffins create nesting burrows within the cliffs and crevices of rocky coastlines. These burrows can be shallow or quite deep, depending on the terrain and the species of puffin.
12. Coastal Habitat: Atlantic puffins primarily inhabit coastal environments and are pelagic birds, spending most of their time at sea except during the breeding season when they return to their nesting sites.
It's important to note that there are several subspecies of Atlantic puffins, each with slight variations in appearance, mainly related to the coloration of the beak and facial features. These subspecies may have specific characteristics that distinguish them from the general description provided above.