Atlantic Puffin (juvenile)

[Fabs Forns]

Not the best flight pose, but I thought I'd share it here, because how often do we get to see juveniles of the species?
The guide in O'Brien's boat told me it was a juvie, and judging by the time of the year (July) it could not have been a non-breeding adult, so I'll let John confirm the age :)

Witless Bay, NL, from party boat.

[Juan Aragonés]

non breeders have a red eye ring and juveniles have a yellowish/grayish eye ring but the bill is dark gray and after some time they began to adquire the colored pattern of the adult age. Let´s wait for the opinion of John

[John Chardine]

This is a really interesting image Fabs- you are coming up with these lately!!

This bird has the face of an immature Atlantic Puffin. However, adults in fall/winter moult their feathers and grow in ashy grey ones in the face so this could be an adult in winter plumage (I know it's not winter so stay with me here). It is the bill of the bird that gives it away as a full adult! Look down the bill past the dark line and cream line. I can see at least 2 maybe 2 1/2 grooves in the bill, which is characteristic of a full adult. Also characteristic is the deep bill and little "valley" where the top of the bill meets the head.

The interesting part of this is that you saw a winter adult in summer. The timing of moult is controlled by many factors such as day length. but also breeding status. True seabirds like puffins moult after breeding so my best guess is that this bird could be a failed breeder who has just prepared for winter a little earlier than its neighbours.

Anyway, any other theories here? Thanks Fabs!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi John,
I've seen the juvies at Machias with no color on the beak.........could it be he is just reaching maturity so to speak and therefore just got his color??? If not.........your 2nd explanation makes the most sense. He struck out and since it is vey late in the season...no mating going on..........he has moved on to get ready. No one left to impress

[John Chardine]

I think that's it Roman. Only adults have a deep bill with 2 grooves like this one.

[Arthur Morris]

Great stuff above. Are not juveniles totally grey all over? (Peter Harrision has a great image of a bird ready to fledge standing outside of its burrow on a cloudy day. Such images are beyond rare.

[Gayle Clement]

I love reading the discussion of the puffins but also love this gentle image.

[John Chardine]

Artie- fledgling Atlantic Puffins are dark on top and white below. This is a good thing because they have to feed for themselves when they leave the colony and this sort of colouration camouflages them from above and below. Here's an image of a fledgling from a USFWS site. The photographer was not given. Note the very underdeveloped bill compared to an adult's.

http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/seabird_foragefish/photogallery/Gallery_Photos/Horned_Puffin_Fledgling.jpg

[Fabs Forns]

Amazing, John!

[Rosl Roessner]

Hi everybody,
amazing discussion!
The adults loose the bright colored bill during winter too!
The bright colors in summer cover the smaller, greyish "winter-beak".
So, I am sure, that this is no juvenile puffin, but a puffin "in between" summer and winter. The colored bill in summer is kind of a "mantle" or "sleeve" above the greyish beak and the bird looses the "mantle" in winter.
I love the image of the juvenile btw.
Because the juveniles live under the round, you can't see them, when they are young. When they fledge, usually they leave their burrows during night and head out on the see at night. So it's really difficult to see a fledgeling...