Puffins are any of three small species of alcids (
auks) in the
bird genus
Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are
pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large
colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil. Two species, the
tufted puffin and
horned puffin, are found in the
North Pacific Ocean, while the
Atlantic puffin is found in the North Atlantic Ocean.