Alaska Wildlife: Did you mean THAT bird?

Penguins do not live in Alaska; they live in the Antarctic. Alaska has puffins and murres, both of which look a bit like a penguin.

Penguin















Puffin










The horned puffin is a seabird, coming to land only to breed. They have orange and red beaks and feet and are known as “sea parrots”. They nest on cliffs or in burrows dug into steep hillsides. They lay only one egg which is nurtured by both parents. They eat fish and zooplankton.

Puffin eggs are vulnerable to other birds and small animals. Puffins may abandon their nest if disturbed, so their colonies are protected by state and federal laws. They are also affected by oil pollution because they spend so much time at sea.



Murre







Murres are members of a group of black and white, duckshaped seabirds called auks. They spend almost all their lives at sea, and dive beneath the surface to feed on fish, squid, krill, and even marine worms.

Unlike ducks that propel themselves underwater with their feet, murres flap their half-open wings like they're flying.

Murres travel up to 6000 km / 3730 miles a year in migration, covering up to 1000 km / 620 miles of that distance by swimming.