horned puffin

Thân thiện

A horned puffin stands on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean.

Definition

Noun: 1. A seabird of the northern Pacific Ocean: The horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata) is a species of puffin characterized by a large, brightly colored bill and distinctive fleshy black "horn" markings above its eyes during the breeding season. It is a pelagic bird that spends most of its life at sea, coming to coastal cliffs and islands only to breed.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The horned puffin is easily identified by the dark, fleshy projection above its eye.
  • We took a boat tour to see the colony of horned puffins nesting on the rocky island.
  • Unlike the Atlantic puffin, the horned puffin has a mostly yellow bill with a red tip.

Advanced Usage

• In ornithological/biological context: The term is used precisely to refer to this specific species within the auk family (Alcidae).
  • The study compared the diving depths of the horned puffin with those of the tufted puffin.

Variants and Related Words

• Puffin (n): The common name for birds in the genus . The horned puffin is one of three main species.
• Tufted puffin (n): () A related Pacific puffin species distinguished by long, yellow head plumes.
• Atlantic puffin (n): () A related puffin species found in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Synonyms

• Seabird (n): A general term for birds that live primarily on or near the ocean.
• Auk (n): A member of the family Alcidae, which includes puffins, murres, and guillemots.

Related Phrases

• Breeding plumage: The specific, often more colorful, feathers and markings a bird has during the mating season. The horned puffin's namesake "horns" are part of its breeding plumage.
  • In its breeding plumage, the horned puffin is a strikingly marked bird.

Học thuật

Noun

1. northern Pacific puffin

Từ đồng nghĩa

• fratercula corniculata