Hi all

I just checked the Birds of North America account on Tufted Puffin and their entry for molt says that not much is known about molt or molt sequence. Both of the references they use are fairly old. They say that they have two molts per year, and their molt graph shows that the summer/fall one likely begins in late September. But this is based on framentary data from Alaska, and they note that it varies north or south with no indication of whether it is earlier or later.

The entry on migration essentially indicates that they spend the winter offshore, but gives no particular information on timing.

A quick check thru Google doesn't show much more detail.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
----- Original Message -----
From: Eugene and Nancy Hunn
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Cc: 'Nancy Hertzel'
Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2009 1:25 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] FW: A writer with a question


Tweets,



We received this request for Tufted Puffin life history information. Is there anyone out there who could reply to her and/or refer her/us to an appropriate expert? Thanks.



Gene Hunn, for the WOS Board

Lake Forest Park, WA

enhunn323 at comcast.net



From: Nancy Hertzel [mailto:Autumn207 at comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2009 5:21 PM
To: WOS board
Subject: Fwd: A writer with a question



Could someone respond to this person, please? Thanks.







Begin forwarded message:





From: Linda Borromeo <llborromeo at gmail.com>

Date: August 31, 2009 5:17:55 PM PDT

To: information at wos.org

Subject: A writer with a question



Hello,

I'm an author writing a book for children, and would appreciate your help with a question I have about Tufted Puffins. I want to be accurate in my description of when Tufted Puffins begin to lose their breeding plumage and head back out to sea. The scene I am writing takes place on the Washington State coast (Destruction Island area).

The information I've found usually mentions August, but it would be very helpful to know about when in August the adult puffins revert to their non-breeding plumage (the early, middle or late part of the month?). Do they lose their breeding plumage about the same time they head out to sea, or are they still at the nesting site after their plumage changes? Also, is it about a week after the parents leave that the pufflings try to make their way to the ocean?

Thank you very much for your help!

Linda Borromeo
Mount Vernon, WA





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