[Length 15 in. Wingspan 25 in.]

Looking like stylishly coiffed jetsetters, Tufted Puffins are certainly the fashion setters of the bird world with their golden head plumes and brightly colored triangular bills. They are black all over except for the white face. In winter they lose the head plumes, the white face becomes darker, and the colorful outer sheath of the bill is shed, making the bill smaller and darker. They occur in the north Pacific and adjacent Arctic waters. In North America they breed in the US and Canada on islands and rocky headlands from California to coastal Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and the Pribilof Islands. During the breeding season, they can be seen flying back to their nests to feed their young with as many as a dozen fish drooping like an old man's whiskers from the sides of their bills. These were photographed in the Pribilof Islands on St. Paul Island, Alaska, USA. Photo taken with a Celestron 1250mm f10 mirror lens on Ektachrome 400 film pushed to 800. (Date: June 1984)

[Length 15 in. Wingspan 25 in.]

This Tufted Puffin was photographed in the water below Ridge Wall on St. Paul Island in the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film. (Date: June 1984)

[Length 6.75 in. Wingspan 12 in.]

This Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl was photographed at El Canelo Ranch, Raymondville, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S f4 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: March 25, 2004)

[Length 6.75 in. Wingspan 12 in.]

This Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl was photographed at a private residence in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film. (Date: May 1985)

[Length 6.75 in. Wingspan 12 in.]

This Northern Pygmy-Owl was photographed at a mountain road, Lompoc, California, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: June 29, 2013)

[Length 8.75 in. Wingspan 12 in.]

This male Pyrrhuloxia was photographed at Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: December 19, 2009)

[Length 8.75 in. Wingspan 12 in.]

This female Pyrrhuloxia was photographed along the Devil's River north of Del Rio, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: April 2000)

[Length 8.75 in. Wingspan 12 in.]

This female Pyrrhuloxia was photographed in the Texas Hill Country, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: April 2000)

[Length 8.75 in. Wingspan 12 in.]

This male Pyrrhuloxia was photographed near Falcon Dam, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: April 1982)