Tufted puffins on the Oregon Coast

Tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest that provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and historically important services such as ecotourism for local communities- and bringing marine derived nutrients to terrestrial habitats. Tufted puffin populations on the Oregon Coast have declined dramatically over the past 30 years from over 5,000 birds in 1989 to only 550 birds in 2021.