Expanding the notion of spring migration to seabirds is fraught with risk, and yet this writer is going to take a shot with one of the coolest seabirds that one might find off the California Coast, the Tufted Puffin. While a lot of people like to think of puffins as cute, the Tufted Puffin has a sterner look and a reputation for being quite tough. It breeds over a wide range and can handle wildly different climates with relative ease. During the non-breeding season, the Tufted Puffin ranges far and wide over the northern Pacific Ocean, from the waters of Japan to California, from the icy waters of Alaska to the subtropics off Baja. In the spring, in migration that is very much unlike what one would see from a land bird, the Tufted Puffin begins settling on one of several breeding sites up and down the Western Coast of North America. Here in California, we have breeding sites in Southern California, on the Farallon Islands off San Francisco, and the far north coast. Breeding sites continue to occur up through the Pacific Northwest, Canada, Alaska and Russia's Chukchi Peninsula. This all started happening earlier in the spring, but some of the birds may still be settling into their northern breeding territories.

Tufted puffins are a species of special concern in California, the southern periphery of their breeding range. They are declining at all colonies monitored in the West Coast states with the exception of the Farallon Islands. Their largest colonies in California are the Farallon Islands and Castle Rock. They feed on rockfish, squid and anchovies. Audubon California and local Audubon chapters were key players in creating new marine reserves at the Farallon Islands to protect critical food resources, and the 300 foot marine closure and island closure helps protect this colony. We were also involved in the recent discussions to create protections at Castle Rock as part of a larger suite of marine protected areas along California's north coast. The California Fish and Game Commission will consider these protections in June. You can be sure Audubon will be there speaking for seabirds.