Kristine Liao, Audubon Magazine | December 20, 2019
In a study published last month in the Journal of Experimental Biology, researchers from McGill University found that big bill of the Tufted Puffin helps the bird to release excess body heat after an energetically demanding flight. Essentially, the Tufted Puffin uses its beak to cool down to maintain functional body temperature after a high-intensity workout just as humans sweat after exercise.
Kyle Elliott, one of the study’s researchers, says, “When flying, they’re like a 100-watt lightbulb—that’s how hot they are—so they have to be able to dissipate that heat.”
