During the breeding season, some birds will experience a phenomenon whereby parts of their feathers grow out in more conspicuous colors and patterns. Their dull appearance during the non-breeding season is called winter plumage, while their flashy appearance during the breeding season is called summer plumage. The appearance Tufted Puffin changes significantly between its winter and summer plumage. Its face, which is black in its winter plumage, turns pure white in its summer plumage, with golden tufts of feathers growing above its eyes and a brightly colored pattern appearing on its beak.

During the summer breeding season, tufted Tufted Puffin gather in grassy areas on cliffs and dig holes to build nests. They lay one egg at a time, and the hatched chicks stay in the burrow until they are able to fly. In the "Seabird Ecology" tank, there is a nest box behind an artificial rock, where the tufted Tufted Puffin raise their young. A camera is attached to the nest box, and when incubation begins, the inside is broadcast on a monitor on the viewing side. The eggs and chicks are usually hidden by the parent birds' bodies and are difficult to see, but when it is feeding time the parent birds come out, giving you a chance to observe the inside of the nest.

When it's time for feeding, Tufted Puffin raising their young will carry the fish they have caught back to their burrows. If you look closely, you will see that they sometimes hold several prey items in their large beaks at once. When they feed, they aim for one prey item and catch it, so while they are still holding the one they have already caught, they will be catching the next prey. They are truly dexterous.