Puffins: Like I said, puffins don’t weigh nearly as much as penguins. They rarely pass the 2 lbs. mark and it’s safe to say that their maximum height is a mere 10 to 15 inches.

Children's author Michael Morpurgo tells the story of Penguin books, founded by his father-in-law Allen Lane. From September 2010. Show more Children's author Michael Morpurgo tells the story of ...

The little penguins, they found, sat in between some of the alcids, diving deeper than horned puffins but not as far as Brünnich's guillemot -- the best diver among alcids.

Puffins, which resemble half-pint penguins except that they can fly, were heavily hunted along the Maine coast for their meat and feathers, and by 1901 only one pair remained, researchers said.