Marbled Murrelet

The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a diminutive seabird, a member of the Alcidae family, which includes relatives such as auklets, guillemots, murres, and puffins. This bird is approximately the size of a partridge, with a compact build and a slender black bill. Its plumage is seasonally variable, presenting a mottled brown appearance during breeding and a contrasting black and white during non-breeding periods.

Identification Tips

In breeding plumage, the Marbled Murrelet exhibits a brown mottled body and face, while in non-breeding plumage, it sports a white underbelly with a black crown, nape, wings, and back. The species can be distinguished from the similar Long-billed Murrelet by its shorter bill and the absence of a pale white throat. When in winter plumage, the Marbled Murrelet has a distinctive white neck collar, which the Long-billed lacks.

Habitat

The Marbled Murrelet is found in coastal environments, often within a couple of kilometers from the shore. It nests in mature or old-growth forests near the coastline, with a preference for large trees with moss-covered limbs. In regions devoid of large trees, it may nest on the ground among rocks or on rocky outcrops.

Distribution

This seabird breeds from Alaska's Kenai Peninsula and Aleutian Islands down to central California. In winter, it generally remains within this range, though it may retreat from the northernmost areas where ice forms on fiords.

Behaviour

Marbled Murrelets typically forage in pairs and do not form large feeding flocks. They feed on small fish and invertebrates, diving below the water's surface. Their foraging occurs both day and night, and they are known to visit coastal lakes as well as the ocean for feeding.

Song & Calls

The vocalizations of the Marbled Murrelet are less documented in this account, and thus, we shall not delve into the specifics of their calls or song.

Breeding

The Marbled Murrelet's breeding habits are quite unique among alcids, as it nests on the branches of old-growth trees or on the ground in treeless areas. It lays a single egg on a moss or lichen platform and feeds the chick for about 40 days until it is ready to fledge. Adults commute from the ocean to inland nest sites, primarily at dawn and dusk.

Similar Species

The Long-billed Murrelet is the species most similar to the Marbled Murrelet, with both species having been considered conspecific until 1998. The key differences include the Marbled Murrelet's shorter bill and the absence of a pale throat in breeding plumage.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Marbled Murrelet consists of small fish and invertebrates such as sand lance, Pacific herring, capelin, shiner perch, and various euphausiids. They forage near the shore and in protected bays, as well as in inland freshwater lakes.

Conservation status

The Marbled Murrelet is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with a population trend that is currently decreasing. Conservation efforts focus on preserving both their inland nesting habitat and their marine breeding and foraging habitats. The Northwest Forest Plan is one such initiative aimed at stabilizing the population by maintaining and increasing suitable nesting habitat.