Long-billed Murrelet

The Long-billed Murrelet, Brachyramphus perdix, is a diminutive seabird of the North Pacific, distinguished by its slender black bill and seasonal plumage variations. In its non-breeding attire, it sports a stark contrast of white underparts with a black crown, nape, wings, and back. Come breeding season, it dons a brown plumage with pale feather edges that create a scaly effect, though its central underparts remain white.

Identification Tips

This species is slightly larger and 20% heavier than its cousin, the Marbled Murrelet. It boasts a longer bill and a distinctive white eye ring. During breeding, it can be recognized by its pale throat and less pronounced scaling due to fewer rusty and buff markings. In winter, it lacks the white collar seen in the Marbled Murrelet.

Habitat

The Long-billed Murrelet has an affinity for old-growth forests, where it nests far inland, a behavior quite unusual among seabirds.

Distribution

From the Kamchatka Peninsula to the Sea of Okhotsk, the Long-billed Murrelet is a familiar sight. In winter, many venture to the seas around northern Japan, with some reaching as far as South Korea and southern Japan.

Behaviour

This auk is known for its migratory tendencies, often traveling further than the Marbled Murrelet. It feeds on small fish in both offshore pelagic zones, where it associates with upwellings, and in protected inshore bays.

Breeding

The Long-billed Murrelet's breeding habits are extraordinary. It does not form colonies but nests solitarily on branches of ancient conifers. A single egg is laid on a branch blanketed with lichen or moss, incubated for a month, and the chick is then nurtured for about 40 days until it is ready to make its solo journey to the sea.

Conservation status

The species is currently classified as Near Threatened, with numbers dwindling over recent decades. The primary threat is the destruction of old-growth forests due to logging. Additionally, the birds are at risk from entanglement in fishing gear and potential oil development in the Okhotsk and Bering Sea shelves.

Vagrancy

The Long-billed Murrelet exhibits a propensity for vagrancy, with sightings across North America and Europe, often far from its typical oceanic environment. Records include appearances on both coasts and inland, in locations ranging from Florida to Newfoundland and from lakes in Colorado to reservoirs in Romania.