Marbled murrelet

The Marbled Murrelet is a small , chunky auk with a slender black bill. It has pointed wings and plumage that varies by season. The non-breeding plumage is typically white underneath with a black crown, nape, wings and back. The bird closely resembles its closest relative, the Long-billed Murrelet. In fact, these species were considered conspecific up until 1998. They are virtually identical. In breeding plumage, both have a brown mottled body and face. The Long-billed has a pale white throat, lacking in the Marbled. In winter plumage, the Marbled Murrelet has a white neck collar, absent in Long-billed. The Marbled Murrelet is shorter billed and slightly smaller than the Long-billed Murrelet.

The Marbled murrelet is classified as Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a pacific seabird whose secretive behavior patterns make it a curious organism to study. Marbled Murrelets belong to a family (Alcidae) of birds that are generally characterized by their shorter tails and wings, and often having stocky bodies. The Marbled Murrelet is a “plump” alcid, generally weighing about 200 grams at maturity. The Marbled Murrelet is a fast flyer and is more comfortable in the air and on sea than on land. More

It closely resembles the Marbled Murrelet, of which it was considered a subspecies until 1998, when Friesen et al. showed that the mtDNA variation was greater between these two forms than between Marbled and Kittlitz's Murrelets. This species is found from Kamchatka to the Sea of Okhotsk. Most birds winter in the seas around northern Japan with some reaching South Korea and southern Japan. The Marbled Murrelet, in contrast tends to remain closer to its breeding grounds. More

The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small seabird from the North Pacific. It is a member of the auk family. It nests in old-growth forests or on the ground at higher latitudes where trees cannot grow. Its habit of nesting in trees was suspected but not documented until a tree-climber found a chick in 1974 making it one of the last North American bird species to have its nest described. More

The Marbled Murrelet has a small range, confined to the United States and Canada, to which it is native. This bird prefers forest, wetland, and marine ecosystems. The global population of this bird is still large, but recent rapid population declines necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Marbled Murrelet is Endangered. More

A bird of both sea and forest, the Marbled Murrelet is one of North America's least understood species. Its nesting habits remained a mystery to ornithologists until 1974, when a tree-trimmer discovered the secretive species' first documented nest, high in a Douglas fir tree, within California's Big Basin Redwoods State Park. To this day, relatively few nests have been found. Ornithologists are racing to learn more, even as the bird's numbers rapidly decline. More

Marbled Murrelets head further south in winter, occasionally as far as Baja California. A few are also found south of British Columbia. A legend for the range map to the right can be found here. Population Status & Trends Major declines in Marbled Murrelet populations have been observed across its range since the early 1970s. In central Oregon, a 50% population decline occurred over throughout 1990s alone. More

A chunky Pacific seabird, the Marbled Murrelet is unique among alcids (puffin relatives) in nesting high up in large trees in coastal forests. Little-known until the past few decades, it now is thought to be seriously threatened by logging. More

to Marbled Murrelet, but white on face surrounds eyes. Range: Summers locally along coast of Alaska from Pt. Barrow south at least to Glacier Bay. Winters in nw. Pacific (Kamchatka to Japan). Habitat: Ocean, glacier waters; nests presumably on barren slopes above timberline in coastal mountains. More

Marbled murrelets spend most of their time at sea, although individuals are occasionally still seen in the forests. Non-breeding birds spend the nights a few miles from shore, moving in closer during the day to feed. Mated pairs are often sighted together at sea throughout the year. Never seen in large flocks. FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET Fish and marine invertebrates. More

Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)Description The Marbled Murrelet is a small (25 cm), chunky auk with a slender black bill. It has pointed wings and plumage that varies by season. The non-breeding plumage is typically white underneath with a black crown, nape, wings and back. The bird closely resembles its closest relative, the Long-billed Murrelet. More

Marbled Murrelet is not discrete..............................3 B. The tri-state population of the Marbled Murrelet is discrete under FWS policy......................................5 1. Distinct differences exist in regulatory mechanisms across the international border......................5 2. Distinct differences in management of habitat exist across the international border.....................8 3. Distinct differences exist in control of exploitation across the international border......................9 4. There are distinct differences in Conservation Status across the international border................. More

But the marbled murrelet wasn’t out of the woods yet — in the metaphorical sense, that is. The Fish and Wildlife Service found merit in a timber-industry petition to remove the bird’s protections based on the same unscientific finding proved tainted in February 2008. More

Where Marbled Murrelets nest was one of the last great ornithological mysteries of North America. The first Marbled Murrelet nest found by ornithologists was in Asia in 1961; a North American nest was not found until 1974. Our knowledge of their nesting practices is still limited, and only about 160 nests have been found. Marbled Murrelets appear to establish long-term pair bonds, which are initiated at sea in the early spring, and seem to be maintained throughout the year. More

Today the marbled murrelet population in the Northwest continues to decline 3% per year. Just 21,000 remain in all of Washington, Oregon, and northern California. What a long strange trip: timeline of murrelet protection Amazing avian * The marbled murrelet is a small sea bird with a slender black bill and plumage that varies in color by season. More

Marbled Murrelets occur along 4 000 kilometers of coastline extending from California to Alaska. Within this range, they can be found up to 75 km inland. The geographic centre of the species’ range is in southeast Alaska, and Alaska and Canada are home to the largest numbers of birds. Populations in California, Oregon and Washington are fragmented. The winter range of the species is not well known, but in the southern parts of the range some birds may remain at breeding sites throughout the year. More

Marbled murrelet habitat conservation Strategy We are in the midst of a lengthy process to develop a long-term conservation strategy for the marbled murrelet in DNR-managed forests in Western Washington—under our state trust lands Habitat Conservation Plan. DNR’s trust lands Habitat Conservation Plan is an agreement with two federal agencies—the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries—that helps DNR protect species listed as at some risk of extinction. More

the Proposed Revision of Marbled Murrelet Habitat Background = Marbled Murrelet: Interesting Facts - Photo of marbled murrelet Marbled murrelet Photo by CA Dept. of Fish & Game The marbled murrelet, which has recently come under attack by logging interests, is a fascinating creature. Here are some of the reasons why: * Marbled murrelets are mysterious, shy, and elusive. More

The Marbled Murrelet is a small robin-size sea bird with a fascinating life history. From late April to early August, they travel inland to raise their young in mature stands of coniferous trees usually within 20 miles of the ocean. Since little coastal old-growth forest remains, the murrelet population has declined precipitously. In 1991 the Marbled Murrelet was listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. More

Official Status: Threatened, the marbled murrelet is Federally listed under the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species in Washington, Oregon and California, and State-listed as endangered in California and as threatened in Oregon and Washington. Critical habitat is designated for the species and a new proposal for critical habitat is available for review. A final recovery plan is in effect. Date Listed: September 28, 1992; Federal register 57 FR 45328 (pdf, 1. More

* New Carissa Oil Spill Marbled Murrelet Restoration Species Fact Sheet Marbled murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus Photo - Marbled Murrelet (Courtesy of Roy Lowe, USFWS). More

The Marbled Murrelet has been known to science for over 200 years, but British Columbia observers of this Pacific Coast bird have seen only one occupied nest. More

The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) (MAMU) is a small Pacific seabird found in coastal nearshore waters of western North America ranging from the Aleutian islands in the north to northern Mexico in the south. This species is unique among members of the Alcidae in that it typically nests in trees associated with late-seral and old growth coniferous forests and may travel substantial distances inland to nest sites. More

As the forest edge expands, the marbled murrelet lives today on the edge of extinction. Top of Page murrelet illustration Illustration by Gary Bloomfield Steller's jays circle high above the trees cruising sites where they have found food before, most often places where humans left food scraps. During flight, they may see movement in a murrelet nest. This spells doom for the egg or chick. More

The marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is listed as one of the species of greatest concern in the Cedar River Watershed Habitat Conservation Plan. Marbled murrelets nest on large branches in the upper canopy of old trees and each day fly to the closest marine waters to collect food for their young. This flight can be up to 40 miles each way. More

The marbled murrelet, a small seabird which nests in the coastal, old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. In North America, the birds' range stretches along the Pacific coast from the Bering Sea to central California, with the largest populations occurring in southeastern Alaska and northern British Columbia. More

The status of marbled murrelets in BC was upgraded from blue to red this fall by the BC Government. Marbled murrelets are also listed as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and as near-threatened by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The islands of Haida Gwaii are renowned for teeming and spectacular bird life. More

An estimated 270,000 marbled murrelets live and breed in Alaska and another 54,000 to 92,000 in British Columbia.3 In contrast, only between 15,000 and 35,000 marbled murrelets remain in the three northwestern states.4 Even with ESA protection, this population has continued to shrink and fragment over the last ten years. The Audubon Society estimates a decline of between 4 and 7 percent per year. More

One of the key issues for the conservation of the Marbled Murrelet is identification of its nesting habitat. The murrelet appears to prefer old-growth forest but not all patches may be suitable and we need to know that investments in conservation are effective. We have a good idea of some of the characteristics of nest trees preferred by the Marbled Murrelet from about 60 nests that were studied in the Bunster Hills, near Powell River. More