Marbled Murrelet Facts

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. Scientists at Redwood National Park have established a connection between human presence in marbled murrelet territory and corvid predation of marbled murrelet chicks. Marbled murrelets do not breed until they are at least 2 years old. It's listed as a threatened species as a result of loss of habitat as old-growth forest is logged. Oil spills off the coast and gill-net fishing have additionally affected this bird adversely. Falcons and owls prey upon the marbled murrelet. 

Eggs and Nests: The marbled murrelet could be a solitary nester. It nests high within the branches of old-growth trees. (Other murrelets nest in burrows.) Females lay only one egg in every clutch (a set of eggs laid at one time. Its eggs and chicks also are eaten by predators, as well as crows and ravens.

Diet: The marbled murrelet could be a carnivore (meat-eater). It eats tiny fish and invertebrates from the ocean. It hunts throughout the day (it is diurnal).

The populations in Washington, Oregon and California were listed as threatened in 1992 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to concerns about loss of nesting habitat, entanglement in fishing gear and oil spills. 

The Marbled Murrelet is considered globally endangered,with some evidence of decline across its range over the last few decades. The biggest threat to the marbled murrelet was long considered to be loss of nesting habitat. Another  factors including high predation rates due to human disturbances and climate-driven changes in ocean conditions are also considered important now.

credits: homocidalpenguin