OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Brachyramphus ("short bill") marmoratus ("marbled")
Two non-breeding Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) seen on Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip - September 2022
Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 220g / Length: 25cm / Wingspan: 40cm
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Endangered
The Marbled Murrelet is a peculiarity in several ways; it was one of the last North American breeding birds to have its breeding habitat discovered, and it turns out this was due to it being them, unusually for seabirds, being in trees, and specifically in the moss at the top of old growth trees, the characteristics of which don't appear to apear until trees are at least 175yrs old. It's nesting habitat wasn't actually locations until 1974. It is also somewhat unusual in that in contrast to many auk species, its non-breeding plumage is the more dramatic black and white, in contrast with brown breeding plumage.
Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Brachyramphus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic
- Sighting Locations -
Breeds in Alaska and small areas of all West Coast states, found offshore in the North Pacific
- CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Seen on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
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