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Ancient Murrelet

Synthliboramphus antiquus ORDER: CHARADRIIFORMES FAMILY: ALCIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

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Ancient Murrelet Photo

© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Widespread throughout the north Pacific, the Ancient Murrelet nests colonially in burrows or rock crevices. It is the only seabird that raises its young entirely at sea.

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Calls

  • "Chirrup" call and song of an Ancient Murrelet. Recorded in by Nigel Tucker. Sound and spectrogram courtesy of Macaulay Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
    Recorded by Nigel Tucker
    • Courtesy of Macaulay Library
    © Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Widely varied vocal repertoire around the nesting colony, consisting mostly of a rhythmic series of chirrups and chips.

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Search the Macaulay Library online archive for more sounds and videos