Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 9.4–9.8 in
24–25 cm - Weight
- 9.1–12.6 oz
258–357 g
Other Names
- Guillemot marbré (French)
Cool Facts
- The Marbled Murrelet usually nests in trees greater than 200 years in age.
- Though the Marbled Murrelet was first described in 1789, a nest site of the species was first discovered and formally documented only in 1974. The egg, however, was known in 1898, when a bird was shot that contained a complete egg in its oviduct.
- The Marbled Murrelet was once known as the "Australian Bumble Bee" by fishermen and as the "fogbird" or "fog lark" by loggers.
Habitat
Ocean
Breeds in coniferous forests near coasts, nesting on large horizontal branches high up in trees. Winters at sea.
Food
Fish
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Condition at Hatching
- Covered in down, can walk, but stays in nest.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Surface Dive
Dives underwater to capture prey, using its wings to swim.
Conservation
Endangered
Logging and development of forested nesting habitat are considered the greatest threats to this species. Significant portions of nesting areas have already been lost. Oil spills and entanglement in gill-nets are also major risks. Listed as "endangered" by the state of California, and as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Credits
- Nelson, S. K. 1997. Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus). In The Birds of North America, No. 276 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists Union, Washington, D.C.