Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 7.9–9.4 in
20–24 cm - Wingspan
- 17.7–18.1 in
45–46 cm - Weight
- 5.4–8.8 oz
153–250 g
Other Names
- Alque a cou blanc (French)
Cool Facts
- Within a few days of hatching, Ancient Murrelet chicks emerge from their burrows by night and follow their parents to sea. The parents fly to the water, and the chicks follow, finding their parents by their voices among throngs of other Ancient Murrelets.
- Ancient Murrelet parents do not feed their chicks until they have emerged from their burrows and reached the sea.
- Mated Ancient Murrelets alternate shifts in incubating eggs. The shifts are usually three days long, and may last as long as six days.
- The oldest Ancient Murrelet was at least 5 years old, when it was recaptured and rereleased during a banding operation in Alaska.
Habitat
Ocean
Mostly pelagic; nests along rocky seacoasts in crevices, under rocks, and in burrows in the ground.
Food
Fish
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Condition at Hatching
- Covered in down, can walk, but stays in nest.
Nest Placement
Burrow
Behavior
Surface Dive
Dives underwater to capture prey, using its wings to swim.
Conservation
Least Concern
Introduced mammals, including foxes and raccoons, can have severe negative impacts on Ancient Murrelet colonies. Removal programs have led to rapid recovery in some cases, but repeated recolonization by raccoons remains the most pressing conservation issue for Ancient Murrelets in British Columbia. These birds are not on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List.