Visual Search | Wizard | Browse
Bird name:
Home| Search| Browser| Expert| Forum| Store| My WhatBird| Help| Site Map

Ancient Murrelet

Synthliboramphus antiquusOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)
Codes: Common Name: ANMU Scientific Name: SYNANT ITIS Taxonomic No.: 177008
Least Concern
 
Ancient Murrelet
Copyright © 2004 - 2008 Whatbird.com



Rate this Illustration: Excellent Very Good Good
Fair Below Avg Poor

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

Ancient Murrelet: Small, pelagic seabird with black head and dark gray back and wings. White underparts extend up onto the face as a cheek patch. Bill is short and yellow with a blackish tip. An open ocean species vaguely resembling a small penguin that can fly. Swift, direct, and low flight.

Range and Habitat

Ancient Murrelet: Breeds on offshore islets of north Pacific and mainland shores south to central British Columbia. Spends winters south to southern California; also winters in Asia.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chirrup"

Interesting Facts

 The Ancient Murrelet is the only member of the auk family to raise its young entirely at sea.

 They are nocturnal on the breeding grounds, presumably to reduce predation, and for the same reason the young are never fed at the nest, being taken to sea a couple of days after hatching. The parents call to the young from out at sea, and the chicks swim towards the adults who keep moving further out throughout the night. Groups have been found 30 miles from the colony within 18 hours of departure.

 The German ornithologist who first described this bird thought its white plumes similar to an old man's white locks; hence its Latin name antiquus, from which it’s English name is derived.

 A group of auks has many collective nouns, including a "colony", "loomery", and "raft" of auks.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Splitbar
Range Map for Ancient Murrelet

Related Birds

Least Auklet
Cassin's Auklet
Craveri's Murrelet
Marbled Murrelet
Xantus's Murrelet
Kittlitz's Murrelet
.
Family Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)_blue
Species Synthliboramphus antiquus
Length10 Inches
Wingspan16 Inches

Ancient Murrelet

Ancient Murrelet: Small, pelagic seabird with black head and dark gray back and wings. White underparts extend up onto the face as a cheek patch. Bill is short and yellow with a blackish tip. An open ocean species vaguely resembling a small penguin that can fly. Swift, direct, and low flight.

● Song: "chirrup"

● Foraging & Feeding: Ancient Murrelet: Diet consists of small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks; forages by diving from the surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Ancient Murrelet: One to two large, light to olive brown eggs, sometimes speckled with blue and brown, are laid in a nest made of dried grass in a burrow or fallen log from late April to mid-May. Incubation ranges from 33 to 36 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Ancient Murrelet: Marbled Murrelet has dark bill and white patch on flanks.

Flight Pattern

Swift darting direct flight.
Ancient Murrelet Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Ancient Murrelet: Breeds on offshore islets of north Pacific and mainland shores south to central British Columbia. Spends winters south to southern California; also winters in Asia.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationUncommon to common
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight7.3 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
PelagicX
The pelagic is a type of bird whose habitat is on the open ocean rather than in a coastal region or on inland bodies of water (lakes, rivers). An example of a pelagic bird is the blacklegged kittiwake.
PlumesX
Large, conspicuous, showy feathers.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Read more...
ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

Read more...
Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX