Long-billed Murrelet

Brachyramphus perdixOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)

Codes: Common Name: LBMU Scientific Name: BRAPER ITIS Taxonomic No.: 554143

Breeding Location:

Forests, coniferous, Marshes, freshwater, Swamps

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Rare to casual

Egg Color:

Blue green, dark spots

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

27 - 30

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Moss and lichen.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Long-billed Murrelet: Small seabird with dark brown body, paler throat, white eye-ring, and darker brown bars on underparts. Bill is straight and black. Sexes are similar. Winter adult and juvenile have dark cap extending below the eye, pale stripes on back, and white underparts; juvenile throat and upper breast are lightly washed with gray.

Range and Habitat

Long Billed Murrelet: Rare to casual occurrences reported throughout North America, especially in fall and winter. Preferred habitats include lakes and rivers, rocky places, coniferous and open forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Long Billed Murrelet: One blue-green egg is laid in a nest made of moss and lichens, built far from the ocean, usually on the branch of a conifer. Incubation is estimated to be 27 to 30 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Long Billed Murrelet: Diet consists of fish and crustaceans; forages by diving from the surface.

Vocalization

Long Billed Murrelet: Song is a repeated call of "meer, meer" in flight and on water.

Similar Species

Long Billed Murrelet: Marbled Murrelet has cinnamon-brown underparts with black mottling and bars. Kittlitz's Murrelet has a shorter bill and whiter underparts.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Long-billed Murrelet

Long-billed Murrelet: Small seabird with dark brown upperparts and darker brown barring, paler throat and white eye-ring. Underparts are lighter brown with brown barring. Straight black bill. Legs and feet are brown. Strong fast direct flight, often close to the water on rapid wing beats.

● Song: "meer-meer"

● Foraging & Feeding: Long Billed Murrelet: Diet consists of fish and crustaceans; forages by diving from the surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Long Billed Murrelet: One blue-green egg is laid in a nest made of moss and lichens, built far from the ocean, usually on the branch of a conifer. Incubation is estimated to be 27 to 30 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Long Billed Murrelet: Marbled Murrelet has cinnamon-brown underparts with black mottling and bars. Kittlitz's Murrelet has a shorter bill and whiter underparts.

Flight Pattern

Strong fast powerful flight.

● Range & Habitat: Long Billed Murrelet: Rare to casual occurrences reported throughout North America, especially in fall and winter. Preferred habitats include lakes and rivers, rocky places, coniferous and open forests.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationRare to casual

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight8 - 10 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

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.

Field Guide to Birds of North America