Marbled Murrelet

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

Codes: Common Name: MAMU Scientific Name: BRAMAR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176996

Marbled Murrelet: The breeding adult Marbled Murrelet has dark brown mottled upperparts and pale, white-tipped brown feathers on the underparts.

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Marbled Murrelet: Small, chubby seabird with dark brown mottled upperparts and paler, white-tipped brown feathers on underparts, giving a wavy-barred appearance. Bill is dark. Legs and feet are brown. Feeds on fish and crustaceans. Swift direct flight low over the water on rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Marbled Murrelet: Breeds from the Aleutians Islands south to central California. A few winter along breeding coasts, but main wintering area is unknown. Preferred breeding habitat is in coastal rain forests and inland waters.

Topo Map: Upright-perching Water-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kree", "meer-meer-meer-meer'

Interesting Facts

The Marbled Murrelet was once known as the "Australian Bumble Bee" by fishermen and as the "fogbird" or "fog lark" by loggers.

Though it was first described in 1789, a nest site wasn't discovered until 1961 by ornithologists in Asia; a North American nest was not found until 1974.

The egg, however, was known in 1898, when a bird was shot that contained a complete egg in its oviduct.

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

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Percevia^® Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Percevia field guides, database and search protocol patent pending.

The best bird guide and bird watching search engine to identify birds!

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.

Marbled Murrelet

● Song: "kree", "meer-meer-meer-meer'

● Foraging & Feeding: Marbled Murrelet: Eats small fish, crustaceans, and squid; forages by diving from the surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Marbled Murrelet: One light green yellow egg, spotted with brown and black, is laid on a platform of moss built high in a forest tree. Incubation ranges from 27 to 30 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Marbled Murrelet: Kittlitz's Murrelet has a white belly and white outer tail feathers. Long-billed Murrelet lacks white collar in winter plumage.

Flight Pattern

Swift bounding flight with rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Marbled Murrelet: Breeds from the Aleutians Islands south to central California. A few winter along breeding coasts, but main wintering area is unknown. Preferred breeding habitat is in coastal rain forests and inland waters.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^Population

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight7.8 Ounces

Upright-perching Water-like Body

Underparts

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

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

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