Ancient Murrelet

Synthliboramphus antiquusOrder: CHARADRIIFORMESFamily: Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)

General

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

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.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chirrup"

Interesting Facts

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

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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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.

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.

● 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

Field Guide to Birds of North America