Seabirds

Marbled Murrelet

Brachyramphus marmoratus

A small, cryptically plumaged seabird that is one of the rarest in North America due to its unusual nesting habit. In summer it sports brown-and-white marbled plumage; in winter, clean black and white.

Where to look

Chiniak Bay, Womens Bay, and Spruce Island; flies inland at dusk to nest in old-growth Sitka spruce.

Habitat

Coastal waters for feeding; old-growth forest for nesting (no nest built—eggs laid on large branches).

Diet

Small fish, especially sand lance, and invertebrates.

Natural history note

Marbled Murrelets are the only North American seabird known to nest in old-growth forest, sometimes traveling 50 miles inland.