In the Pacific Northwest, now known to nest high in trees in old-growth forest several miles inland from coast. A unique and threatened seabird. Although it is fairly common off the northern Pacific Coast, its nesting behavior was essentially unknown until the 1970s. These stocky little birds dive for zooplankton and fish using their wings to “fly” underwater. The marbled murrelet, a small seabird that nests in large conifer trees, is a federally 'threatened' species covered by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources' (DNR's) Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Winter adults have brownish-gray upperparts and white scapulars. DNR has operated under an interim murrelet conservation strategy since the approval of its HCP by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1997. Mottled in milk-chocolate brown during the summer, adults change into stark black and white for winter. Auks. What do they eat?M arbled Murrelets feed mostly on fish up to 8 or 9 cm in length and on shrimp-like crustaceans such as euphausids and mysids. Marbled Murrelets depend on both marine and forest habitat. The marbled murrelet is an elusive little sea-bird from the auk family. The marbled murrelet is a small Pacific seabird belonging to the family Alcidae. In March and April, Marbled Murrelet pairs appear in breeding areas, and most eggs are laid between April and July. The Marbled Murrelet nests on the mainland in almost total obscurity, although people who fish and boat along the British Columbia coast during spring and summer (when the birds are nesting) often see Marbled Murrelets out on the water. Males and females have sooty-brown upperparts with dark bars. The murrelet comes ashore only during the breeding season, to lay and incubate one egg and to feed the nestling. They are fast fliers with rapid wingbeats and short wings. They avoid fragmented and partially developed forest landscapes, and are declining rapidly in Washington and listed as a state Endangered species. Marbled Murrelets appear to establish long-term pair bonds, which are initiated at sea in the early spring, and seem to be maintained throughout the year. The Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) is a small alcid found in the waters off Alaska and Eastern Siberia.. Rob Faucett, manager of the ornithology collection at the Burke, explains: [G4T2 8:43] As you go back in time, marbled murrelets are eating bigger and bigger prey items … Marbled Murrelets are frequently seen in pairs in all seasons,suggesting that they mate for life. Underparts are light, mottled brown. The marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small seabird from the North Pacific.It is a member of the auk family. 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