Long-billed Murrelet
Brachyramphus perdix
Small, chunky seabird of the northwestern Pacific, usually seen at sea, sometimes near land. Breeding adult is chocolate brown with scaled brown-and-white underparts. Wintering adult is gray above and white below with thin white “spectacles” and patchy white splotches on the sides and back. Nonbreeding Spectacled Guillemot perhaps similar but is significantly larger, with much neater black-and-white plumage (and more extensive white on neck), more prominent forehead, and much longer bill.
Identification
The long-billed murrelet is a small (25 cm long), chunky auk with a slender black bill. It has pointed wings and plumage that varies by season. The non-breeding appearance is typically white underneath with a black crown, nape, wings and back. The breeding plumage is mainly brown, with pale feather edges giving a scaly appearance; the central underparts, normally below the surface on a swimming bird, are white.<p>The long-billed murrelet is longer billed, slightly larger, and 20% heavier than the marbled murrelet, and has a white eye ring. In breeding plumage it shows a pale throat which is absent in marbled murrelet, and weaker scaling because of fewer rusty and buff markings. In winter, the long-billed murrelet lacks the white collar of the marbled.<p>Measurements:
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Brachyramphus perdix
- Authority
- (Pallas, 1811)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Alcidae
- Genus
- Brachyramphus
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PAL : coastal strip of temperate w North Pacific: Kamchatka, Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin (e Russia) and n Hokkaido (n Japan); nests up to 30 km inland
- Non-breeding range
- to coastal c Japan; prone to long-distance vagrancy to continental USA
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The long-billed murrelet is considered globally threatened, having declined across its range over the last few decades. The biggest threat to the murrelet is the loss of the old growth forest to logging. Other losses can occur through entanglement in fishing gear. The bird could be threatened by the oil development of the Okhotsk and Bering Sea shelves.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler
Pomatorhinus ruficollis
An adaptable mid-sized scimitar-babbler found in a range of different habitats, including forests, scrubland, and parks. A bright banana-yellow bill, rusty neck patch, and warm brown wings and tail contrast sharply with a thick inky-black stripe through the eye and bright white brow and throat. Typically travels in flocks, giving loud hoots and slurred call notes while rustling about at mid and lower levels.
Green-backed Twinspot
Mandingoa nitidula
Small, chunky, dark green waxbill with bright white “twin spots” across the black belly. The male has a red face, and the female a yellowish one. Found in and around forest, where it prefers dense tangles and openings with seeding grass. Distinctive call is a short, high trill, often given in flight. The rarely heard song is a complex mix of many different call types. Superficially similar to Green-winged Pytilia, but smaller, prefers forest rather than savanna habitat, and does not have a red tail.
Pied Wheatear
Oenanthe pleschanka
Jaunty little terrestrial songbird of plains, agricultural fields, and semi-desert, where often perches prominently on utility wires and boulders. Tuxedoed breeding male is black with snow-white crown, belly, and rump. Female is sandy brown above and white below. Nonbreeding adult and immature have sandy underparts and pale fringes to the wing feathers, producing a worn, scaly look. Note black-and-white tail pattern in all plumages. Circles and plunges in an impressive display flight, in which a rambling series of whistles, trills, and buzzes are given. Calls include twangy “bi-zee!”, dry “chak” notes, and short, falling “dew.”
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.