Craveri's Murrelet
Synthliboramphus craveri
Small seabird, black above and white below. Breeds in Mexico; found in warm water off southern California. Short, thin bill. Very similar to Scripps's Murrelet; best separated by gray, not white, underwings. Often seen in pairs on the water; frequently dives in search of fish.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Synthliboramphus craveri
- Authority
- (Salvadori, 1866)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Alcidae
- Genus
- Synthliboramphus
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- NA, MA : ec North Pacific coast: is. Cedros, San Benito and Asuncion-San Jorge (w of wc Baja California), islands in Gulf of California, including Rasa and Tiburon (n Gulf of California) and Partida (s Gulf of California)
- Non-breeding range
- to coastal c California and Jalisco (wc Mexico)
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Craveri's murrelet feeds far out at sea on larval fish such as herring, rockfish, and lanternfish. Like all auks it is a wing-propelled diver, chasing down prey under the water with powerful wingbeats. It flies well, and can take off without taxiing.<p>The Craveri's murrelet nests in small crevices, caves and under dense bushes on arid islands in loose scattered colonies. It returns to the colony only at night, laying two eggs which are incubated for about a month. Like other murrelets of the genus Synthliboramphus (like the ancient murrelet) the chicks are highly precocial, leaving the nest within two days of hatching and running actively towards the sea, where the parents call to them. Once at sea the family swims to offshore waters. Little is known about the time at sea due to difficulties in studying them.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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