This little seabird is the most numerous of North America's five murrelet species. Known for its odd breeding habits, the Ancient Murrelet is the only member of the auk family to raise its young entirely at sea. White eyebrow-like feathers on the head, combined with its shawl-like gray back earned it the nickname "the old man" in generations past; these same features are responsible for the bird's present day moniker.
Weighing less than 8 ounces, the Ancient Murrelet is a relatively small bird, measuring 10 inches in length, with a wingspan of 17 inches. The handsome adult breeding plumage features a gray back, white undersides, and black head and throat. White patches on the sides of the neck are also obvious, as are distinctive white plumes above and behind the eyes. The Ancient's pale yellow bill is shorter than that of other murrelets. In winter, the plumage fades a bit, particularly the black throat and white "eyebrows." In flight, the bright white underwing is apparent at all times of year.
The breeding range of the Ancient Murrelet extends around the entire northern Pacific Rim, stretching from the Sea of Japan to British Columbia. In North America, its breeding range spans Alaska's Aleutian Islands and southern mainland coast, as far south as Vancouver Island. In the Aleutians, the species can be locally common, breeding in over 50 locations. British Columbia, however, is home to at least half of the global population. In winter, the Ancient Murrelet can be found in coastal waters as far south as southern California. The Ancient Murrelet may be far more common in the North American portion of its range.
A legend for the range map to the right can be found
here.
In North America, Ancient Murrelets are found within the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest. They concentrate near food, sometimes far out at sea, but often in straits, sounds, and coastal waters, where they feed close to shore. Coastal islands serve as breeding habitat.. Forested areas are preferred, but the species makes use of grassy or shrubby areas as well, nesting wherever there is proper cover and sufficient soil depth to dig their burrows.
Ancient Murrelets feed on shrimp and small fish, both near and far from shore. They usually feed in flocks, sometimes with other seabirds. Groups of murrelets dive for prey, often simultaneously, driving schools of fish to the surface. These dives last up to 45 seconds, and may exceed 60 feet in depth.
In spring, Ancient Murrelets gather on their colonial breeding grounds. They spend their days at sea, and visit the breeding grounds by night. Early in the breeding season, males arrive after sunset each night and find a suitable perch from which to "sing" to potential mates–highly unusual behavior for a seabird. Once paired, the birds dig a burrow in soft soil, often among tree roots or in some other concealed area. The female lays two elongated, buff colored eggs, which are incubated by both parents for up to 33 days.
Once hatched, Ancient Murrelet chicks are fully feathered and able to move about almost immediately. They spend up to three days in the burrow without being fed. They are then coaxed out by the parents, and make their way to the sea by night. This seaward journey often takes place
en masse, as many sets of chicks within the colony may depart for the sea simultaneously. The burrow is often high on a steep, densely forested coastal slope. From here, the tiny chicks undertake a long, dark, descending scramble to the crashing surf below. Once at sea, the chicks are able swimmers, and locate their respective parents via voice recognition. Once reunited, family groups move out to sea, where the parents feed the chicks for at least a month, at which point they are fully grown.
The Ancient Murrelet is a short distance migrant. The northern parts of its range, especially Asia, are ice-bound in winter. Birds disperse south along both coasts of the Pacific by October. Details of the fall migration remain sketchy. Ancient Murrelets, noted for their vagrancy, have been found as far away as Quebec and Pennsylvania. Such displacements usually occur in late fall and are associated with storms over the Pacific.
Bent, A. C. 1919.
Life Histories of North American Diving Birds. U.S. National Museum Bulletin No. 107.
Kaufman, Kenn. 1996.
Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.
Gaston, A. J. 1994. Ancient Murrelet (
Synthliboramphus antiquus). In
The Birds of North America, No. 132 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.
Wilhelsom, Christiann. 2004. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada.
Assessment and Update Status Report on the Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus in Canada.
