SaRCO: Marbled Murrelet

The Marbled Murrelet

Marbled Murrelets are small seabirds that forage in coastal waters and nest in adjacent inland areas along the west coast of North America. In British Columbia's old-growth forests, Marbled Murrelets are secretive and solitary nesters on broad moss-covered branches. The coastal zone of BC is home to approximately 70,000 individuals, representing about 7% of the global population of Marbled Murrelets. The extent and significance of population changes in British Columbia are difficult to determine but anecdotal evidence and inventory data indicate that local populations have been declining for several decades.

Marbled Murrelets have been listed as Threatened under the Federal Species at Risk Act and are on the Provincial Red-list due to continued threats to breeding habitats throughout their British Columbia range.

There are substantial challenges to recovering Marbled Murrelets because their nesting sites are widely dispersed across the landscape, are difficult to locate and occur within economically valuable forest lands. Furthermore, activities like fishing and aquaculture, as well as potential effects of climate change, may have substantial impacts on Marbled Murrelet foraging habitat.

Related Links/Resources

• Ministry of Environment
  • Environmental Stewardship Division
  • Endangered Species and Ecosystems Website
• Other Marbled Murrelet Links
  • Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team
  • Environment Canada Species at Risk Database
  • Species at Risk Act Public Registry