Marbled Murrelet Predators

Steller s jays cyanocitta stelleri and common ravens corvus corax prey on marbled murrelet eggs and nestlings.

Marbled murrelet predators.

No marbled murrelet nests are known to have been destroyed by mammalian predators although raccoons procyon lotor marten martes americana fisher martes pennanti and several species of rodents are potential predators. The marbled murrelet was listed by the us fish and wildlife service as threatened in 1992 and was listed as threatened by the washington state department. About 30 to 40 days after hatching the young marbled murrelet takes its first flight and goes all the way to the ocean. Throughout their range marbled murrelets are opportunistic feeders and utilize prey of diverse sizes and species.

Marbled murrelets and humans the marbled murrelet is considered globally endangered with some evidence of. The end goal for these birds is to be very secretive and quiet so predators don t find their nests and they can produce young said rivers. They typically lay their single egg high in a tree on a horizontal limb at least 4 inches in diameter with steller s jays crows and ravens the main predators of murrelet nests. Predation rates on murrelet nests appear higher than other alcids perhaps with the exception of areas with.

It is well established that corvids are major predators of murrelet eggs and chicks hébert and golightly 2007 malt and lank 2009 golightly and schneider 2009. Assuming that corvids are the most important predators larger reserves of habitat will lessen negative hard edge effects. They feed primarily on fish and invertebrates in near shore marine waters although they have also been detected on rivers and inland lakes. Marbled murrelet facts family alcidae.

The old growth forest that s left is often in parks where the presence of people and their food has attracted huge numbers of jays and ravens which eat marbled murrelet eggs and chicks. Related to puffins murres auks size 10 inches habitat surfline to 2 miles out plumage dark grey above white below winter. Smaller reserves should be embedded in a protective matrix of regenerating forest to reduce predation risk at. Threats in the form of gill nets and oil spills affect this species as well.