Marbled Murrelet Nesting Habitat

Lo and behold the nesting habitat of marbled murrelets was finally discovered coastal old growth coniferous forests of the pacific northwest.

Marbled murrelet nesting habitat.

This species nests in moist coastal coniferous forests usually within a few miles of the ocean and especially in old growth forests where large trees with broad mossy limbs provide ideal natural. The marbled murrelet s breeding habitat requirements have been the subject of intense study since the first nests were discovered in the 1970s. The primary cause of marbled murrelet population decline is the loss and modification of nesting habitat in old growth and mature forests through commercial timber harvests human induced fires and land conversions and to a lesser degree through natural causes such as wild fires and wind storms. With the discovery of a murrelet nest in a tree a major evolutionary leap in seabird biology was revealed.

During the winter marbled murrelets use inland old growth or mature sites for roosting courtship and investigating nest sites. Threatened the marbled murrelet is federally listed under the endangered species act as a threatened species in washington oregon and california and state listed as endangered in california and as threatened in oregon and washington critical habitat is designated for the species and a new proposal for critical habitat is available for review. In washington this species is an uncommon resident. The marbled murrelet inhabits the nearshore marine environment in western north america.

The use of inland lakes during the nonbreeding season occurs in conjunction with visits to nesting areas.