Marbled Murrelet Population

A wdfw biologist examines a marbled murrelet for a diet research project teresa lorenz u s.

Marbled murrelet population.

Marbled murrelets have a protracted breeding period with the individuals of a population not all breeding at the same time. Marbled murrelet movements are not well understood either but the birds carry out partial migrations outside the breeding season. Under the plan monitoring is an essential component and is designed to help managers understand the degree to which the plan is meeting this objective. Fish and wildlife service and other state federal and private researchers to participate in a program to estimate marbled murrelet population size.

This report describes methods used to assess the status and trend of marbled murrelet popula tions under the plan. 1 population falxa et al. A unique and threatened seabird. Restore nesting habitat that will sustain a viable marbled murrelet population.

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. For the nest habitat monitoring component of the marbled murrelet effectiveness monitoring program there was no work in 2016. Fws s threatened endangered species system track information about listed species in the united states. Marbled murrelet 5 year review pdf 880 kb evaluation report for the marbled murrelet 5 year status review pdf 7 mb regional population monitoring of the marbled murrelet.

They avoid fragmented and partially developed forest landscapes and are declining rapidly in washington and listed as a state endangered species. Publications that include recent population and habitat monitoring results in detail include the three chapters in the 20 year murrelet report. Its habit of nesting in trees was suspected but not documented until a tree climber found a chick in 1974 making it one of the last north american bird species to have its nest. Subsequent intensive at sea population surveys have revealed that only 4 000 murrelets give or take a thousand exist off the coast of redwood national and state parks.

Marbled murrelets brachyramphus marmoratus are small seabirds that nest in old growth forests and feed in the pacific ocean murrelets need large areas of coastal and near coastal old growth forest for nesting. In california that meant that murrelets were only likely to be found in the old growth redwood forests protected in california state parks and redwood national park. The age at which they begin breeding is unknown but it is assumed to be about two years. It nests in old growth forests or on the ground at higher latitudes where trees cannot grow.

At sea marbled murrelet population monitoring since 2000 wdfw has joined usda forest service pacific northwest research station u s. Field and analytical methods pdf 1 6 mb 10 year report for the northwest forest plan.