Marbled Murrelet Washington

Murrelets need large areas of coastal and near coastal old growth forest for nesting.

Marbled murrelet washington.

Marbled murrelets are seabirds that forage in marine waters but nest in forests. Nests were located high above the ground and had good overhead protection but allowed easy access to the exterior forest. It spends the majority of its time on the ocean roosting and feeding but comes inland up to 70 miles 113 kilometers to nest in forest stands with old growth forest characteristics. Marbled murrelets brachyramphus marmoratus are small seabirds that nest in old growth forests and feed in the pacific ocean.

The marbled murrelet a small seabird that nests in large conifer trees is a federally threatened species covered by the washington state department of natural resources dnr s trust lands habitat conservation plan hcp. With a mean of 80 inches 203 cm d b h. All marbled murrelet nests found in washington oregon and california were located in old growth trees that ranged from 38 inches 88 cm d b h. To 210 inches 533 cm d b h.

Fws s threatened endangered species system track information about listed species in the united states. Marbled murrelet are found year round in coastal areas throughout washington. They locate their nest in a depression on a mat of moss lichen or debris accumulations on large branches. After almost two decades under an interim plan that state officials say wasn t working the state released its long term conservation plan friday for the marbled.

In washington marbled murrelets nest in mature and old growth conifer forests and sometimes in comparatively younger forests with residual old growth trees. The marbled murrelet is a small robin sized diving seabird that feeds primarily on fish and invertebrates in near shore marine waters. Marbled murrelet conservation strategy adopted the board of natural resources adopted a long term conservation strategy for the marbled murrelet at its meeting tuesday december 3 2019.