Marbled Murrelet Wildlife Habitat Area

T he breeding range of the marbled murrelet extends from bristol bay alaska south to the aleutian archipelago northeast to cook inlet kodiak island kenai peninsula and prince william sound south coastally throughout the alexander archipelago of alaska and through british columbia washington oregon to northern monterey bay in central california.

Marbled murrelet wildlife habitat area.

The sexually mature adult murrelet at age 2 or 3 of an average 15 year lifespan generally lays a single egg on a mossy limb of an old growth conifer tree. In washington this species is an uncommon resident. The marbled murrelet inhabits the nearshore marine environment in western north america. Murrelets have low reproductive output and have experienced poor breeding success in some areas.

Brachyramphus marmoratus is a federally threatened seabird that in washington oregon and california usa nests primarily in the canopy of old growth and mature forest hamer and. The marbled murrelet hereafter murrelet. This theme depicts lands designated as critical habitat under section 4 of the endangered species act for the marbled murrelet in washington oregon and california. It is found in marine waters in general proximity to nesting habitat.

The definition of marbled murrelet murrelet nesting habitat is an important component of any assessment of murrelet exposure in the terrestrial environment. Whas designate critical habitats in which activities are managed to limit their impact on the identified wildlife element for which the area was established. Both sexes incubate the egg in alternating 24 hour shifts for 30 days. Marbled murrelets nest in oregon from mid april to mid september.

Wildlife habitat areas wildlife habitat areas whas are mapped areas that are necessary to meet the habitat requirements of an identified wildlife element. Some marbled murrelet nests in british columbia have been found in habitat that differs somewhat from the defined suitable habitat e g cliffs a deciduous tree isolated veterans in stunted stands but inclusion of all the possible habitat types likely to be used by murrelets becomes unworkable. Marbled murrelets are adversely affected by reductions and modifications to late successional forests. The geographic centre of the species range is in southeast alaska and alaska and canada are home to the largest numbers of birds.

Within this range they can be found up to 75 km inland. Marbled murrelets occur along 4 000 kilometers of coastline extending from california to alaska.