Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus)

Other Names (World)
Ancient Murrelet, Black-throated Murrelet, Grey-headed Murrelet, Gray-headed Murrelet

Family
Alcidae (Auks)

Size
24 - 27 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Gmelin, 1789)

Habitat
Offshore and along rocky sea coasts.

Range (Guide)

Canada (B), China (mainland), Hong Kong (China), Japan, Mexico, North Korea (B), Russia (Asian), South Korea, Taiwan (China), USA (B).

Vagrant to United Kingdom.

Population
Estimated population is 1,000,000 - 2,000,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Planktonic crustaceans and small larval fish.

Voice
At sea an abrupt high-pitched chipping 'chi chi' like a sparrow and a whistled 'teep'. At colonies various chips, trills, rasping sounds and a short 'chirrup'.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (2)...)

Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus) [XC165182]
by Fernando del Valle from Skeena-Queen Charlotte E, Skeena-Queen Charlotte, British Columbia, Canada (song, anmu chirrup, caau kut-reah)

Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) [XC161412]
by Luke Halpin; Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site Seabird Research Group from Beechey Head, East Sooke Park, Juan de Fuca Strait, Canada (call)

Nest
In a burrow excavated in soil, or in rock crevices and cavities, and occasionally in holes dug by other suterranean nesters. In colonies of low density. Often with other Alcidae species.

Subspecies
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:

antiquus (Gmelin, 1789) - Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan (Peter the Great Bay) north through Sakhalin, Kuril Is and northern Sea of Okhotsk (Talan I) to Kamchatka, then east through Aleutians to southern Alaska (St Lazaria I, Forrester I, Kodiak I, Semidi Is, Shumigan Is, Sandman Reefs), and then south to Queen Charlotte Is.
microrhynchos Stepanyan, 1972 - Mednyi I, Commander Is.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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