Table Of ContentUnited States
Departmentof
Agriculture Ecology and Conservation of the
ForestService
Marbled Murrelet
Pacific Southwest
Research Station
GeneralTechnical
Report PSW-GTR-152
Abstract:
Ralph, C. John; Hunt, George L., Jr.; Raphael, Martin G.; Piatt, John F., Technical Editors. 1995. Ecology and
conservation of the Marbled Murrelet. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-152. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest
Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture;420p.
This report on the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) was compiled and editied by the
interagency Marbled Murrelet Conservation Assessment Core Team. The 37 chapters cover both original
studies and literature reviews of many aspects of the species' biology, ecology, and conservation needs. It
includesnewinformationontheforesthabitatusedfornesting,marinedistribution,anddemographicanalyses;
anddescribes pastand potential effectsofhumanson thespecies' habitats. Future research needs and possible
management strategies forboth marine and forest habitats are suggested.
Retrieval Terms: Brachyramphusmarmoratus, Marbled Murrelet, old-growth forests, habitat use, marine
distribution, seabird.
About This Report:
TechnicalEditors:
• C.JohnRalph,research wildlifebiologist,PacificSouthwestResearchStation, USDAForestService,
1700 Bayview Drive, Areata, CA95521
• GeorgeL. HuntJr., professor, Department ofEcology and Evolutionary Biology, 321 Steinhus Hall,
University ofCaliforniaat Irvine, Irvine, CA 92717
• Martin G. Raphael, chief research wildlife biologist, Pacific Northwest Resesrch Station, USDA
WA
Forest Service, 3625-93rd Ave. S.W., Olympia, 98512
• John F. Piatt, research biologist, Alaska Science Center, U.S. Department of the Interior, National
Biological Service, 1011 EastTudorRoad, Anchorage, AK99503
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Cover: Late-winter-plumaged MarbledMurrelet, Auke Bay, Alaska Photograph by Gus van Vliet
Publisher:
Pacific Southwest Research Station
Albany, California
(Mailing address: P. O. Box 245, Berkeley, California94701-0245
Telephone: 510-559-6300)
February 1995
From the collection of
J
k
International
Bird Rescue
Research Center
Cordelia, California
in association with
Preliinnger
a
v Jj
ibrary
p
San Francisco, California
2006
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2007 with funding from
Microsoft Corporation
http://www.archive.org/details/ecologyconservatOOpacirich
36
3/*£*
Ecology and Conservation of the
Marbled Murrelet
TechnicalEditors:
C. John Ralph George L. Hunt, Jr. Martin G. Raphael John F. Piatt
Contents
Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1 3
Ecology andConservation ofthe Marbled Murreletin North America: An Overview
C. John Ralph, GeorgeL Hunt, Jr., Martin G. Raphael, andJohn F. Piatt
Chapter2 23
The Asian Race ofthe Marbled Murrelet
NikolaiB. KonyukhovandAlexanderS. Kitaysky
Part II: Nesting Ecology, Biology, and Behavior
Chapter 3 33
Comparative Reproductive Ecology ofthe Auks (Family Alcidae)
with Emphasis on the Marbled Murrelet
Toni L De SantoandS. KimNelson
Chapter4 49
Nesting Chronology ofthe Marbled Murrelet
Thomas E. HomerandS. Kim Nelson
Chapter 5 57
Nesting Biology and Behaviorofthe Marbled Murrelet
S. KimNelson and ThomasE. Hamer
Chapter6 69
Characteristics ofMarbled Murrelet Nest Trees and Nesting Stands
Thomas E. HamerandS. Kim Nelson
Contents
Chapter7 83
Breeding and Natal Dispersal, Nest Habitat Loss and Implications for
Marbled Murrelet Populations
GeorgeJ. Divoky andMichaelHorton
Chapter 8 89
Nest Success and the Effects ofPredation on Marbled Murrelets
5. KimNelson and Thomas E. Hamer
Chapter9 99
Molts and Plumages in the Annual Cycle ofthe Marbled Murrelet
HarryR. CarterandJanetL. Stein
Part III: Terrestrial Environment
Section 1. InlandPatterns ofActivity
Chapter 10 113
Marbled Murrelet Inland Patterns ofActivity: Defining Detections and Behavior
Peter W.C. Paton
Chapter 11 117
Patterns ofSeasonal Variation ofActivity ofMarbled Murrelets in Forested Stands
Brian P. O'Donnell, NancyL. Naslund, and C. John Ralph
Chapter 12 129
Daily Patterns ofMarbled Murrelet Activity atInland Sites
NancyL. NaslundandBrianP. O'Donnell
Chapter 13 135
Interannual Differences in Detections ofMarbled Murrelets in
Some Inland California Stands
C. JohnRalph
Chapter 14 139
A Review ofthe Effects ofStation Placement and ObserverBias in Detections of
Marbled Murrelets in Forest Stands
Brian P. O'Donnell
Section 2. InlandHabitat UseandRequirements
Chapter 15 141
InlandHabitat Suitability forthe Marbled Murrelet in Southcentral Alaska
KatherineJ. Kuletz, Dennis K. Marks, NancyL. Naslund, NikeJ. Goodson, andMaryB. Cody
Chapter 16 151
Inland Habitat Associations ofMarbled Murrelets in British Columbia
Alan E. Burger
11 USDAForestServiceGen.Tech.Rep.PSW-152. 1995.
Contents
Chapter 17 163
Inland HabitatAssociations ofMarbledMurrelets inWesternWashington
Thomas E. Homer
Chapter 18 177
A Landscape-Level Analysis ofMarbled Murrelet Habitat in Western Washington
Martin G. Raphael, JohnA. Young, andBethM. Galleher
Chapter 19 191
Marbled Murrelet HabitatAssociations in Oregon
JeffreyJ. GrenierandS. KimNelson
Chapter20 205
Relationship ofMarbledMurrelets with Habitat Characteristics
atInland Sites in California
SherriL. MillerandC. John Ralph
Part IV: The Marine Environment
Section 1. Marine Setting
Chapter21 219
Oceanographic Processes and MarineProductivity in Waters Offshoreof
Marbled Murrelet Breeding Habitat
GeorgeL. Hunt, Jr.
Section 2. ForagingBiology
Chapter22 223
Marbled MurreletFood Habits and Prey Ecology
EstherE. Burkett
Chapter23 247
Marbled Murrelet At-Sea and Foraging Behavior
GaryStrachan, MichaelMcAllister, andC. JohnRalph
Chapter24 255
Monospecific and Mixed Species Foraging Associations ofMarbled Murrelets
GeorgeL. Hunt, Jr.
Chapter25 257
Pollution andFishing Threats to MarbledMurrelets
D. MichaelFry
Chapter 26 261
Mortality ofMarbled Murrelets Due to Oil Pollution inNorth America
HarryR. CarterandKatherineJ. Kuletz
USDAForestServiceGen.Tech.Rep.PSW-152. 1995. iii
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Timber harvest The legal status of the species was
beginning to prevent or delay timber harvest activities
Preface throughout most of its range on the Pacific Coast of North
America. Noforestmanagement standards andguidelinesto
maintain murrelet habitats existed, because documentation
ofthe full range ofthe species' habi—tat was unknown.
Survey and monitoring efforts Surveys to determine
TheMarbledMurrelet(Brachyramphusmarmoratus)has the species' presence or absence in forest stands throughout
longbeenregardedasabirdofmysteryinthePacificNorthwest itsrangerequiredsubstantialfinancialandpersonnelresources.
becauseits nestinghabitshaveremainedlargely unknownto Duetoalackofknowledgeofitsdistributionandabundance,
ornithologists,anditsnearshorefeedinghabitsmadeitdifficult costly efforts often included surveys in areas that were
to survey. This small, dove-sized seabird inhabits coastal unsuitable orofmarg—inal value to the species.
areas of North America from Alaska to central California. Other resources It seemed probable that the species
Throughout mostofits range it nests in forests within about occupiedhabitatscontaining large amountsofeconomically
25 to 50 miles of the coast, and feeds in nearshore marine valuable timber.
waters on small fish and invertebrates. In contrast to most These stands also functioned as reservoirs ofbiological
alcids, which nest colonially on rocky cliffs or relatively diversity, and had great values as watersheds and as sources
barrenislands, theMarbledMurreletnests inlandthroughout ofa variety ofwildlife and fishery resources. While at sea,
most of its range in solitary pairs (or perhaps loose the bird coexisted with large numbers ofcommercially im-
associations), onthe wide, upperbranchesofold, coniferous portantfish, especially salmon, the harvesting ofwhich may
trees. This retiring habit delayed the discovery ofits nest in result in significant murrelet mortal—ity.
North America until 1974, when one was found in central Consolidation of information It was apparent that a
California (Binford and others 1975). Since then, despite need existed to consolidate available information, and to
manythousandsofperson-daysofeffortoverthepastdecade, synthesize knowledge of population trends, distribution,
fewer than 60 nests have been located through the 1993 habitatassociations, and potential management alternatives.
breeding season (Nelson and Hamer, this volume a). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service appointed a Marbled
In the 1980s, field biologists discovered evidence Murrelet Recovery Team early in 1993 to determine the
suggesting that many, if not most, individuals nest in status and mode of recovery of the species. They needed a
unharvestedconiferousold-growthforests.Furtherresearch, rapid production of scientific background material for
much of it presented for the first time in this volume, has theirdeliberations.
provided additional information on habitat use, on their
relatively low reproductive rates, and on the high predation Goals of the Assessment
they experience atthe nest.
Inatleastsomeareas,evidencealsobegantoaccumulate To meet these issues, the USDA Forest Service began a
thatthe MarbledMurreletpopulation has declined in recent "Marbled Murrelet Conservation Assessment" in late 1992
years. This decline has been attributed to reduction and with the following mandate. The Assessment would
fragmentation of old-growth forests, increased predation, consolidate the available information concerning Marbled
pollution (especially oil spills), and mortality from fishing Murrelet ecology and evaluate current habitat conditions to
nets.Thispotentialdeclineheightenedmanagementsensitivity determine the likelihood oflong-term persistence ofhealthy
toassurethemaintenanceofhealthy interactingpopulations populations throughout its current range. The Assessment
throughoutitsrange. Atpresent, themurreletisclassifiedas wouldincludemonitoring andresearchrecommendations, be
threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife aprimary source ofinformation forthe Recovery Team, and
Service in Washington, Oregon, and California, as well as provide information that would enable agencies to make
by the State of California and the Province of British managementplans.
Columbia.Formostlandmanagementagencies,theselistings This work would be accomplished by the following
require inventories and analyses of potential impacts of methods:
proposedprojectsonthespecies.Ifadverseimpactonmurrelet 1. Identify patterns of habitat use in the forests and
habitatisfound,itmayresultinmitigationmeasures,project marineenvironments occupied by the murrelet, and develop
modification, delays, andpossible cancellation. an understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of
thesehabitatsandmurreletpopulations,byusingacompilation
Issues ofexisting survey data.
2. Summarize and synthesize existing information from
Several issues faced land management agencies in the throughouttherangeaboutthelifehistory, status, andtrends
United States and Canada in 1992 when the effort on this of the murrelet and its utilized habitats, and provide the
volume began. information gathered to all interested parties.
vi USDAForestServiceGen.Tech.Rep.PSW-152. 1995.
—
3. Identify additional inventory needs and methodology Members ofthe Working Group included:
tofacilitate statistically meaningful long term monitoringof • Marbled Murrelet specialists from universities,
boththespeciesanditshabitats,thusprovidingtheinformation agencies, private industry, and conservation
needed to develop sound strategies to provide for their
organizations.
maintenance and management. • RegionalrepresentativesfromUSDAForestService
4. Identify additional research needs to fill information Regions in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and
gaps preventing a full understanding of Marbled Murrelet
California.
ecology.
• AgencyRepresentativesfromthreeU.S.Department
5. Provide suggestions to improve the compatibility of oftheInterioragencies—FishandWildlifeService,
data bases maintained by various entities.
NationalBiologicalService,NationalParkService
and Canadian Wildlife Service, among others.
Organization
• Representatives from state and provincial fish and
wildlife agencies not represented above.
TheAssessmenteffortwasorganizedintoasetofworking
• Specialists from various disciplines useful to the
groups as follows:
process ofthe Assessment.
• InteragencyConservationAssessmentCoordinating
— • Line officers.
Group Theintentofthisgroupwastocoordinateandprovide
support to Conservation Assessment activities among the
state, provincial,andfederal agencieswithMarbledMurrelet Financial assistance was provided by various agencies
managementresponsibilities.Theseagenciesandorganizations and organizations, acknowledged in each chapter, and also
wereinvitedtoparticipatebythetwoGroupLeaders: Garland by the Assessment itself that provided certain members of
N. Mason, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, the Technical Working Group with funds to enable them to
California; and Hugh Black. Pacific Northwest Region, analyze theirdatain amore timely mannerthan wouldhave
—
Portland, Oregon both with the USDA Forest Service. been possible in the normal course ofevents.
—
• Conservation Assessment Core Team The Core
Team was headed by a Team Leader (C.J. Ralph), provided Working Environment
by the Pacific Southwest Station, and three senior scientists
with established expertise in various aspects of ecology Working sessions of the Core Team and the Working
who, drawing on the knowledge provided by the Technical Groupwereopentoallpersonsinterestedintheproceedings,
WorkingGroup,providedthescientificexpertisetoformulate with the Team Leaderacting as chair.
the Conservation Assessment. The Team Leader provided Working Group members participated fully with the
the overall technical and administrative leadership for Core Teamandparticipatedin all decisions. TheCoreTeam
assessment development and ensured good communication provided direction and strived for consensus among the
between the Coordinating Group, the Core Team, and the Team and Group members. Minority reports were possible
Technical Working Group. The scientists in the Core Team and encouraged. Wildlife Society standards for authorship
became the technical editors ofthe final volume. were used. In the final stages ofcompilation ofthe volume,
• Conservation Assessment Technical Working the technicaleditors met andreviewed chapters which were
—
Group This group was opentoall persons withknowledge then sent to authors for final approval ofall contents.
or abilities that could contribute to the formulation of the
Conservation Assessment (see AppendixA in this volume), Products
and provided the following functions:
The primary product ofthe Assessment is this volume.
• Collected and provided technical information
Each chapter in the volume was reviewed by numerous
required by the Working Group.
researchersandbiologistsin appropriatefields,aswellasby
• Wrote chapters ofthe Assessment, as appropriate.
theCoreTeam.Inaddition,theentiredocumentwasreviewed
• Provided assistance, advice, and input to other
by four persons appointed by the Presidents of learned
members ofthe Working Group as requested.
societies: The Wildlife Society (David Marshall). American
• Informed respective agencies, organizations, or
OrnithologistsUnion(PeterConners), Ecological Societyof
regions as to progress and findings of the
America (Frank A. Pitelka), and the Cooper Ornithological
Conservation Assessment.
Society (Douglas Bell).
• Provided expertise to formulate inter-regional
The report is organized into chapters addressing the
assessments.
various aspects of Marbled Murrelet biology and provide
• Identified and overcame obstacles to gathering
dataandanalyses. Somegeneralmanagementconsiderations
information forthe Assessment.
are offered in the overview chapter, and are intended to
USDAForestServiceGen.Tech.Rep.PSW-152. 1995. vu
supplement those offered by the Recovery Team, appointed Mason,MikeLennartz,andBarryNoonwereverysupportive
by the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service. ofthe entire effort, and we are grateful to them.
The final manuscripts were edited by technical
Acknowledgments publications editors B Shimon Schwarzschild, Sandra L.
Young, and Laurie J. Dunn; and the layouts were designed
Weexpressourappreciationtoallthereviewers,members and produced by visual info—rmation specialists Kathryn
oftheTechnicalWorkingGroup,andtheauthors,whoworked Stewart and Esther Kerkmann all ofthe Pacific Southwest
so smoothly together to assemble this compendium of Research Station.
knowledge ofthe murrelet. Behind the scenes,employeesof Finally, weacknowledgetheherculeaneffortthatLinda
thePacificSouthwestStation'sRedwoodSciencesLaboratory Longprovidedatall stagesofthemanuscriptpreparation, as
did the lion's share ofthe work in first assembling the data, shedirectedallofustowardsproducinganexcellentproduct.
andpreparingthemanuscripts.SherriMiller,DeborahKristen, Wehope thatthis effortwill serve well the bird and the
Ann Buell, Tina Menges, Jennifer Weeks, Brian Cannon, people charged with its management. Most importantly we
Robin Wachs, Kim Hollinger, Jim Dahl, Brian O'Donnell, dedicate this volume to the biologists who have spent so
and Michelle Kamprath worked tirelessly in the "Murrelet many cold, lonely, but exhilarating hours in pursuit ofthis
House"indowntownAreataduring 1993toenabletheauthors sprightly,energeticbird,bothon theocean andintheforest,
topublish theirdata. John Youngand BethGalleher, Pacific where it turns into a hurtling, small, dark shadow, as it
Northwest Station, USDA Forest Service, Olympia, enters the primeval forest in pursuit of its largely still
contributed to GIS data assembly and analysis. Garland mysterious habits.
TechnicalEditors:
C. John Ralph George L. Hunt,Jr. Martin G. Raphael John F. Piatt
vni USDAForestServiceGen.Tech.Rep.PSW-152. 1995.
