Morphometric Variation in Marbled Murrelets, Brachyramphus Marmoratus, in British Columbia

2001 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy L. Hull ◽  
Brett A. Vanderkist ◽  
Lynn W. Lougheed ◽  
Gary W. Kaiser ◽  
Fred Cooke
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Morphometric Variation ◽  
Marbled Murrelets

Re-Use of Nest Sites by Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in British Columbia

2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan E. Burger ◽  
Irene A. Manley ◽  
Michael P. Silvergieter ◽  
David B. Lank ◽  
Kevin M. Jordan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Marbled Murrelets

COEXISTENCE AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF MARBLED MURRELETS (BRACHYRAMPHUS MARMORATUS) AND OTHER ALCIDS OFF SOUTHWEST VANCOUVER ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA

The Auk ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALAN E. BURGER ◽  
CHRISTINE L. HITCHCOCK ◽  
E. ANNE STEWART ◽  
GAIL K. DAVOREN
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Spatial Distributions ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Marbled Murrelets

scholarly journals Using Vitellogenin to Identify Interannual Variation in Breeding Chronology of Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus Marmoratus)

The Auk ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 512-521
Author(s):  
Laura Mcfarlane Tranquilla ◽  
Tony Williams ◽  
Fred Cooke
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Direct Observation ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Interannual Variation ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Marbled Murrelets

AbstractVitellogenin is a lipophosphoprotein found in plasma of egg-producing birds prior to laying that may be used to identify fecund females whose reproductive status is otherwise unknown. We captured Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) at sea in Desolation Sound, British Columbia, and used vitellogenin to (1) identify variation in egg production between 1999 and 2000, (2) predict timing of subsequent breeding stages on the basis of egg production, and (3) describe proportion of captured females producing eggs. We also used vitellogenin to investigate a capture bias previously detected in mist-netted birds in the study area and found a corresponding bias in number of egg producers caught. Dates that egg producers were present (27 April to 6 July 1999, 20 April to 6 July 2000) indicate that breeding is highly asynchronous in that species but was similar in both years. Predicted chick-fledging based on vitellogenin analyses was within one day of first sightings of fledglings at sea in both years, confirming that the vitellogenin technique provides accurate information on breeding chronology. Percentage of egg producers (54% in 1999, 56% in 2000) were similar in both years. Vitellogenin analyses provided a chronology very similar to that previously estimated using multiple techniques in the same study area (1996–1998), confirming that vitellogenin analyses alone may be used to describe chronology when sampling encompasses the entire laying period. We recommend that technique for use in other studies of secretive species where egg production cannot normally be monitored by direct observation.

scholarly journals Techniques for Investigating Breeding Chronology in Marbled Murrelets, Desolation Sound, British Columbia

The Condor ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Lougheed ◽  
Brett A. Vanderkist ◽  
Lynn W. Lougheed ◽  
Fred Cooke
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Marbled Murrelet ◽  
Breeding Synchrony ◽  
Physiological Analysis ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Marbled Murrelets

AbstractWe used several methods to study the chronology and synchrony of breeding events of the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) population at Desolation Sound, British Columbia, from 1996 to 1998. The timing of breeding events varied among years; on average the breeding season lasted from 21 April to 5 September. We assessed the biases of each method used by comparing the results to the estimate of the integrated breeding chronology. Counts of hatch-year birds at sea were biased toward earlier breeders, missing an estimated 24% of the fledglings. Two other methods, physiological analysis of the yolk precursor vitellogenin from blood samples and monitoring by radio-telemetry could produce a complete distribution of breeding events if sampling were done throughout laying. Observations in the forest, date of first observation of a fledgling at sea during the breeding season, and fish-holding behavior produced insufficient data to be used as sole indicators of breeding chronology of this species. In general, breeding synchrony in alcids, assessed using data from a literature review, was unrelated to feeding habits but increased with latitude (41% of the variation was explained by latitude). Marbled Murrelets, however, bred less synchronously than predicted for an alcid at this latitude (50°N).Técnicas para Investigar la Cronología Reproductiva de Brachyramphus marmoratus en Caleta Desolación, Columbia BritánicaResumen. Utilizamos varios métodos para investigar la cronología reproductiva de la población de Brachyramphus marmoratus en la Caleta Desolación de la Columbia Británica desde 1996 a 1998. Encontramos variaciones temporales en la época reproductiva entre años. En promedio, la estación reproductiva se extendió del 21 de abril al 5 de septiembre. Evaluamos el sesgo de los métodos utilizados comparando los resultados individuales con los resultados de la cronología obtenida al integrar todos los métodos. Los conteos de juveniles en el mar estuvieron sesgados hacia aquellas aves que anidan temprano, no detectando aproximadamente 24% de los juveniles producidos en la estación reproductiva. Los otros dos métodos, análisis fisiológico de muestras de sangre para detectar el precursor de vitelogenina en la yema y monitoreo por telemetría, podrían producir una distribución completa de las etapas reproductivas siempre que el muestreo se lleve a cabo a lo largo de todo el período de puesta. Las observaciones directas en los sitios de anidación, la fecha de la primera observación de juveniles en el mar y las observaciones de aves con pescado en el pico produjeron datos insuficientes para ser considerados indicadores únicos de la cronología reproductiva para esta especie. Con base en una revisión bibliográfica se investigó la sincronía reproductiva en álcidos, encontrándose que ésta no está relacionada con hábitos alimenticios pero que aumenta con la latitud (41% de la variación fue explicada por cambios latitudinales). Sin embargo, B. marmoratus se reprodujo menos sincrónico que lo predicho para un álcido a esta latitud (50°N).

Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) foraging with gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) off Vancouver Island, British Columbia

2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (12) ◽  
pp. 847-852
Author(s):  
K.A. Muirhead ◽  
C.D. Malcolm ◽  
D.A. Duffus
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Eschrichtius Robustus ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Seabird Species ◽  
Gray Whales ◽  
Marbled Murrelet ◽  
Marbled Murrelets

Seabirds are known to associate with marine mammals to facilitate prey capture. These occur when mammals either force prey near the surface or provide small scraps of larger prey victims. Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus (Lilljeborg, 1861)) have been observed to provide invertebrate prey to a variety of seabird species; however, there are no published reports of Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus (Gmelin, 1789)) feeding in association with gray whales. We observed Marbled Murrelets foraging within several metres of gray whales off Vancouver Island, British Columbia, feeding on epibenthic zooplankton in 2006 and 2008. Join-count statistics identified significant clustering (p = 0.1) of 258 Marbled Murrelets within 300 m of 39 feeding gray whales in June of 2006, and no association between 3 gray whales and 34 Marbled Murrelets in June and July of 2008, marking a foraging association conditional on the abundance of both gray whales and their prey, but potentially significant to Marbled Murrelet survival and fecundity.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Nest Visitation by Chick-Rearing Marbled Murrelets

The Condor ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell W. Bradley ◽  
Laura A. McFarlane Tranquilla ◽  
Brett A. Vanderkist ◽  
Fred Cooke
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Male Bias ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Marbled Murrelets

Abstract We report a significant male bias in dawn and dusk nest visitations of breeding, radio-marked Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) during the chick rearing period in Desolation Sound, British Columbia, Canada, from 1998–2000. Overall visitation rates of males during chick rearing were 1.3 times greater than those of females. Dusk visitation rates by males with active nests were 1.8 times greater than those of females. Male visitation rates were similar between early and late chick rearing, both within and among individuals. However, female visitation rates during late chick rearing were significantly lower than female rates early in rearing, both within and between individuals. In addition, between-sex comparisons of nest visitation during early and late chick rearing showed significant reductions in female effort relative to males, only during late chick rearing. These results suggest that male birds may provision chicks more often than females, especially during the last half of chick rearing. These findings offer a behavioral explanation for the annual male bias of birds flying inland during the chick rearing period at Theodosia Inlet in Desolation Sound from 1994–1999. Although female-biased provisioning has been documented in several species, male-biased provisioning has not been widely reported in other alcids. Diferencias de Sexo en la las Visitas al Nido en Brachyramphus marmoratus durante la Crianza de Pichones Resumen. Presentamos evidencia sobre un sesgo hacia los machos en las visitas a nidos efectuadas al amanecer y el crepúsculo durante la crianza de pichones, en individuos marcados con radios en Desolation Sound, Columbia Británica, Canadá, entre 1998–2000. La tasa de visitas de los machos fue 1.3 veces mayor que la de las hembras. La tasa de visitas de los machos al crepúsculo con nidos activos fue 1.8 veces mayor que las hembras. La tasa de visitas de los machos fue constante a través del período de crianza, tanto para un mismo individuo como entre individuos. Sin embargo, la tasa de visitas de las hembras fue significativamente menor al final que al inicio de la crianza, tanto para un mismo individuo como entre individuos. Además, la tasa de visitas de las hembras fue menor que la de los machos al final de la crianza. Estos resultados sugieren que los machos abastecen a los pichones en mayor medida que las hembras, especialmente en la última parte de la crianza. Asimismo, los resultados ofrecen una explicación conductual para la dominancia anual de machos volando tierra adentro durante la crianza en Theodosia Inlet, Desolation Sound, entre 1994–1999. En pocas ocasiones se ha descripto abastecimiento paternal en los álcidos, donde principalmente las hembras se encargan del abastecimiento.

Status review of the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in Alaska and British Columbia

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Piatt ◽  
K.J. Kuletz ◽  
A.E. Burger ◽  
Scott A. Hatch ◽  
Vicki L. Friesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Marbled Murrelet

scholarly journals Marine Habitat Selection by Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) during the Breeding Season

PLoS ONE ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. e0162670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa J. Lorenz ◽  
Martin G. Raphael ◽  
Thomas D. Bloxton
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Marbled Murrelets

scholarly journals Comparison of Coastal Fringe and Interior Forests as Reserves for Marbled Murrelets on Vancouver Island

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 915-920
Author(s):  
Alan E. Burger ◽  
Volker Bahn ◽  
Angeline R. M. Tillmanns
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Brachyramphus Marmoratus ◽  
Marbled Murrelet ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Associated Species ◽  
Marbled Murrelets

Abstract Much of the protected habitat available to the threatened Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus and other old-growth associated species in the Pacific Northwest is in narrow strips along the coast (e.g., parks and scenic fringes). Using data over two years from three watersheds on southwest Vancouver Island, we show that such shoreline strip forests represent suboptimal habitat for murrelets. Murrelet detections, including circling and subcanopy behaviors, were significantly lower at 30 coastal stations (20–250 m from the shoreline edge) than at 30 interior stations (1.5–21.0 km inland). Densities of predators were significantly higher at the coastal stations. The coastal trees were of similar mean height and diameter, but they had lower structural diversity and provided fewer and less suitable (thinner epiphyte cover on large boughs) nesting platforms than trees in the interior. When possible, reserves for Marbled Murrelets should be placed in interior and not shoreline forests.

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