The Common Murre is a large auk with a widespread distribution in North America. They are widespread on the Pacific Coast from Alaska southward to Oregon and California. On the Atlantic Coast they are less abundant and more local, with most found around Labrador and Newfoundland. Common Murres are considered to have the densest nesting colonies for any bird, considering its size. Individual nesting pairs often are typically within touching distance while the birds incubate their single eggs.
Habitat
The Common Murre inhabits coastal marine waters, offshore oceans, rocky shorelines, sea cliffs, and islands of the North Pacific and North Atlantic. It nests in dense colonies on narrow cliff ledges and rocky islands, often alongside other seabirds, and spends most of the year at sea foraging in cold, productive marine waters. During winter, it remains offshore or along exposed coastlines where fish are abundant.
Diet
The Common Murre feeds primarily on small schooling fish such as anchovies, herring, capelin, sand lance, and sardines. It also consumes squid, crustaceans, and other marine invertebrates, capturing prey during deep underwater dives propelled by its wings.
Behavior
The Common Murre is a highly social seabird that nests in dense colonies on rocky cliffs and islands, often standing shoulder-to-shoulder with neighboring birds. It spends most of its life at sea, diving underwater with remarkable agility to pursue fish and other prey. On land, Common Murres appear awkward and upright, but underwater they are powerful swimmers that use their wings to "fly" beneath the surface. After chicks leave the nesting ledges, the male accompanies and cares for the young bird at sea for several weeks.
Nesting
The nest of a Common Murre is...nothing! The egg is laid directly on a bare rock, typically on a cliff ledge but sometimes on a rock down close to the water. The female only lays one egg each year. Both the male and female help to incubate the egg. Both parents help feed and tend to the young hatchling. After a few weeks, the young is ready to leave the nest, and leaps and glides down to the water's surface, accompanied by the male parent. The male then tends to the young bird until it is able to fly.
Song
The Common Murre produces a variety of harsh, growling, grunting, and croaking calls, especially at crowded breeding colonies. Unlike many seabirds, it lacks a clear melodic song; instead, colonies are filled with a constant chorus of guttural urrr and rasping vocalizations used for mate recognition, territorial interactions, and communication between parents and chicks.
Migration
They are permanent residents in much of their range. However, birds at the northern edge of their range are migratory (particularly in areas such as western Alaska where coastal waters freeze in winter), and there is some general movement southward on both coasts. Populations also disperse away from coasts in the winter, where they may be found relatively far out to sea.
Similar Species
Thick-billed Murre : The Thick-billed Murre is stockier than the Common Murre and has a deeper, heavier bill. In breeding plumage, Thick-billed Murres often show a thin white line along the upper edge of the bill extending toward the eye, a feature lacking in Common Murres.
Razorbill: Razorbills have a much deeper, laterally compressed black bill with a distinctive white vertical line near the tip. They also have a chunkier appearance, a thicker neck, and a more striking black-and-white facial pattern than the slimmer, longer-billed Common Murre.
Conservation Status
The Common Murre is generally considered a species of low conservation concern because of its large global population and extensive distribution across the North Atlantic and North Pacific. However, some regional populations have experienced significant declines due to oil spills, marine heat waves, changes in ocean food webs, entanglement in fishing gear, and disturbance at breeding colonies. The species is particularly vulnerable to events that reduce the availability of small forage fish, which are critical for successful breeding. Overall, Common Murres remain abundant, but continued monitoring and protection of breeding colonies and marine feeding areas are important for their long-term conservation. The IUCN lists the Common Murre as a species of "Least Concern".
Photo Information
Photo taken on June 6th, 2009 - Off the coast of Newport, Oregon - Terry Sohl
Interactive eBird Map
Click to access the interactive eBird species sightings page for Common Murre
