The Status and Occurrence of Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix) in British Columbia. By Rick Toochin: Revised: June 20, 2023.

The Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix) is a species of alcid that has a range that is confined to eastern Asia; it breeds from the Kamchatka Peninsula, south along the coastal regions of the Sea of Okhotsk, south to Sakhalin Island and the adjacent coastline of Russia (in the northern Sea of Japan), to northern Japan on Hokkaido Island and along the Kuril Islands (Gaston and Jones 1998, Brazil 2009). The winter range of Long-billed Murrelet is poorly known, but it is known to winter in the Sea of Japan in the waters around northern Japan (Gaston and Jones 1998). It is suspected of occurring on the coastline north of Kamchatka Peninsula in the Bering Sea in the breeding season, but this, as yet, has not been proven (Gaston and Jones 1998). The Long-billed Murrelet is not known to breed in the Aleutian Islands (Gaston and Jones 1998). It is the closely related Marbled Murrelet that is known to breed in the western Aleutian Islands and is suspected to breed on Attu Island (Gaston and Jones 1998). There have been Murrelets found on the nearby Commander Islands, but these have not been clearly identified as to species (Gaston and Jones 1998). 

 

On June 10, 2007, while sea watching at Sheringham Lighthouse in Shirley (near Jordan River), Louis Haviland and I discovered a Long-billed Murrelet (Toochin 2012). Though obtaining digital pictures is difficult while sea watching, images were obtained of this very rare Asian visitor. There is only one other sighting of Long-billed Murrelet for British Columbia. This was an adult bird in breeding plumage found by Patrick Sullivan and the author on Charlie Lake, outside Fort St. John in the Peace River country on June 21, 1994 (Toochin et al. 2013). The bird found on Charlie Lake was likely the same adult bird in alternate plumage that was found dead on Saskatoon Lake in Northern Alberta on July 2, 1994, as it was located less than 140 km away (Mlodinow 1997). In Birds of British Columbia, Volumes 1-4, there is no mention of any Long-billed Murrelet sightings for British Columbia (Campbell et al. 1990a, 1990b, 1997, 2001). As it stands, this recent photographic record is the first documented record of this species for the Province. Since the increase in number of observers, and the splitting of Marbled Murrelet into two species by the American Ornithologists’ Union in 1997 (A.O.U. 1997), there has been a steady increase of records of Long-billed Murrelet in North America. California has had fifteen accepted records with the majority of the records occurring in the fall between the months of August through October. (Hamilton et al. 2007). Oregon has had one record from August 13, 1994 which was photographed in Coos Bay (OFO 2012). Washington has had seven records with the majority found in the fall from July through November (WBRC 2012). Long-billed Murrelets have been recorded throughout North America as vagrants, with birds occurring in all seasons as far south as Florida, and as far east as Quebec, Newfoundland and Massachusetts (Mlodinow 1997). There are three records for this species in Europe (Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). With careful scrutiny of all Marbled Murrelets encountered, it is likely that this species will be recorded again.

The Long-billed Murrelet is closely related to the Marbled Murrelet. Long-billed Murrelets are larger bodied and longer billed than Marbled Murrelets. A bird appearing on its own would be hard to judge on size alone. There are, however, plumage characteristics that separate the two species. The Long-billed Murrelet in winter plumage is very black and white looking.  This plumage is acquired in October and is held till April; however, non-breeding birds can likely hold this plumage later into the summer (Sibley 2000). The head and neck of Long-billed Murrelet is thick and elongated in shape which helps the bill look longer and thicker. Around the dark face are two thin light eye arcs (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). The head is dark and the dark coloration runs along from the bill under the eye, down the sides of the neck onto the side to the breast and flanks (Sibley 2000). An important field mark is neck coloration: basic plumaged Long-billed Murrelets have a dark neck with no white cutting up the back of the neck as occurs in Marbled Murrelet (Lethaby 2000). Below the dark area is a white area that encompasses the throat, breast and flanks, and under tail coverts (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). There is a broad white line along the scapulars which is separated by the dark folded wing and a large white patch that comes up high on the flanks (Gaston and Jones 1998). This gives the bird two white patches that are obvious while sitting on the water (Gaston and Jones 1998). The Long-billed Murrelet, in flight, has light under wings that are not pure white but light looking (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). The bird found off the Sheringham Lighthouse was a bird in transition from winter plumage to breeding plumage. So, when looking at the bird, it was possible to see the winter plumage characteristics as it was acquiring alternate plumage. The Shirley bird still had the broad white scapular patch and the white throat but was acquiring the dark plumage on the back and breast. Alternate plumage is acquired by Long-billed Murrelets in April and is held through September (Sibley 2000). These birds are a mottled-brown color with an obvious white throat and mottled breast feathers (Lethaby 2000). Juvenile Long-billed Murrelets look similar to basic plumaged adults, but are more mottled looking on the breast and flanks. This plumage is held, after fledgling, from August through October. Marbled Murrelets are smaller birds and have a smaller bill, head and neck. In winter plumage, acquired by October and held through April, Marbled Murrelets are very black and white looking (Sibley 2000).  What makes Marbled Murrelets stand out from Long-billed Murrelets is that the white on the neck extends up the neck, giving the bird a white collar (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). This helps separate the black of the face, giving the cheek a dark patch (Sibley 2000). There are no white eye arcs above and below the eye (Sibley 2000). The white at the base of the bill goes up separating the eye from the bill (Gaston and Jones 1998). The white scapular patch is not as thick or bright as a Long-billed Murrelet and the white on the flank doesn’t flare up as far as on a Long-billed Murrelet (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). In flight the under wings are dark (Sibley 2000). In alternate plumage, which is acquired by April and held through September, adult Marbled Murrelets are dark brown colored (Sibley 2000). They have dark brown throats and are dark mottled colored on the breast (Sibley 2000). 

 

One similar species that is rare, but regular to British Columbia, that should be ruled out if a Murrelet is encountered is Scripp’s Murrelet. This was formerly called Xantus’s Murrelet until 2012, when the A.O.U. split Xantus’s Murrelet into Scripp’s and Guadalupe Murrelet (Chesser et al. 2012). The Scripp’s Murrelet is black on top and white below with white under wings (Gaston and Jones 1998). This species also has a long black bill with very distinct white eye arcs (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). The black on the face is sharply separated from the white throat by a straight line (Sibley 2000). The line is created from the base of the bill under the eye to the neck because the area is all black with all the areas below being white (Sibley 2000). Guadalupe Murrelet is also black on top and white below with the white almost encompassing the dark eye (Gaston and Jones 1998). It has a long bill and white under wings (Sibley 2000). Both Scripp’s and Guadalupe Murrelets lack the white scapular patch found on Long-billed Murrelet and are a bit larger in size (Sibley 2000). There are forty-five records of Scripp’s Murrelet off the British Columbia Coast, with records starting in July, peaking in early August, and occurring till October (Toochin et al. 2013, 2022). There are three records of a Guadalupe Murrelet in British Columbia with one record for July and 2 during the month of August (Toochin et al. 2013, 2022). 

It is becoming clear that any Marbled Murrelet encountered inland in British Columbia should be carefully scrutinized to rule out Long-billed Murrelet. It is unfortunate that neither of the observers of the Charlie Lake bird were aware of the existence of the Asian subspecies “perdix” of Marbled Murrelet which would eventually be split into Long-billed Murrelet. Photos of that bird were not possible, but the observers took note of the bird as it was of interest. The Sheringham Point bird was immediately recognized as a different looking Murrelet. It is unfortunate that obtaining good pictures of rare or interesting birds while sea watching is extremely difficult; however, by digi-scoping, two pictures of the bird were obtained on June 10, 2007 (Toochin 2012). The bird was observed sitting on the water on its own, and in the loose company of two Marbled Murrelets. Direct comparisons of the Long-billed Murrelet and Marbled Murrelets were possible. The Long-billed Murrelet was clearly larger in size and longer in bill length compared with the Marbled Murrelets. The bird was first spotted by Louis Haviland as it flew in to feed in front of the Sheringham Lighthouse. The bird had a light, blotchy breast in flight and had light under wings when it flapped its wings. While watching the bird, the observers were immediately struck by its plumage. The many different field marks observed helped rule out a Marbled Murrelet. The bird’s head was long and the bill elongated in shape. The crown and back of the head were dark, giving the white throat a clean demarcated line that ran along the bill base under the eye, and just past the area below the eye before running down the neck to the chest, highlighting the white throat which gave the bird the look of a Scripp’s Murrelet. There were no white markings running up the neck like on Marbled Murrelet. There was a definite dark mottled band that ran across the chest from the bottom of this band seen in flight and when the bird raised up to flap while sitting in the water, had a white lower breast, belly and flank but with black mottled feathers. There was a large long white scapular bar that ran horizontal to the body. There was also a very large white flank patch that, with the folded wings, gave the back area of this bird a huge white patch. The bird was mostly alone but a couple of times swam by a pair of Marbled Murrelets in alternate plumage. It was clearly larger body sized, longer billed and thicker necked and more robust in shape. The Long-billed Murrelet appeared on the rising high tide and sat in a rip-line to feed. As the tide got higher, the bird came very close to shore and was studied at length. This is when photographs were obtained. When the bird lifted itself out of the water to flap, the under wings looked pale, not glowing white. The light underwing coloration of the Long-billed Murrelet was different from the dark underwings of the Marbled Murrelet. The wings of our bird also looked heavier and wider in shape. The vent of the bird was white. There were two white eye arcs located above and below the birds’ eyes, though these are barely visible in the photographs of the bird on the water. Over the next two weeks the bird did appear a couple of times but was by no means predictable when it would appear. A few people saw it but the bird proved elusive for others. 

In recent years there are now a couple of more records for the Province. The third record for British Columbia was an adult in winter plumage found by Peter Hamel and Margo Hearne and was observed at close range from the Skidegate-Sandspit Ferry, on Haida Gwaii, on September 3, 2013 (P. Hamel Pers. Comm.). The fourth record for British Columbia was of an adult winter plumage also found by Peter Hamel and was observed 10 NM offshore on the east side of Hecate Strait, SSW of Seal Rocks on September 1, 2013 (P. Hamel Pers. Comm.). It seems highly likely that the Long-billed Murrelet will occur again in British Columbia in the future. It is could occur anywhere in the Province but interior observers should pay particular close attention to any Murrelet that they might encounter.

I want to thank Barbara McKee for editing the manuscript. I also want to thank Peter Hamel and Margo Hearne for giving me details on their recent Long-billed Murrelet observations. I also want to thank Louis Haviland for helping me conduct the extensive sea watches off Sheringham Lighthouse between the years 2006-2009.  All photographs are used with permission and are copyright protected.

 

American Ornithologists’ Union. 1997.Forty-first Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Checklist of North American Birds. Auk 114: 542-552.

 

Brazil, M. 2009. Birds of East Asia: China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia. Princeton Field Guides. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 528pp.

 

Campbell, R. W., Dawe, N. K., McTaggart-Cowan, I., Cooper, J. M., Kaiser, G. W., and McNall, M. C. E. 1990. The Birds of British Columbia, Volume 2 (Nonpasserines: Diurnal Birds of Prey through Woodpeckers). Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, B.C. 636 pp.

 

Campbell, R. W., Dawe, N. K.,  McTaggart-Cowan, I., Cooper, J. M., Kaiser, G. W., McNall, M. C. E., Smith, G. E. J., and Stewart, A. C. 2001. The Birds of British Columbia, Volume 4: Passerines: Wood-Warblers through Old World Sparrows. Royal B.C. Museum, Victoria, and University of B.C. Press, Vancouver. 741pp.

 

Chesser, R. T., Banks, R. C., Barker, F. K., Cicero, C., Dunn, J. L., Kratter, A. W. L,  Lovette, I. J., Rasmussen, P. C., Remsen, J. V., Rising, J. D., Stotz, D. F., and Winker, K. 2012. Fifty-third Supplement to the American Ornithologists Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 129: 573-588.

 

Dunn, J. L., and Alderfer, J. 2008. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America. National Geographic Society, Washington D.C. 447pp. 

 

Dunn, J. L., and Alderfer, J. 2011. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington D.C. 574pp.

 

Gaston, A. J. 1998. Bird Families of the World: The Auks Alcidae.  Oxford University Press, New York. 349 pp.

 

Godfrey, W. E. 1986. The Birds of Canada, revised edition. National Museum of Canada, Ottawa, ON. 595 pp.

 

Hamilton, R. A., Patten, M .A., and R. A. Erickson. 2007. Rare Birds of California: A work of the California rare bird record committee. Western Field Ornithologists, Camarillo, California. 605pp.

 

Harrison, P. 1983. Seabirds and identification guide. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston

 

Lethaby, N. 2000. The identification of Long-billed Murrelet in Alternate Plumage. Birding 32: 438-444.

 

Mlodinow, S. 1997. The Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix) in North America. Birding 29: 460-475.

 

Mullarney, K., and Zetterstrom, D. 2009. Birds of Europe. 2nd Edition. Princeton University Press, New Jersey. 448pp.

 

OFO. 2011. Oregon Field Ornithologists - Records Committee. Accepted Records through to April 2012. [Online resource] Retrieved from http://www. oregonbirds.org/index.html. [Accessed: 10 December 2012].

 

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 545pp.

 

Sibley, D. A. 2003. The Sibley field guide to birds of Western North America. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 273pp.

 

Toochin, R. 2012. Rare birds of the Juan de Fuca Strait checklist area (British Columbia). Revised edition. [Online resource] Retrieved from       http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/documents/BirdsRareJuandeFucaXZA.pdf [Accessed: 10 December, 2012].

 

Toochin, R., J. Fenneman and P. Levesque. 2013. British Columbia rare bird records: July 1, 2013: 2nd Edition. [Online resource] Retrieved from  http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/documents/BCRareBirdListJuly2013XZB.pdf [Accessed: 14 December, 2013].

 

Toochin, R. and Cecile, D. 2023.   British Columbia Rare Bird List: Casual and Accidental Records: July 1, 2023: 8th Edition. In Press

Wahl, T. R., Tweit, B., and Mlodinow, S. 2005. Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, Oregon. 436pp.

 

West, G. C. 2008. A Birder’s Guide to Alaska. American Birding Association, Colorado Springs, CO. 586 pp.

 

WBRC. 2011. Washington Bird Records Committee – Summary of Decisions-Accepted Records to August 2011. Washington Ornithological Society, Seattle, WA. [Online resource] Retrieved from http://www.wos.org/wbrcsummaries.html. [Accessed: 10 December 2012].