Alca Marmoleada
A simple vista
Rango e identificación
Mapa de migración y distribución
Descripción
The nest of this bird was discovered fairly recently. Most alcids use burrows or ledges on coastal cliffs, but Marbled Murrelets, burdened with fish, have been observed taking off from the sea at twilight and disappearing inland. Some weeks later feathered young appear, bobbing on the water. The first clues to their nesting habits were found in Siberia in 1963 by an ornithologist who reported a nest in a huge tree. In 1974 a nest was discovered in a Douglas fir in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, about 135 feet (41 meters) above the ground. It is now assumed that these birds nest high up in trees, sometimes several miles from the sea. On the water Marbled Murrelets move about in small groups; they dive for fish and other aquatic animals.