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Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus use of a freshwater lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, 2018–2023.
Citation
HENDERSON, D.S & SEALY, S.G. 2024. Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus use of a freshwater lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, 2018–2023.. Marine Ornithology 52: 97 - 104
Received 26 July 2023, accepted 16 November 2023
Date Published: 2024/04/15
Date Online: 2024/03/31
Key words: annual cycle, Brachyramphus marmoratus, breeding status, freshwater resources, group size, Marbled Murrelet, Sproat Lake
Abstract
Marbled Murrelets Brachyramphus marmoratus are small seabirds widely distributed in nearshore waters on the west coast of North America, from Alaska to central California. A 1986 review of anecdotal records revealed that Marbled Murrelets use coastal freshwater lakes during the breeding season, possibly to forage, and in winter, possibly while prospecting for nest sites in old-growth forest. Our weekly surveys and observations on Sproat Lake (central Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada) from November 2018 to March 2023, confirmed year-round use by murrelets, with absences during the prealternate molt (beginning mid-March) and the prebasic molt (August and September), when the birds were probably at sea. Putative pairs predominated in all months, which suggests mated adults; single murrelets were recorded infrequently when pairs would have been separated during incubation. Murrelets were not observed holding prey, and fledglings were not recorded on the lake. The emerging importance of freshwater lakes and their watersheds as an aspect of Marbled Murrelet life history requires further research, particularly in light of this species' possible sensitivity to human recreational and other disturbances when using lakes. Identification of recurring use of freshwater lakes, such as Sproat Lake, by Marbled Murrelets could inform conservation actions directed toward potential nesting habitat in nearby old-growth forests.
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