Common name:

Common Murre

Latin name:

Uria aalge

Family:

Alcidae

Length:

18"

Wing span:

26"

Weight:

2.2 lbs (990 g)

Habitat:

Open ocean; nests on sea cliffs

Notes:

Penguin-like appearance, uses wings to dive under water for cod and herring.

Extremely sensitive to oil spills as murres spend most of the non-breedding season at sea. Major oil spills along central California coast have had significant impact on their populations. See: Luckenbach spill

Links:

Murre restoration project with live video

Returning home video on Devils Slide Common Murre restoration project

University of Michigan: Common Murre

Birds in Focus

List of species treated