#synthliboramphus hypoleucus

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Guadalupe Murrelet

Photo: Tom Benson

"This small seabird nests on islands off the west coast of Baja, and rarely wanders north into California waters. It was formerly combined with Scripps's Murrelet under the name Xantus's Murrelet. These two are very similar in appearance as well as in habits, but the Guadalupe Murrelet has more white extending up onto the face, around the eye."

- Audubon Field Guide

[keyonsketches]

guadalupe murrelet (synthliboramphus hypoleucus) also known as Xantus's murrelet - by Keyon aka Kirsten Dennis gouache on mixed media paper

Avian August 2023 day 22

[birdstudies]

January 22, 2021 - Guadalupe Murrelet (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus)

Breeding on islands off the coast of Baja California, these murrelets spend the rest of their time at sea. They were previously grouped with Scripps’s Murrelet as a single species, known as Xantus’s Murrelet. Foraging alone or in pairs, they eat small fish and crustaceans, diving after their prey and chasing it underwater. They nest in crevices in cliffs or among boulders, where both parents incubate the clutches of two eggs. Currently considered Endangered by the IUCN, they face threats from invasive species, oil spills, climate change, and possibly entanglement in fishing nets, though recent efforts by conservationists have reduced invasive predators on their breeding islands.