Birds of North America Home Page

Field Guide for all the Birds of North America


Murrelets

Guillemots

Alcidae

Information, images and range maps on over 1,000 birds of North America, including sub-species, vagrants, introduced birds and possibilities

There are six types or species of murrelets seen in the Pacific Ocean and their range is from the waters of Baja California coast to the north of the Bering Sea.

murrelets

These alcid members are the Ancient Murrelet, Craveri's Murrelet, Kittlitz's Murrelet, Long-billed Murrelet, Marbled Murrelet and the Xantus's Murrelet. Murrelets are more streamline in looks than the auklets and the different murrelet species body sizes are all quite similar.

Some species of murrelets nest in trees whereas other species of murrelets nest in burrows. Some murrelets can be found hundreds of miles out at sea while other species live within close range of the coast.

Click on the bird images or names to see the Murrelets seen in North America

References to Other Bird Sites:

Avibase - the world bird database This site provides the user with a complete list of bird species, broken down per country, or in the example of the US or Canada, per state and province. Here, bird species names are available in other languages, a great asset to be used as a translation of foreign bird names.

ABA - American Birding Association This site represents an organization that maintains official records of all birds species that have been proven to have been seen inside the perimeters of the North American Continent and the surrounding bodies of water. Regular revised versions are posted to keep the bird list current at all times. This is the list used by all serious birders over their lifetime. You may be aware of the movie called the "Big Year". It was with this list that all the competing birders used in an attempt to set a new record as to how many bird species that could be seen by an individual birder in one calendar year.

I hope you will take advantage of these suggested websites. I have used each of them, in one way or another, throughout the years in my quest to better identify and understand our fine feathered friends.


Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB