- Synthliboramphus hypoleucus
Identification
Length 9.75 inches (25 cm), wingspan 15 inches (38 cm). Distinguished from two other murrelets in range, Craveri's and Marbled, by white wing linings, shorter bill and less black on face than Craveri's, longer bill and more solidly black upperparts than Marbled.
Distribution
Nests on six of the Channel Islands (Santa Barbara, San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, Santa Catalina, and San Clemente) in southern California, USA, and on Los Coronados, Guadalupe, and San Benito islands off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. Outside of the breeding season, it ranges along the continental shelf from Baja California north, frequently to northern California and more rarely to British Columbia.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies, which are generally separable in the field. Nominate southern subspecies has white crescent in front of and above eye. Northern subspecies (S. h. scrippsi) has much smaller white eye arcs. Some taxonomists consider the northern form a separate species, Scripps's Murrelet (S. scrippsi).
Habitat
Nests on arid, rocky islands; otherwise pelagic in warm waters. Rarely seen from shore.
Behaviour
External Links
With a populations estimated to total only 5,600 birds and a very small breeding range, Xantus's Murrelet is considered to be at high risk of extinction on several bird conservation lists:
BirdLife International: Vulnerable - http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3311&m=0
Audubon WatchList 2007: Red - http://web1.audubon.org/science/species/watchlist/profile.php?speciesCode=xanmur
American Bird Conservancy WatchList 2007: Red - http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/science/watchlist/xantus_murrelet.html
U.S. Endangered Species Act: Candidate - http://ecos.fws.gov/species_profile/servlet/gov.doi.species_profile.servlets.SpeciesProfile?spcode=B098
