Guadalupe Murrelet
A species of Ancient and Southern Murrelets Scientific name : Synthliboramphus hypoleucus Genus : Ancient and Southern Murrelets
Guadalupe Murrelet, A species of Ancient and Southern Murrelets
Botanical name: Synthliboramphus hypoleucus
Genus: Ancient and Southern Murrelets
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Don Roberson 
Description
This species is a small black and white auk with a small head and thin sharp bill. It resembles the closely related Scripps's and Craveri's murrelet, with which it shares the distinction of being the most southerly living of all the auk species. It breeds from Guadalupe Island south to the San Benito Islands. After the breeding season it disperses locally at sea northward up to southern California in the United States. 
Size
23 - 41 cm
Life Expectancy
10-15 years
Nest Placement
Cavity
Feeding Habits
Guadalupe Murrelet predominantly consumes fish and invertebrates, employing diving tactics to forage. With specialized hunting at dawn and dusk, this species exhibits unique adaptations for capturing prey in undersea environments.
Habitat
Guadalupe Murrelet predominantly inhabit marine environments, especially offshore and along sea coasts within warmer waters relative to most alcids. Their breeding grounds are typically found on islands, favoring steep sea cliffs, slopes, and canyons that offer secluded nesting areas. During the winter, these birds are primarily found well offshore, and although their exact wintering distribution is not fully understood due to identification challenges, there is an overlap with similar species.
Dite type
Piscivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
Guadalupe murrelet feeds far out at sea, often in association with large pelagic predatory fish like tuna, on larval fish like anchovies, sardines and Sebastes rockfish. Like all auks it is a wing-propelled diver, chasing down prey under the water with powerful wingbeats. There is some speculation that it may feed cooperatively in pairs, as it is almost always observed in pairs, even during the non-breeding season. It flies well, and can take off without taxiing. It nests in small crevices, caves and under dense bushes on arid islands in loose scattered colonies. It returns to the colony only at night, laying two eggs which are incubated for about a month. Like other synthliboramphine murrelets (e.g. the ancient murrelet) the chicks are highly precocial, leaving the nest within two days of hatching and running actively towards the sea, where the parents call to them. Once at sea the family swims to offshore waters. Little is known about the time at sea due to difficulties in studying them.
Species Status
By the end of the 20th century, the Xantus's murrelet complex was considered to be among the most endangered group of auk. This has changed since, but not because the present species' status has improved, but because other auks have become rarer. Guadalupe murrelet is mainly threatened by oil spills, as much of its population lives near the busy shipping lanes connecting Los Angeles to other ports. Because a large part of its small population nests in such a small area a single catastrophic oil spill could have far reaching implications. It is also threatened by introduced species such as rats and feral cats; this threat has been lessened lately by efforts to restore its habitat by removing introduced predators.
Photo By Don Roberson 
Scientific Classification
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