Coastal Resource Information System

Alcids

Species of the Alcid family inhabit the nearshore and offshore zones of coastal British Columbia year round. Most species that occur in BC also breed here. Depending on the species, breeding takes place from near the shore to many kilometers inland. Of all the birds, alcids, in particular, the Common Murre and Cassin’s Auklet (Burger 1992) are the most vulnerable to oil on the water because they spend virtually all of their time on marine waters; particularly offshore (King and Sanger 1979). Mortality from fouling of plumage may be as high as 100% of those contacted. Although nesting occurs above the splash zone, some young Alcids walk to the water before flying and are, therefore, extremely vulnerable to any oil that has been washed ashore. Of all the seabirds in BC, the Common Murre suffers most heavily from oil pollution.

Disturbance caused by cleanup operations during the nesting period may expose eggs and young of some species to predation by Gulls or overheating. Outside the breeding season, Alcids are not likely to be vulnerable to oil cleanup activities because they can move to other area.

Alcid species present in Coastal BC:

• Ancient Murrelet
• Cassin's Auklet
• Common Murre
• Marbled Murrelet
• Pigeon Guillemot
• Rhinoceros Auklet
• Tufted Puffin

Detailed species reports from the British Columbia Species and Ecosystem Explorer are available by following the above links.

BC Alcid species are also breifly described below in exerpts from: The Birds of British Columbia, Vol. 2, Nonpasserines: Diurnal Birds of Prey through Woodpeckers by R. Wayne Campbell, Neil K. Dawe, Ian McTaggart-Cowan, John M. Cooper, Gary W. Kaiser and Michael C.E. McNall.

Common Murre

The Common Murre is widely distributed along the inner and outer coastal areas of British Columbia. Its distribution in the offshore (pelagic) zone is unknown, but it may be the most abundant seabird throughout much of the year. It is not known to occur inland or on coastal lakes. The Common Murre prefers protected marine waters off straits, inlets, bays and channels, especially in areas of upwelling and mixing. It congregates in certain favorite regions such as Pacific Herring spawning areas in the Strait of Georgia in the spring, and feeding grounds around the Gulf Islands, near Tofino and Queen Charlotte Sound in autumn. It breeds locally on the outer coast of Barkely Sound on southwestern Vancouver Island, north to Kerouard Islands on the southern tip of Queen Charlotte Islands. (Photo credit: Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Province of British Columbia).

Marbled Murrelet

The most widely distributed Alcid in the province, the Marbled Murrelet occurs on marine waters all along the coast, usually within 2 km of land, as well as on many coastal lakes. It inhabits protected coastal waters throughout the year such as bays, inlets, fjords, lagoons, harbours, coves, as well as exposed coastal waters. Tidal rips through narrow passages, shelves at the mouths of inlets and shallow banks are important foraging sites. The largest concentrations have been reported from Skookumchuck Narrows and near Cortes Island in the spring and winter and from Sechelt in winter only. In summer Sealy and Carter (1984) found a large concentration off Flores Island. (Photo credit: Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Province of British Columbia).

Ancient Murrelet

The Ancient Murrelet occurs primarily along the coast of the province. It generally avoids protected coastal waters such as inlets and fjords unless a storm forces them there. They are primarily plankton feeders, they forage in areas of upwelling and mixing, such as narrows, channels and other areas with strong eddies and tidal streams. They breed mainly on the Queen Charlotte Islands. Their nests are farther inland than any other colonial Alcid in the province. Much of their nesting habitat is within stands of Western Hemlock, Western Redcedar and Sitka Spruce.

Cassin’s Auklet

This seabird occurs along most of the outer coast with only scattered records on inner coastal waters of the Strait of Georgia. They forage in offshore waters more frequently than other Alcids and are rarely seen close to shore. They breed along the West Coast of Vancouver Island from Sea Bird Rocks to Scott Islands, near the entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound, throughout the Queen Charlotte Islands, and locally on the central northern mainland coast. About 80% of the world’s breeding population are found in British Columbia. The Scott Group of Islands with over 800,000 breeding pairs supports 68% of the total BC population. (Photo credit: Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Province of British Columbia.)

Rhinoceros Auklet

The Rhinoceros Auklet is widely distributed along the inner and outer coastal areas of BC. They prefer open marine waters, but are regularly seen at the mouths of bays and inlets and at the outer limits of estuaries. Only rarely does it occur in inlets, fjords or estuaries. Their favorite foraging and staging areas include channels, banks and other areas of upwelling. They occasionally drift on logs and other floating debris are also used as roosting sites. (Photo credit: Moira Lemon, Canadian Wildlife Service.)

Tufted Pufin

The Tufted Pufin is widely distributed along the coast. They prefer outer coastal waters, but each year individuals are found scattered in the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca. They visit bays and harbours infrequently. The Tufted Pufin breeds from Mandarte Island north along the western coast of Vancouver Island, and locally on the central mainland coast and throughout much of the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Pigeon Guillemot

The Pigeon Guillemont is widely distributed all along the coastal areas of the province. It inhabits the neashore zone, especially along stretches of rocky coastline. It is neither a deep diver nor a species of the open ocean. They are regularly found in bays, inlets, channels, surge narrows, coves and harbours but generally avoids brackish areas. Although present all along the coast throughout the year, the Pigeon Guillemont is mostly reported from April through September when it can be locally numerous. It breeds throughout coastal BC from Sooke north to Langara and Dundas Islands. It has been seen on most islands, cliffs and headlands and probably breeds wherever suitable nesting substrates exist. It is the most conspicuous breeding seabird in the province. (Photo credit: Rob Butler, Canada Wildlife Service)