Auks, Murres, and Puffins — Family Alcidae
Common Murre Uria aalge
The Common Murre is an irregular winter visitor to the ocean off San Diego County, which represents the southern extreme of the species’ range—there are only a few records for northernmost Baja California. Because of its high sensitivity to changing oceanographic conditions like El Niño and ocean warming, the murre experiences wide swings in food availability and nesting success. These ever-changing factors affect how many birds end up in marginal habitat like the coast of San Diego County.
Winter: The Common Murre is usually uncommon off San Diego County and seldom seen from shore except at La Jolla (P7) during northwest winds. Some years bring larger influxes, however, like 1958 (140 on the San Diego Christmas bird count 21 December), 1976 (72 offshore between Point Loma and Imperial Beach 18 December, D. W. Povey), 1982 (60 off San Diego 9 January, G. McCaskie, AB 36:331, 1982), and 2002 (34 at La Jolla 18 December, B. L. Sullivan).
Migration: The Common Murre’s appearance and departure in San Diego County vary much from year to year as well. Eleven at La Jolla 10 October 2000 (P. A. Ginsburg, NAB 55:103, 2001) were exceptionally early. Few remain after early May, but after the influx of 1976–77, stragglers were noted as late as 6 July (one off Pacific Beach, Q7, D. W. Povey), after that of 2002–03, to 29 June (one at La Jolla, M. Sadowski). One in molt but with the primaries almost completely worn off, found at La Jolla 26 September 1998 (SDNHM 50139), had undoubtedly summered locally.
Conservation: In their turn, commercial egg collecting, oil spills, and gill netting have all taken their toll on the Common Murre in California (Ainley et al. 2002). The birds’ sensitivity to the variations of ocean temperature and fish abundance seen through the 20th century suggests that large-scale ocean warming would have a devastating effect. Even so, it is curious that the Common Murre was not known from San Diego County before 1942, when a specimen was collected at Cardiff (L7) 4 February (SDNHM 18950).
Taxonomy: The California Common Murre, U. a. californica (Bryant, 1861), inhabits the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia.
Pigeon Guillemot Cepphus columba
Though it breeds as close as the Channel Islands, the Pigeon Guillemot is only a rare vagrant to San Diego County. After fledging, most young birds migrate north, away from San Diego.
Migration: The first Pigeon Guillemots reported from San Diego County were two 50 miles off San Diego 1 September 1976 (R. L. Pitman, AB 31:223, 1977). From 1992 to 1996 the species was seen sporadically in spring at La Jolla (P7): one 14–17 May 1992 (D. W. Povey, AB 46:481, 1992; two 12–14 June 1992, T. Clawson, AB 46:1178, 1992; one 19 April–13 May 1994, S. Walens, NASFN 48:341, 1994; one 7 April–16 May 1995, S. Walens, NASFN 49:309, 1995; one 15 April 1996, S. Walens, NASFN 50:333, 1996). Juveniles were found dead on the beach at the Santa Margarita River mouth (G4) 25 June 2000 (B. Foster, SDNHM 50448) and within the Naval Amphibious Base on the Silver Strand (T9) 29 August 2003 (M. Sadowski, SDNHM 50801).
Taxonomy: The California subspecies of the Pigeon Guillemot, C. c. eureka Storer, 1950, differs from other subspecies in its longer bill.
Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus
The Marbled Murrelet is famed for its nesting habits unique for a seabird: it lays its egg on a bed of moss or debris in large trees in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest. It is not highly migratory, however, so it is only a rare vagrant to southern California. There are only three records from San Diego County.
Winter: One was photographed in the Mission Bay entrance channel (R7) 29 November 1979 and seen again 3 December. Two at the Imperial Beach pier (V10) 15 December 1979 were photographed the following day (AB 34:307, 1980). One was on the ocean just beyond the breakers at Coronado (T9) 15 December 2001 (D. W. Povey).
Conservation: The Marbled Murrelet’s dependence on old-growth forests prized for logging has put it in the center of political and economic controversy. The murrelet is listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and endangered by the California Department of Fish and Game.
Taxonomy: With the recognition as a distinct species of the Marbled Murrelet’s Asian counterpart, the Long-billed Murrelet (B. perdix), the Marbled Murrelet is left monotypic.
Kittlitz’s Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris
In the New World, Kittlitz’s Murrelet is almost confined to Alaska. The single record for San Diego County is the only one south of northwestern Washington.
Migration: A juvenile “alive but in weakened condition” was picked up on the beach north of La Jolla (O7) 16 August 1969 (Devillers 1972, SDNHM 37215). The bird’s being so far out its normal range no more than six weeks after fledging has raised the question whether its occurrence in San Diego was assisted by man. The specimen shows no sign of having been in captivity, however, and its wing feathers are fully grown.
Xantus’ Murrelet Synthliboramphus hypoleucus
Xantus’ Murrelet breeds currently only on the Channel Islands of southern California and Los Coronados Islands, Guadalupe Island, and San Benito Islands of Baja California. The total population is small, perhaps only 7000 birds, apportioned among two subspecies. Thus, even though the ocean off San Diego County is central to the species’ range, Xantus’ Murrelet is uncommon there. Only rarely is it seen from land.
Winter: Xantus’ Murrelets, like other seabirds, are occasionally driven close to shore at La Jolla (P7) by strong winds. Two were there 15 December 1999 (L. Polinsky); one was there 13 February 2001 (B. L. Sullivan).
Migration: Xantus’ Murrelet is most numerous off San Diego County during the species’ breeding season from March to July. Counts have ranged up to 30 between San Diego at Los Coronados Islands 17 March 1974 (G. McCaskie), but in recent years only one or two, if any, are typically seen in a day offshore. After breeding, some of the population migrates north, out of southern California. But the species occurs off San Diego year round.
Breeding distribution: Los Coronados Islands are home to about 750 Xantus’ Murrelets and therefore about 20% of the total population of subspecies scrippsi (Drost and Lewis 1995).
Conservation: Cats and rats introduced on the murrelet’s nesting islands are the greatest threat to the species; they have extirpated several former colonies (Everett and Anderson 1991).
Subspecies: Synthliboramphus h. scrippsi (Green and Arnold, 1939) nests through most of the species’ range and is the subspecies occurring most frequently off San Diego. It has the line between black and white on the face cutting nearly straight from the base of the bill back past the eye. Nominate S. h. hypoleucus (Xantus, 1860), however, occurs rarely in summer and fall, recorded from 3 July (1992, far off San Diego, P. Pyle, AB 46:1179, 1992) to 4 December (1996, two collected 43 miles west of Point Loma 4 December 1966 (SBCM 3887–8). Other specimens are one picked up alive at Imperial Beach (V10) 27 July 1993 (SDNHM 48493) and another at Mission Beach (R7) 29 July 1990 (SDNHM 46957). The latter is a recent fledgling with some down persisting on the head and neck. Nominate hypoleucus is distinguished by the white on the face extending up through the lores and curling over the top of the eye (Jehl and Bond 1975).
Craveri’s Murrelet Synthliboramphus craveri
Many of Baja California’s seabirds disperse north after breeding. Some, like the Brown Pelican, Elegant Tern, and Heermann’s Gull, become abundant along San Diego County’s coast. Craveri’s Murrelet, however, is rare, recorded only in late summer and early fall.
Migration: Craveri’s Murrelet has been noted off San Diego County from 11 July (1972, two off San Diego, AB 26:906, 1972) to 13 October (1971, two seen 12 miles off San Diego, Jehl 1973). The only report from shore is of one in the surf at Border Field State Park (W10) 11 August 1981 (R. E. Webster). Laurence M. Huey collected two 10 miles west of Point Loma 28 August 1925 (SDNHM 9938–9). One found alive on a boat in San Diego Bay 23 September 2003 (SDNHM 50824) could have come aboard far offshore, as murrelets confused by the lights often fly onto ships at night.
Conservation: Whether because decreased productivity of the ocean off southern California or because of problems on the nesting islands, numbers of Craveri’s Murrelets off San Diego County appear to have decreased since the 1980s. The maximum seen off San Diego per day was 30 on 9 September 1972, but since 1980 the only report of more than four was of 12 off San Diego 10 September 1983 (G. McCaskie, AB 38:247, 1984).
Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus
San Diego County is about the southern limit of the Ancient Murrelet’s usual winter range; there are only a few records from Baja California. Increased attention to La Jolla as a site for seabird watching has revealed the murrelet to be regular if uncommon. It remains within a few miles of the coast and does not spread over the open ocean. An incursion in December 1995 brought vastly greater numbers than recorded before or since.
Winter: La Jolla (P7) is the site where the Ancient Murrelet is seen most frequently in San Diego County. From 1997 to 2002 the highest counts there were of at least 20 flying south from 25 to 30 November 2001 (P. A. Ginsburg, G. McCaskie, S. Walens, NAB 56:106, 2002) and 10 on 21 December 2001 (J. C. Worley). The species is seen occasionally from shore elsewhere, as in the Oceanside harbor (H5; one on 22 December 1979, D. W. Povey), at Sea Cliff Park, Encinitas (K6; two flying south 11 December 2002, G. C. Hazard), and Coronado (T9; one on 24 November 1997, B. Foster, FN 52:126, 1998). There are a few records from the entrances to Mission (R7) and San Diego bays (S8; one on 26 November 1986, M. and D. Hastings, AB 41:145, 1987).
The influx of 1995, which affected the species’ entire North American winter range, yielded a count of 487 migrating south past La Jolla in 11.5 hours of watching from 14 to 18 December (S. Walens, NASFN 50:224, 1996).
Migration: The Ancient Murrelet occurs in San Diego County mainly from November to March but has been found as early as 1 August (1999, found ashore at Ocean Beach, R7, SDNHM 50312) and 28 August (1928, off Point Loma, S7, SDNHM 12163). Many of the murrelets seen at La Jolla in December are still migrating south. The latest date is 25 April (1904, picked up oiled at Pacific Beach, Q7, Bishop 1905). Most Ancient Murrelets reaching San Diego County are immature; of eight county specimens in the San Diego Natural History Museum, seven are immature, including the two collected in August.
Cassin’s Auklet Ptychoramphus aleuticus
Once the most frequently seen alcid on the ocean off San Diego, Cassin’s Auklet has been surpassed by the Rhinoceros Auklet. Cassin’s Auklet is among the seabirds most adversely affected by the decline in the biological productivity of the California Current through the late 20th century. The status of the colony at Los Coronados Islands near San Diego is tenuous: Jehl (1977) reported it extirpated, but Everett and Anderson (1991) found some active nests in 1989.
Winter: Cassin’s Auklet usually stays at least 5 miles from the coast of San Diego County but is seen occasionally from shore during strong winds. For example, two were at Torrey Pines State Reserve (N7) 7 December 1997 (D. K. Adams), two were at La Jolla (P7) 7 April 2001 (S. Walens).
Migration: Data specific to San Diego County are insufficient to define Cassin’s Auklet’s seasonal variation. Briggs et al. (1987) found California’s Cassin Auklet population concentrating around major nesting colonies in the breeding season, then shifting in large part off the continental shelf in the nonbreeding season, when the state receives a large influx of winter visitors.
Conservation: As a species feeding on plankton, Cassin’s Auklet is sensitive to variation in ocean productivity. Presumably as a result of the increase in ocean temperature and decrease in productivity since the 1970s, the population in California has declined considerably, by over 56% at the primary colony on Southeast Farallon Island off San Francisco (Pyle 2001). By the 1990s numbers seen on boat trips out of San Diego were consistently under those of the 1960s and 1970s (maximum 250 on 21 November 1970, AB 25:109, 1971).
Taxonomy: San Diego County lies within the range of the larger of the two subspecies of Cassin’s Auklet, nominate P. a. aleuticus (Pallas, 1811).
Parakeet Auklet Aethia psittacula
The Parakeet Auklet nests largely in Alaska; southern California is remote from its normal range. The single record for San Diego County is the southernmost along the coast of North America and the only one along the mainland coast south of Point Conception. The few other records from near the latitude of San Diego are from San Nicolas Island or still farther offshore.
Winter: Kenyon (1937) found three birds dead on the beach north of La Jolla (O7/P7) 28 January 1937. Two of these were “badly mutilated,” but he preserved the third (USNM 529104).
Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata
In contrast to California’s other alcids, whose numbers have declined, the Rhinoceros Auklet has increased and spread, at least as a breeding species. On the ocean off San Diego County, however, the Rhinoceros Auklet is primarily a winter visitor. The decrease of other alcids has left the Rhinoceros Auklet as the most frequently seen of its family off San Diego, where it is an uncommon to fairly common winter visitor.
Winter: Off southern California, Rhinoceros Auklets constitute up to 30% of the wintering seabirds but most remain seaward of the continental shelf (Briggs et al. 1987). They are regular if uncommon, however, within a few miles of land, and seen occasionally from shore during strong winds. Seventeen in La Jolla Cove (P7) 11 January 2003 (S. Walens) were exceptional. Consistent coverage by D. W. Povey of the ocean near Oceanside and San Diego during Christmas bird counts since the mid 1970s has yielded a maximum of eight on the Oceanside count, 22 December 1990.
Migration: On southern California’s continental shelf and slope, Briggs et al. (1987) found the Rhinoceros Auklet arriving in October or November, peaking from January to March, and departing in April and May. Stragglers remain rarely through the summer, such as one off San Diego 28 July 1982 (D. W. Povey, AB 36:1016, 1982), one in La Jolla Cove 28 August 2002 (M. Billings), and birds washed ashore at Ocean Beach (R7) 4 July 1970 (SDNHM 37588) and at Torrey Pines State Reserve (N7) 29 July 1973 (SDNHM 38514).
Conservation: The Rhinoceros Auklet was extirpated as a breeding species from California about 1865 (Grinnell and Miller 1944). Since the 1970s, it has recolonized several sites (McChesney et al. 1995), but the number reaching San Diego County as winter visitors has changed little with these variations. Most Rhinoceros Auklets reaching San Diego County probably come from far to the north.
Horned Puffin Fratercula corniculata
The Horned Puffin nests principally in Alaska and winters far out to sea. There are still only five records for San Diego County, none more recent than 1976.
Migration: In the second half of the 20th century, the Horned Puffin occurred along the west coast of the contiguous United States mainly in spring, with an unusual influx in 1975 and 1976 (Hoffman et al. 1975, Briggs et al. 1987). Records for the coast of San Diego County are of dead birds washed up 3 miles north of La Jolla (O7) 25 February 1933 (Huey 1933, SDNHM 16183), near La Jolla 28 September 1974 (SDNHM 38925), and at Del Mar (M7) 12 May 1976 (AB 30:891, 1976). Also, one was seen 19 miles southeast of San Clemente Island 1 June 1971 (AB 35:801, 1971), and seven were seen (one photographed) within 10 miles southeast of the south end of San Clemente Island 10 May 1975 (AB 29:909, 1975).
Tufted Puffin Fratercula cirrhata
Once nesting commonly on the Channel Islands, the Tufted Puffin was extirpated there in the early 1900s. Even though it has recolonized Prince Islet off San Miguel Island, it remains rare in southern California: Briggs et al. (1987) estimated one bird per 10 square kilometers far offshore. Two dead Tufted Puffins have washed ashore in San Diego County; otherwise, the nearest record is from the vicinity of San Clemente Island.
Migration: Tufted Puffins were picked up at Ocean Beach (R7) 10 September 1972 (SDNHM 38221) and 0.5 mile northwest of the Santa Margarita River mouth (G5) 12 July 2003 (N. Basinski, SDNHM 50799). The pelagic record nearest San Diego is of one seen near the south end of San Clemente Island 1 June 1971 (AB 25:801, 1971).