Uria aalge

(Pontoppidan, 1763)

Common Murre

G5Secure Found in 90 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Common Murre (Uria aalge). © Javier Alonso Almeida; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Javier Alonso Almeida; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Common Murre (Uria aalge). © Mason Maron; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Mason Maron; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Common Murre (Uria aalge). © Eamon Riordan-Short; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Eamon Riordan-Short; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Common Murre (Uria aalge). © Cameron Johnson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Cameron Johnson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Common Murre (Uria aalge). © Paul O'Toole; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Paul O'Toole; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Common Murre (Uria aalge). © Kieran Barlow; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Kieran Barlow; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Common Murre (Uria aalge). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100098
Element CodeABNNN02010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyAlcidae
GenusUria
Other Common Names
Arao Común (ES) common murre (EN) Guillemot marmette (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-10
Change Date1996-11-27
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: along coasts of North Pacific from Bering Strait south to northern Japan, eastern Korea, and central California; and North Atlantic from western Greenland, Iceland, Bear Island, and Novaya Zemlya south to Newfoundland and northern France. NON-BREEDING: at sea mainly in boreal waters (AOU 1983).
Threat Impact Comments
On islands off Labrador, colonizing arctic foxes eliminated breeding populations of common murres (Birkhead and Nettleship 1995). Population decline in Washington (Bayer et al. 1991) possibly has been due to the effects of increased sea surface temperatures, oil spills, gill-net mortality, and/or U.S. Navy practice bombing (see Wiulson 1991). As many as 100,000 died in spring 1993 in nearshore waters of southeastern Alaska; cause unknown, perhaps related to abnormally warm water temperatures (Pacific Seabird Group Bull., 1993). Thousands drown in gill nets off Newfoundland. Many killed in halibut fishery off central California (protective legislation enacted, King 1984).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Nonbreeding: pelagic and along rocky seacoasts (AOU 1983). Nests in the open or in crevices on broad and narrow cliff ledges, on stack (cliff) tops, and on flat, rocky, low-lying islands; less commonly nests under boulders or in caves; usually nests in same exact site in successive years (Harris and Birkhead 1985). Cliff-top nests in Washington had lower reproductive success than did crevice nests in vertical cliffs (Parrish 1995, Auk 112:390-401).

Ecology

In Newfoundland, median potential foraging range (from breeding colony) was 37.8 km for incubating birds, 5.4 km for chick-rearing birds (Cairns et al. 1987). However, in northwestern Alaska, telemetry data from incubating or chick-rearing birds indicated that they regularly foraged up to 100 km from their colonies (Hatch et al. 2000). Annual adult survivorship greater than 85%. Up to 3900/sq km reported in winter on Grand Banks off Newfoundland. In California, Western Gull sometimes is an important predator on eggs and chicks (Spear 1993). High density breeding may reduce vulnerability to predators (J. Anim. Ecol. 60:721).

Reproduction

Laying peaks in second half of June in southeastern Canada and in mid-June in western Gulf of Alaska. Mean laying date on the Farallon Islands, California, varies among years from early to late May (Sydeman and Eddy 1995, Condor 97:1048-1052). Both sexes, in turn, incubate 1 egg for 32-34 days (also reported as 28-35 days). May produce one or more replacement eggs if egg is lost during incubation. Young are fed at nest 18-25 days (also reported as 16-32 days) (average varies from about 19 to 23, affected by laying date, among other factors), then go to sea, tended by adult male for a few weeks. First breeds at about 3-5+ years. Breeding colonies may be large, with exceptionally high density; colony on Castle Rocks, California, had about 126,000 breeding birds in early 1980s (Spendelow and Patton 1988).
Terrestrial Habitats
Cliff
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
New HampshireSNAYes
OregonS5Yes
New JerseySNAYes
MaineSXB,S1NYes
WashingtonS4B,S5NYes
CaliforniaSNRB,SNRNYes
AlaskaS5Yes
MassachusettsS1NYes
CanadaN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS2B,S3NYes
LabradorS4BYes
Nova ScotiaS1BYes
Island of NewfoundlandS5BYes
New BrunswickS1BYes
QuebecS5BYes
Prince Edward IslandSNAYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
11.3 - Temperature extremesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

Roadless Areas (90)
Alaska (79)
AreaForestAcres
Bering LakeChugach National Forest965,076
Bering LakeChugach National Forest965,076
ChichagofTongass National Forest555,858
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Chugach-14Chugach National Forest184
Chugach-14Chugach National Forest184
Chugach-15Chugach National Forest56
Chugach-15Chugach National Forest56
Chugach-3Chugach National Forest27,386
Chugach-3Chugach National Forest27,386
Chugach-8Chugach National Forest21,559
Chugach-8Chugach National Forest21,559
ClevelandTongass National Forest189,447
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
EudoraTongass National Forest195,022
FanshawTongass National Forest48,248
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
GravinaTongass National Forest37,381
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Juneau UrbanTongass National Forest101,581
Juneau-Skagway IcefieldTongass National Forest1,187,268
Kashevarof IslandsTongass National Forest4,747
KekuTongass National Forest10,869
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
LindenbergTongass National Forest25,855
MadanTongass National Forest68,553
Mansfield PeninsulaTongass National Forest54,991
MontagueChugach National Forest204,875
MontagueChugach National Forest204,875
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
North ClevelandTongass National Forest105,288
North EtolinTongass National Forest40,993
North KupreanofTongass National Forest114,660
North RevillaTongass National Forest215,430
Outer IslandsTongass National Forest99,862
Port AlexanderTongass National Forest120,681
Prince William Sound Is.Chugach National Forest118,698
Prince William Sound Is.Chugach National Forest118,698
Prince William Sound Is.Chugach National Forest118,698
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Salmon BayTongass National Forest22,793
Sheridan GlacierChugach National Forest224,683
Sheridan GlacierChugach National Forest224,683
Sitka SoundTongass National Forest13,459
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
Soda BayTongass National Forest78,091
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
South KuiuTongass National Forest62,452
SpiresTongass National Forest533,746
Suemez IslandTongass National Forest19,903
SullivanTongass National Forest67,323
Taku-SnettishamTongass National Forest664,928
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Windham-Port HoughtonTongass National Forest161,952
WoewodskiTongass National Forest10,136
WoronkofskiTongass National Forest11,114
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blue Creek Rare ISix Rivers National Forest12,134
Oregon (10)
AreaForestAcres
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
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