Marbled Murrelet Monitoring

The marbled murrelet a small seabird that nests in large conifer trees is a federally threatened species covered by the washington state department of natural resources dnr s trust lands habitat conservation plan hcp.

Marbled murrelet monitoring.

Humboldt redwood company marbled murrelet inland monitoring annual report 2014 page i project summary project title. Ing marbled murrelet populations has not yet been achieved throughout the nwfp area. Fish and wildlife service and other state federal and private researchers to participate in a program to estimate marbled murrelet population size. 1999 developed an approach for marbled murrelet effectiveness monitoring under the plan that recommended assessing population trends at sea under a unified sampling design and standardized survey methods.

Marbled murrelets nest as solitary pairs at low densities almost exclusively in old growth forests typically within 30 km of the ocean. A wdfw biologist examines a marbled murrelet for a diet research project teresa lorenz u s. Marbled murrelet 5 year review pdf 880 kb evaluation report for the marbled murrelet 5 year status review pdf 7 mb regional population monitoring of the marbled murrelet. Mapping baseline nesting habitat at the start of the nwfp and estimating changes in that.

Dnr has operated under an interim murrelet conservation strategy since the approval of its hcp by the us fish and wildlife service usfws in 1997. Field and analytical methods pdf 1 6 mb 10 year report for the northwest forest plan. Marbled murrelet inland monitoring subject area. It spends the majority of its time on the ocean roosting and feeding but comes inland up to 70 miles 113 kilometers to nest in forest stands with old growth forest characteristics.

We are actively involved in the nwfp s marbled murrelet monitoring team assessing the species status and habitat requirements. Ods used to assess the status and trend of the marbled murrelet in the portion of its range covered by the plan. March 1999 end date. The marbled murrelet is a small robin sized diving seabird that feeds primarily on fish and invertebrates in near shore marine waters.

Another objective of the effectiveness monitoring plan for the marbled murrelet includes. Murrelets lay one egg per year only setting them atop large moss covered branches high in the forest canopy within 55 miles of saltwater. Habitat conservation plan hcp monitoring date initiated. At sea marbled murrelet population monitoring since 2000 wdfw has joined usda forest service pacific northwest research station u s.

Sal chinnici forest science manager hrc mark freitas wildlife biologist hrc. We have focused our research on inland and offshore monitoring methods and habitat relationships. The marbled murrelet is a small fast flying seabird that only comes on land to lay eggs and rear its young spending the rest of its life at sea.