In British Columbia, schools of … A unique and threatened seabird. A shortage of rich food may in part be why each year 50 to 90 percent of marbled murrelets in central California don't breed. Marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) are small seabirds that nest in old-growth forests and feed in the Pacific Ocean.Murrelets need large areas of coastal and near coastal old-growth forest for nesting. What do they eat?M arbled Murrelets feed mostly on fish up to 8 or 9 cm in length and on shrimp-like crustaceans such as euphausids and mysids. As more research and monitoring are conducted, more management options may be implemented by park staff and conservation partners. They avoid fragmented and partially developed forest landscapes, and are declining rapidly in Washington and listed as a state Endangered species. Marbled Murrelets are frequently seen in pairs in all seasons,suggesting that they mate for life. This species also breeds in Asia. In the Pacific Northwest, now known to nest high in trees in old-growth forest several miles inland from coast. The close association of the marbled murrelet and old growth coastal forests and the science and conservation work done make the murrelets truly an iconic bird in Redwood National and State Parks. Figure 1. In the winter they are black with white underparts and in the summer they are brown with mottled white and brown on their throat, chest and abdomen. Distribution of the Marbled Murrelet in North America. Range & Habitat. Marbled murrelets are small seabirds that weighs about 200 grams. See text for details. Although it is fairly common off the northern Pacific Coast, its nesting behavior was essentially unknown until the 1970s. Eating at a lower trophic level could be costly for murrelets. It takes a hearty diet for females to lay their single huge egg every year, since it amounts to one-quarter of their body weight. Marbled Murrelets have been recorded in small numbers during the winter south of the distribution shown. Individuals have also been recorded at inland breeding sites during the winter north through southeastern Alaska. They are found in Asia, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. A strange, mysterious little seabird.