Common Murre Colony

The nesting colony of Common Murres off the north Mendocino headlands has continued to increase over the past few years and now appears to exceed 1,000 birds. Around 200 Brandt’s Cormorants also nest there, and a smaller number of Pelagic Cormorants nest on the cliffs, while Western Gulls nest on the grassy areas. It’s quite a spectacle from May through July, with a combination of sight, sound, and smell that only a seabird colony can produce. Recently, the Murres have begun to “fledge” chicks – their young are forced off the cliffs before they can fly, falling and tumbling down the rocks into the sea. Once afloat, they are the responsibility of the adult males, who will feed them for the next three weeks or so, until the young birds are feathered and can dive on their own. On calm days in August, we often see and hear the young and adult males calling to each other across the water. Meanwhile, the adult females get together in large flocks and start moving around; on certain days, one can often see hundreds of them flying around just offshore.

Common Murre with chick