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Common Murre

If you thought this bird was a penguin, look again! While the common murre’s dark body, white belly, slender beak, and upright posture may make them appear like a penguin from afar, it is actually more closely related to the Atlantic puffin.  

 

Common murres are largely circumpolar, found around the North Pole, although some populations range as far south as central California. They are about 38-43 centimeters (15-17 inches) tall and have a wingspan of 64-71 centimeters (25-27 inches). While they may be playfully called the “penguin of the North”, these seabirds can fly, although they are better known for their ability to dive and navigate under the water. While they have been recorded diving to depths of 167 meters (550 feet), they most frequently dive up to 30 meters (100 feet) below the surface, as they can only hold their breath for about a minute.  

The common murre nests in a large colony on rocky offshore islands. Much like their puffin cousins, murres are known to pair with the same partner for life. They breed and nest on steep cliffsides, laying their bright blue, pear-shaped eggs looking out over the ocean horizon atop bare substrate. When chicks are ready to leave the nest, they jump down from the cliff, fluttering down 244-457 meters (800-1,500 feet) to the sea below. The father will accompany the young murre out to sea and aid it until it can fly independently. Their diets primarily consist of small fish, such as small cod, capelin, and herring, but they will also eat shrimp, marine worms, and squid. 

 

 

The common murre is threatened by overfishing of some of their primary prey, like capelin, unregulated hunting, oil pollution and changes in sea surface temperatures. Despite these threats, however, its population remains large, and these birds are currently listed as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. 

 

 

Although common murre’s are not currently endangered, addressing their primary threats benefits both these birds and the wider ecosystem they are part of. Oceana’s science-driven campaigns are working to protect our oceans and combat the climate crisis that threatens so many species, including the common murre. 

 

 

 

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