The marbled murrelet feeds on fish such as sandlace and herring but feeds on invertebrates during winter (2). They forage singly, in pairs or in feeding flocks of a mix of different species (3). In California, breeding occurs from mid-March to early September, but the season is shorter further north (2). The nest is built on large branches in high elevation forests or on the ground on some islands. Incubation of the yellowish spotted eggs takes around 30 days and the young chicks fledge after a further 28 days (3).