Biology

Built for swimming and diving, the crested murrelet has short wings that it must flap rapidly in order to stay airborne (4). It feeds on small fish and zooplankton just beneath the water surface (5). This auk species nests in pairs, small groups and even large colonies (2) scratching a shallow depression in the ground for egg-laying (5). The breeding season varies with location, but is usually between mid February and early May. The female lays two eggs, the second a week after the first, and these hatch after 34 days of incubation (5).