Marbled Murrelets

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For almost two hundred years, the Marbled Murrelet was one of North America’s most mysterious birds. Though western scientists first described this charming little seabird (likened to a “plump robin”) in 1790, no one was able to find the bird’s nest until 1974! Scientists put people on the moon before they finally tracked down the nest of this secretive bird. 

How did the murrelet elude researchers for so long? 

Unlike other seabirds who nest in dense colonies on islands or sea cliffs, the Marbled Murrelet nests deep in the old-growth rainforest, hiding its nest high in the mossy branches of ancient trees like towering Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce, or western redcedar. The tree needs to be big enough, with enormous branches, in order for it to acquire enough epiphytic moss to provide a deep cushion for its egg. Like weathered sailors, Marbled Murrelets spend most of their time at sea, only coming onto land when it’s time to lay their single egg. They can travel a distance of up to 80 km inland from their ocean home, looking for the perfect tree. 

Since these birds only approach their nests after nightfall, for decades, scientists were unable to detect them when they left their ocean foraging grounds. Finally, the case was solved in 1974 when a tree trimmer climbing an old-growth Douglas-fir found himself staring into the eyes of a baby Marbled Murrelet, some 148 feet (45 metres) above the ground! Though the mystery of where the Marbled Murrelet nested was finally cracked, the more significant issue of saving them from extinction still needs to be solved. For every old-growth tree that falls, we lose another piece of critical nesting habitat for these endangered birds.   

Due to old-growth logging across their range, Marbled Murrelet numbers have been declining since the mid-19th century. In Canada, they have been considered threatened since 2003 and are classified as globally endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. 

If you’re lucky enough to be camping out in an old-growth forest before sunrise, you may hear the high-pitched “keer” of these little birds as they leave their nests heading out to sea. 

To learn more about the Marbled Murrelet and its future in BC, read this article from Focus on Victoria.

Moss

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Like a botanical Clark Kent, these unassuming plants are hiding superhero qualities. Not only does moss have the ability to absorb liquids up to 20 times their weight, but they also act as insulation for soil and tree roots – either keeping it cool or warming it up. They help to colonize areas affected by deforestation and wildfires, and in extreme temperatures, they can go dormant in order to survive. 

 

Mosses date back 450 million years, with up to 25,000 known species. They are found on every continent, even the frigid wastes of Antarctica! They are non-flowering plants, and instead of roots, they have rhizoids, which are like tiny hairs that fix the moss to surfaces such as soil, tree bark, or rock.

 

On the BC coast, Bigleaf Maples – like the ones found in Mossome Grove and Mossy Maple Grove – can harbour enormous amounts of moss on their branches due to their calcium-rich bark, which is one of five minerals needed for moss to grow. This relationship is symbiotic, as the maples deploy aerial roots to access nutrients in the soils that develop under these moss mats.

 

Another important function of moss is as a Marbled Murrelet’s nest. Marbled Murrelets are a species of seabird found in coastal BC. They don’t build conventional nests, rather, they find a wide branch with thick moss high in an old-growth forest to lay their egg. Because only giant old-growth trees have branches large enough to support the huge cushions of moss that murrelets require for nesting, murrelets are dependent on the vanishing old-growth forests for their survival.

 

Next time you’re walking in an old-growth forest, remember that you’re walking among superheroes.

 

Thank you to our recent business supporters

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We’re thankful to the following businesses who have graciously supported the AFA and the old-growth campaign:

Seaflora Skincare for their monthly support and for donating 3% of total online sales from April to May

Flow Motion Aerials and C. Brindle Consulting Group Ltd. for their generous donations to the AFA

Stillwater Nature Spa for choosing to donate 1% of their year-end profits to the AFA

Don’t Blow It! for donating $1 to the AFA from each vintage style Tofino hat sold

Thank you all for your outstanding efforts to help conserve endangered old-growth forests in BC!