Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
ALCIDAE Members: Long-billed Murrelet 317
General Comments
This species was long considered a subspecies of the Marbled Murrelet; however, the American Ornithologists' Union split out the Long-billed as a valid species in 1998. The thought of a relatively scarce North Pacific alcid, which nests only on the western (Siberian) side of the ocean, occurring in the eastern United States would seem absurd. However, there are records for many such states, and remarkably there are three records for North Carolina. The first record is arguably the most stunning inland record for any bird species in the state; at that time, the Long-billed was still considered a subspecies of Marbled Murrelet. (The Marbled Murrelet is not known to migrate eastward, and it tends to stick closely to the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada.)
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
SA
Global Rank
G4
Coastal Plain
Accidental visitor. Two records: one in basic plumage seen in the surf at Fort Macon SP on 15 Dec 2002* (Chat 67:68); and one found moribund on the beach in Emerald Isle (Carteret), 29 Apr 2011*, and later delivered to the NC Museum of Natural Sciences (Chat 75:131), (Chat 76:2). Several photographs of this last record (specimen) are posted on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery.
Piedmont
Accidental visitor. The single record is of one in basic plumage seen by many birders at Jordan Lake from 9-11 Dec 1994* (Chat 60:27-28).
Mountain
No records.
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