Photo: MPF / CC BY 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Shorebirds

Long-billed Murrelet

Brachyramphus perdix

Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of the United Kingdom Birds of Japan Birds of the United States Birds of Alberta Birds of Ontario Birds of Quebec Birds of Yukon Territory Birds of England Birds of Devon

By family

Auks, Murres & Puffins of Canada Auks, Murres & Puffins of Japan Auks, Murres & Puffins of the United States Auks, Murres & Puffins of Yukon Territory

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The Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix) is a member of the Alcidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 220 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Alcidae Auks
Genus Brachyramphus
Species perdix

Where it lives

Coastal strip of temperate western North Pacific: Kamchatka, Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin (eastern Russia) and northern Hokkaido (northern Japan); nests up to 30 km inland

Europe & Northern Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 220 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Alcidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Endangered

Guadalupe Murrelet

Synthliboramphus hypoleucus

Near Threatened

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Long-billed Murrelet hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it swims and feeds in and around water.

Migration

The Long-billed Murrelet is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix) is a species of bird in the Alcidae family, part of the order Charadriiformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL coastal strip of temperate w North Pacific: Kamchatka, Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin (e Russia) and n Hokkaido (n Japan); nests up to 30 km inland.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 220 g, with a wing length of about 13.5 cm and a tail of around 3.2 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.1 million km².

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Long-billed Murrelet?

The Long-billed Murrelet is a large bird that weighs around 220 g.

Where does the Long-billed Murrelet live?

The Long-billed Murrelet is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL coastal strip of temperate w North Pacific: Kamchatka, Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin (e Russia) and n Hokkaido (n Japan); nests up to 30 km inland, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Long-billed Murrelet belong to?

The Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix) belongs to the Alcidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Long-billed Murrelet eat?

The Long-billed Murrelet hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Long-billed Murrelet migrate?

The Long-billed Murrelet is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Long-billed Murrelet endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

How large is the Long-billed Murrelet's range?

The Long-billed Murrelet has a mapped global range of about 1.1 million km².