Vocalizations of the Kittlitz's Murrelet
Van Pelt TI, Piatt JF, van Vliet GB. 1999. Vocalizations of the Kittlitz's Murrelet. The Condor. 101(2):395-398
We present the first documentation of Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) vocalizations, based on recordings made in Glacier Bay, Alaska, in 1994. We identified two apparently related types of calls: groan and quack. The Kittlitz's Murrelet calls were markedly different from the most common calls of the congeneric Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), but shared characteristics with the Marbled Murrelet's less common "groan" call. Phylogeny, breeding biology, habitat characteristics may explain relationships between the congeneric vocalizations. More complete knowledge of the Kittlitz's Murrelet vocal repertoire is needed before vocalizations can be either used or discarded in the design of effective programs to monitor this rare poorly-known species.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Van Pelt, Thomas; Piatt, John; van Vliet, Gustaaf
- Units
- GLBA , KLGO , SEAN , SITK
- Keywords
- Alcidae, Brachyramphus brevirostris, calls, Communication, Kittlitz's Murrelet