46 



Birds — Our Li\'ini^ Rt'sdurces 



6 — 

 5 — 

 4 

 3 



2 - 

 1 



Common murre 

 (100,000's) 



15- 



Cassm's auklet 

 (10.000's) 



Pigeon guillemot 



(1,000s) 



ND 



ND 



35 

 30 

 25 

 20 

 15 



Xantus' murrelet 



(100's) 



75-80 89-91 79 88 78-82 91 

 CA OR WA 



Year 



75-80 89-91 79 88 78-82 91 



CA OR WA 



Year 



Fig. 3. Status and irLMids of breed- 

 ing populations ol several alcids ui 

 California, Oregon, and 

 Washington. Data lor marhled 

 munelets and historical nesting hy 

 ancient murrelels are not included. 

 ND — no data available; — no 

 coastal nesting. Sources: CA 

 (Huntetal. 1979; Sowls et al. 

 1980; Caner et al. 1992); OR 

 (Varoujean and Pitman 1979; R.W. 

 Lowe, unpublished data); and WA 

 (Speich and Wahl 1989; U.W. 

 Wilson, unpublished data). Also 

 see Carter et al. (in press) for dou- 

 ble-crested cormorant. 



ihati liistoiicul levels because of loss of nesting 

 hiibital. which continues to be threatened 

 (Carter et al. 1992: R. Jurek. California 

 Department of Fish and Game, personal com- 

 munication). Low numbers (< 100 breeding 

 birds) of arctic terns {S. pamdisaea) have nest- 

 ed in coastal Washington in the past but not now 

 (Speich and Wahl 1989). .Small numbers (< 100 

 breeding birds) of gull-billed and royal terns (5. 

 nllotica and S. maxima) recently colonized the 

 southern California coast, although gull-billed 

 terns have nested inland at the Salton Sea for a 

 few decades. The status of black terns 

 (Chlidoiiias iilger) is not known. 



Alcids (Alcidae) 



Pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columha) popu- 

 lations have remained stable overall (Fig. 3). but 

 major tluctuations have occurred in response to 

 El Nino events at the South Farallon Islands and 

 on the Oregon coast (Hodder and Graybill 

 1985; Ainley and Boekelheide 1990). A signifi- 

 cant population and new nesting areas have 

 been found recently in southern California, 

 although higher numbers retlect both better sur- 

 vey techniques and population increases (Carter 

 et al. 1992). Ancient murrelets 

 (Syiuhlihoramphus anuquus) nested on the 

 Washington coast in the early 1900"s but no 

 longer do (Speich and Wahl 1989). Cassin's 



auklets (Ftychoramphus dlciiticus) have 

 declined at the largest known colony in the 

 region at the South Farallon Islands, probably 

 because of high gull predation and loss of bur- 

 row-nesting habitat from soil erosion (Cailer et 

 al. 1992; W.J. Sydcman. unpublished data). 

 However, lower numbers also were found at 

 Prince Island in southern California where 

 numbers of nesting gulls are lower. Differences 

 in survey techniques probably account for part 

 of the lower numbers found recently, but other 

 data on soil conditions, densities of nesting 

 gulls, and gull predation suppon a decline at the 

 South Farallon Islands (W.J. Sydeman. unpub- 

 lished data). Hundreds also were killed in the 

 1984 Piierld RIcan and 1986 Apt:\ Houston oil 

 spills (Ford et al. 1987; Page et al. 1990). 



Rhinoceros auklets {Cerorliinca monocera- 

 ta) have increased throughout the region. 

 Largest numbers occur at Protection and 

 Destruction islands, but burrow occupancy has 

 fluctuated widely between years (Wilson and 

 Manuwal 1986; U.W. Wilson, unpublished 

 data). The South Farallon Islands were recolo- 

 nized after a 100-year absence in the early 

 1970"s (Ainley and Lewis 1974) and reached 

 saturation levels by the late 1980's (Carter et al. 

 1992: Ainley et al. 1994). Nesting has recently 

 extended to the Channel Islands (Carter et al. 

 1992). Thousands of rhinoceros auklets were 

 killed in the 1986 Apex Houston oil spill (Page 

 et al. 1990). 



The largest tufted puffin {Fnitercida cirrlia- 

 tci) populations occur along the west coast of the 

 Olympic Peninsula (Speich and Wahl 1989). but 

 their status there is not well known. In Puget 

 Sound, this species has declined substantially 

 (U.W. Wilson, unpublished data). At small 

 colonies in Oregon and California, their num- 

 bers appear stable (Carter et al. 1992: Fig. 3). 

 despite impacts due to El Nino at the South 

 Farallon Islands (Ainley and Boekelheide 1990; 

 Ainley et al. 1994). They have recently recolo- 

 nized southern California where they have not 

 nested since the early 1900"s (Carter et al. 

 1992). 



Common muiTcs {Uria cialge) are the domi- 

 nant member of the breeding seabird communi- 

 ty on the west coast but they have declined sub- 

 stantially in central California and Washington 

 (Figs. 3, 4) because of the combined effects of 

 high mortality from gill-net fishing and oil 

 spills plus poor reproduction during intense El 

 Nino events. In central California, large histori- 

 cal declines in the late 1800's and early 1900's 

 almost led to the extinction of this population 

 (Ainley and Lewis 1974). Population growth 

 occuned. however, between the 1950"s and the 

 1970"s. producing about 230.000 breeding birds 

 by 1980-82 (Takekawa et al. 1990). Over 

 70,000 murres were estimated to have been 



