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ABSTRACT-MarbledMurrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) nest predominantly in the canopies of large old-growth conifers, and are listed as Threatened in Canada and 3 US states mainly as a consequence of reductions in this habitat due to logging. We assessed the re-use of nest sites (nest trees) by murrelets in British Columbia using 3 types of data: 1) evidence of return of adults to the same nest site; 2)evidence of multiple nests within the same tree; and 3) re-checking known nest trees in subsequent seasons for evidence of re-use. All 3 methods showed evidence of re-use ofnest trees in different years, but there were marked regional differences in the degree of re-use.Re-use of nest trees was most frequent in regions with extensive loss of nesting habitat due to logging (Southern Mainland Coast and East Vancouver Island), and rare in a less disturbed region (West Vancouver Island). Overall, 26 of 143(18%)nest trees climbed showed evidence of multiple nesting in separate seasons.Management of nesting habitat should incorporate these results by providing greater protection of habitat in regions where habitat is sparse, and by minimizing predation risk where murrelets more frequently re-use nest sites. Since re-use of nest sites is infrequent, managers should aim to provide murrelets with multiple choices for nest sites, such as maintaining large tracts of old- growth forest with many large trees containing potential nest platforms. Key words:Marbled Murrelet, Bruchuramphus marmoraius, nest re-use, British Columbia, conservation, habitat selection Most species of the family Alcidae (auks or ofold-growth conifers (Nelson 1997). Suchhighly alcids), in common with many other seabirds, dispersed nesting habitat, along with cryptic exhibit high nest site fidelity, with individuals breeding plumage and secretive visits to nest returning to the same burrows or cliff-ledges sites in twilight hours, has probably evolved to used in previous breeding seasons (Gaston and reduce predation at nest sites. Predation of Jones 1998). As in most seabirds, the majority of adults, eggs, and chicks at nest sites has been alcid species are colonial and nest on islands, widely documented and is the most common cliffsor other sites relatively free of predators. In cause of nest failure (Nelson and Hamer 1995; contrast, Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus mar- Nelson 1997; Burger 2002;Piatt and others 2006). moratus) are non-colonial,typicallynesting in low Marbled Murrelets typically nest in a simple densities with widely dispersed nests; most nests depression (about 10 cm dia: 0.5-8 cm deep) in south of Alaska are located high in the canopies the moss on a large canopy limb or deformity, but sometimes on large limbs or deformities with no epiphyte cover (Nelson 1997). Evidence of nesting includes flattened and brown moss, eggshell fragments, chick down, and in recently occupied nests, chick excreta which often forms ment and conservation policy. The data available a conspicuous white fecal ring bordering the are sparse and geographically clumped, but since nest cup. there is so little published information on this Although there is evidence of some re-use of topic from anywhere in the species' range and nest sites by murrelets (Singer and others 1995; there is currently very little effort aimed at Nelson 1997; Hebert and Golightly 2006, 2007), discovering and monitoring nest sites, it is worth the frequency and geographic variation of this summarizing what is known, taking into account behavior is not well known. Such information is the small samples. Our results will be valuable important for 3 reasons: first, it helps to under- for refining management policies in the US too, stand the biology of the species, including the where murrelets use similar nesting habitats and selection pressures under which its nesting have experienced significant changes in the behavior evolved; second, as murre lets increas- extent and configuration of nesting habitat (Ralph ingly nest in highly fragmented and dwindling and others 1995; McShane and others 2004; Piatt old-growth forests it is important to understand and others 2006). the flexibility and limitations of their habitat use, and their response to these anthropogenic chang- METHODS es; third, this information is important in formu- Of the 6 Marbled Murrelet conservation lating management and conservation policy. regions recognized in British Columbia (see Repeated occupancy of forest stands by murrelets map in CMMRT 2003), most research and nest from year to year is well documented (Divoky searches have been concentrated on the southern and Horton 1995; Nelson 1997; Burger 2002), but coast. Consequently, data were available from 3 it is not known if pairs return to the same stand in regions: the Southern Mainland Coast (SMC); each year. Most. occupied stands contain large East Vancouver Island (EVI); and in the western numbers of potential nest platforms (Burger portion (WVI) of the West and North Vancouver 2002) and hence re-use of a stand does not imply Island region. We collated published and unpub- re-use of the same tree or nest site. lished information on the re-use of nest sites, Information on nest site re-use is urgently focusing on the re-use of nest trees (that is, trees needed to help formulate management policies in known to contain a nest), but also considered the British Columbia. The Species at Risk Act (SARA; re-use of nest cups at the finest spatial scale and http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/) enacted by the re-use of nest stands at a coarser level. There were federal Canadian government in 2003 enables 3 types of data available. protection of the "residence" of a listed species, such as the Marbled Murrelet. SARA defines a Observations of Birds at Nest Trees or Nest Stands residence as: "a dwelling-place, such as a den, This information came from the extensive nest or other similar area or place, that is radio-telemetry studies undertaken by Simon occupied or habitually occupied by one or more Fraser University (SFU) in 2 locations: Desola- individuals during all or part of their life cycles, tion Sound (UTM: Zone 10U, 381000E, including breeding, rearing, staging, wintering, 5549000N, NAD 83) on the Sunshine Coast feeding or hibernating". A key aspect in allocat- (SMC region), and Clayoquot Sound (UTM: ing and protecting residences is the extent to Zone 9U, 715000E, 5465000N, NAD 83) on which the species returns to re-use the residence southwestern Vancouver Island, in the WVI sites, such as murrelet nest trees. Government region (for example, Bradley and Cooke 2001; agencies and the lumber industry therefore need Bradley and others 2004; McFarlane Tranquilla to know the extent and geographical variation of and others 2003). Additional information came nest site re-use in British Columbia. In the most from Manley'S (1999) study of murrelet nesting obvious application, forest managers need to in the Bunster Range (UTM: Zone 10U, 384000E, know whether to protect known nest sites for use 5545000N, NAD 83) on the Sunshine Coast, in subsequent breeding seasons. where visual observations combined with ex- In this paper we collate and review information tensive tree-climbing provided some informa- on nest site re-use by Marbled Murrelets in 3 tion on murrelets returning to known nest sites. regions in British Columbia and recommend Jones (2001) provided observations at 2 nests on implementation of this information in manage- the nearby Caren Range (UTM: Zone 10U, 436000E,5496000N,NAD 83) on the Sunshine from the ground and it was not deemed Coast. necessary to climb the tree and the second was visited by both ground observers and a tree Evidence from Tree Climbing of Multiple Nesting in climber (US Forest Service study; TDB and a Single Tree MGR, unpubl. data). Tree-climbing by specialist climbers has been RESULTS extensively used in British Columbia to search for nests or confirm the location of nests Re-use of Nest Stands based on Radio-telemetry identified from ground survey (visual) or During the 3-y radio-tracking study at Deso- telemetry methods (for example, Manley 1999; lation Sound, only 1 bird was tracked in Bradley 2002;Conroy and others 2002).We also multiple years (1999and 2001).Two nests used used unpublished information which the au- by this bird were found in separate trees located thors had collected over the past 18 y while within 200 m of each other (Simon Fraser researching murrelets in southern British Co- University: DBL and MS, unpubl. data). In the lumbia. In situations where the climbers sys- same study, Bradley (2000)documented the re- tematically searched the canopy for evidence of use of the same forest stand by a radio-tagged nests, we extracted information on the number male murrelet which re-nested later in the same of trees that contained more than 1 nest, either season after a failed 1st attempt, but he was on the same or on different limbs. Tree climbers unable to confirm whether the bird used the checking the canopy for nests visually scanned same tree within the stand. every likely limb. In some cases recent nesting activity was"clearly evident (for example, clear Re-use of the same Nest Cup or Limb nest depression; feces deposited by chick; fresh eggshell or egg membrane fragments, or chick In the Bunster Range (SMC),Manley (1999) down), but many nests were also identified on used a combination of audio-visual watches and the basis of past nesting activity that might have tree-climbing to provide evidence of nest re-use occurred earlier in the season, or in past seasons between 1995 and 1997. Inter-annual re-use of (for example, clear nest cup with dead or nest trees occurred at 12%(n = 8) and 11% (n = recovering epiphytes; old and discolored egg- 27) of nest trees in 1996and 1997,respectively.

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