Common Name
Xantus's Murrelet

Scientific Name
Synthliboramphus hypoleucus

Conservation Status
After feral cats were removed from Santa Barbara Island in 1978, numbers of this species increased from zero in 1939 to approximately 1,500 in 1992. Programs are underway at many of the current or former nesting islands to remove feral cats and other introduced predators and to educate island residents about the importance of predator-free islands for the survival of these and other colonial nesting seabirds.

Habitat
Nests on steep sea-slopes, canyons and cliffs with a sparse cover of herbaceous and shrubby plants on Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands.

Natural History
As a member of the auk family that usually favors norhtern waters, the Xantus's Murrelet is found mostly off Baja and southern California in pairs or faimily groups, but not flocks. It nests on offshore islands and is rarely seen from the mainland.

Additional Information
Please visit audubon.org for more information on Xantus's Murrelet.