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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Uria lomvia
Thick-billed Murre

 
Scientific Name: Uria lomvia (Linnaeus, 1758)
English Name: Thick-billed Murre
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Classification Level: Species
Species Group: Vertebrate Animal
Species Code: B-TBMU
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Animalia Craniata Aves Charadriiformes Alcidae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G5 (Apr 2016)
Provincial Status: S1B,SUN (Mar 2015)
BC List: Red
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada: 4 - Secure (2005)
Migratory Bird Convention Act: Y
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description:
Global Reproduction Comments: Egg dates vary with location and ice conditions (mean laying date in mid-June in western Gulf of Alaska). Both sexes incubate 1 egg for 25-40 days (mode about 32-34). Young is fed at the nest by both sexes for 16-35 days (average 23), then goes to sea, tended by adult (frequently the male) for a few weeks. First breeds usually at an age of 3-6 years (Gaston et al. 1994). At Coats Island, Northwest Territories, reproductive success increased with age to at least nine years (Gaston et al. 1994).
Global Ecology Comments: Annual adult survival was estimated at 91% in northeastern Canada (Hudson 1985), 86-90% at Coats Island, Northwest Territories; the latter population was subject to heavy hunting in the wintering area; survival rate of young from departure to age three years was estimated at 52% (Gaston et al. 1994).
Migration Characteristics:
(Global / Provincial)		 
    Nonmigrant:
    Local Migrant:
    Distant Migrant:
    Within Borders Migrant: 		Y /
Y /
Y /
na /
Global Migration Comments: Birds from eastern North America arctic migrate to Newfoundland either directly or via western Greenland; birds from European arctic move southwest toward western Greenland. Arrives on breeding grounds in Greenland in April (low arctic) - May or June (high arctic), departs mid-August to early September (Evans 1984). See Brown (1985) and Johnsgard (1987) for more information on migration and breeding areas of specific wintering populations.
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence) 		Ocean / Marine Island / Facultative - frequent use
Ocean / Sheltered Waters - Marine / Facultative - frequent use
Ocean / Subtidal Marine / Facultative - frequent use
Rock/Sparsely Vegetated Rock / Cliff / Obligate
Global Habitat Comments: Nonbreeding: mostly pelagic, less frequently along rocky coasts (AOU 1983). Tends to occupy deeper waters and areas farther offshore than does common murre (Johnsgard 1987).

Nests on narrow ledges or, less often, in crevices and caves, on steep sea cliffs and offshore islands (Harris and Birkhead 1985); generally more abundant on islands than on mainland coasts (Johnsgard 1987). Usually uses same nest site in successive yrs.
Food Habits: Invertivore: Adult, Immature
Piscivore: Adult, Immature
Global Food Habits Comments: Dives underwater from surface, feeds on fishes (average about 10 cm, often benthic species) and crustaceans, to lesser extent polychaetes and molluscs. Chicks are fed mainly fishes, also invertebrates. Forages up to 175 km from colony in some areas. Dives up to 210 m, but usually 40 m or less (Croll et al. 1992).
Global Phenology: Circadian: Adult, Immature
Global Phenology Comments: Foraging dives are mainly nocturnal (Croll et al. 1992).
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Colonial Breeder: Y
Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): 46/ / 964
Elevation (m) (min / max): Global: 
Provincial: 
   
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Global Range Comment: BREEDS: islands, coasts in Arctic of North America and Eurasia. In North America south to Aleutian and Kodiak islands, Hudson Bay, and Gulf of St. Lawrence. WINTERS: Newfoundland waters comprise the most important wintering area in the western Atlantic. In North America south to southeastern Alaska and southern New England (AOU 1983).
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author: Hammerson, G.
Last Updated: Apr 19, 1996
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
   
References and Related Literature
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
Birkhead, T. R., and D. N. Nettleship. 1995. Arctic fox influence on a seabird community in Labrador: a natural experiment. Wilson Bulletin 107:397-412.
Birkhead, T. R., and M. P. Harris. 1985. Ecological adaptations for breeding in the Atlantic Alcidae. Pages 205-231 in Nettleship, D. N., and T. R. Birkhead, eds. The Atlantic Alcidae. Academic Press, N.Y.
Birt-Friesen, V. L., et al. 1992. Genetic structure of thick-billed murre (URIA LOMVIA) populations examined using direct sequence analysis of amplified DNA. Evolution 46:267-272.
Bradstreet, M. S. W., and R. G. B. Brown. 1985. Feeding ecology of the Atlantic Alcidae. Pages 263-318 in Nettleship, D. N., and T. R. Birkhead, eds. The Atlantic Alcidae. Academic Press, N.Y.
Brown, R. G. B. 1985. The Atlantic Alcidae at sea. Pages 383-426 in Nettleship, D. N., and T. R. Birkhead, eds. The Atlantic Alcidae. Academic Press, N.Y.
Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, et al. 1990b. The Birds of British Columbia Vol. 2: Nonpasserines: Diurnal Birds of Prey through Woodpeckers. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC.
Croll, D. A., et al. 1992. Foraging behavior and physiological adaptation for diving in thick-billed murres. Ecology 73:344-356.
Evans, P. G. H. 1984a. The seabirds of Greenland: their status and conservation. Pages 49-84 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
Evans, P. G. H. 1984b. Status and conservation of seabirds in northwest Europe (excluding Norways and the USSR). Pages 293-321 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
Evans, P. G. H., and D. N. Nettleship. 1985. Conservation of the Atlantic Alcidae. Pages 427-488 in Nettleship, D. N., and T. R. Birkhead, eds. The Atlantic Alcidae. Academic Press, N.Y.
Gaston, A. J., and D. N. Nettleship. 1981. Thick-billed murres of Prince Leopold Island. Canadian Wildlife Serv., Ottawa. 350 pp.
Gaston, A. J., et al. 1994. Population parameters of thick-billed murres at Coats Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Condor 96:935-948.
Godfrey, W.E. 1966. The birds of Canada. National Museums of Canada. Ottawa. 428 pp.
Golovkin, A. N. 1984. Seabirds nesting in the USSR: the status and protection of populations. Pages 473-486 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
Harris, M. P., and T. R. Birkhead. 1985. Breeding ecology of the Atlantic Alcidae. Pages 155-204 in Nettleship, D. N., and T. R. Birkhead, eds. The Atlantic Alcidae. Academic Press, N.Y.
Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
Hatch, S. A., and M. A. Hatch. 1989. Attendance patterns of murres at breeding sites: implications for monitoring. J. Wildl. Manage. 53:483-493.
Hatch, S. A., and M. A. Hatch. 1990. Breeding seasons of oceanic birds in a subarctic colony. Can. J. Zool. 68:1664-1679.
Hudson, P. J. 1985. Population parameters for the Atlantic Alcidae. Pages 233-261 in Nettleship, D. N., and T. R. Birkhead, eds. The Atlantic Alcidae. Academic Press, N.Y.
Hyslop, C., and J. Kennedy, editors. 1992. Bird trends: a report on results of national ornithological surveys in Canada. Number 2, Autumn 1992. Migratory Birds Conservation Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, Ontario. 20 pp.
Johnsgard, P. A. 1987. Diving birds of North America. Univ. Nebraska Press, Lincoln. xii + 292 pp.
Johnson, S. R. and D. R. Herter. 1989. The Birds of the Beaufort Sea. BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. 372 pp.
King, W. B. 1984. Incidental mortality of seabirds in gillnets in the North Pacific. Pages 709-715 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
Lensink, C. J. 1984. The status and conservation of seabirds in Alaska. Pages 13-27 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Publ. No. 2.
Nettleship, D. N., and P. G. H. Evans. 1985. Distribution and status of the Atlantic Alcidae. Pages 53-154 in Nettleship, D. N., and T. R. Birkhead, eds. The Atlantic Alcidae. Academic Press, New York.
Nettleship, D. N., and T. R. Birkhead, editors. 1985. The Atlantic Alcidae. The evolution, distribution and biology of the auks inhabiting the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent water areas. Academic Press, N.Y. 547 pp.
Sealy, S. G., editor. 1990. Auks at sea. Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Studies in Avian Biology No. 14. vi + 180 pp.
Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1996. Species Summary: Uria lomvia. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Apr 28, 2026).