How we found Haida Gwaii’s first marbled murrelet nest in more than 30 years

By Sonya Pastran, PhD Candidate
The University of British Columbia
August 18, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

My PhD research aims to better understand the connections between the marine and terrestrial environments that marbled murrelets depend on. …This summer, we discovered the first marbled murrelet nest recorded on Haida Gwaii in more than 30 years — the second one ever confirmed on the island. …Unlike almost every other seabird, marbled murrelets don’t nest on cliffs or rocky islands. Instead, each spring they leave the ocean behind and fly inland (sometimes more than 80 kilometres) to ancient forests where they each lay a single egg on broad, moss-covered branches high in the canopy. …Facing pressures in both the marine and terrestrial environments, the marbled murrelet is listed as threatened under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. …During the day, we search for trees with the characteristics the birds are known to prefer. …Long before sunrise, we hike back, aiming to arrive at least an hour before dawn and wait.

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