VU
Scripps's Murrelet Synthliboramphus scrippsi



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note
Synthliboramphus hypoleucus and S. scrippsi (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) were previously lumped as S. hypoleucus following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - B2ab(iv,v)

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2020 Vulnerable B2ab(iv,v)
2018 Vulnerable B2ab(iv,v)
2016 Vulnerable B2ab(iv,v)
2014 Vulnerable B2ab(iv,v)
2012 Not Recognised
2008 Not Recognised
2004 Not Recognised
2000 Not Recognised
1994 Not Recognised
1988 Not Recognised
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass 167 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 217,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 1,440,000 km2 medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident) 62 km2 medium
Number of locations 6-10 -
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 10000-19999 mature individuals medium estimated 2015
Population trend decreasing poor inferred 2008-2024
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 10-19% - - -
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 10-19% - - -
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 10-19% - - -
Generation length 5.18 years - - -
Number of subpopulations 1 - - -
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation 100% - - -

Population justification: Birt et al. (2012) estimate the total number of breeding pairs to be in excess of 6,500, which equated to 13,000 mature individuals. Partners in Flight (2019) estimate the population at 15,000, hence it is placed here in the band for 10,000-19,999 mature individuals, assumed to equate to 15,000-30,000 individuals in total.

Trend justification: A number of colonies have been extirpated by introduced predators, particularly throughout the islands of western Baja California however, many of the extirpated colonies have reestablished and recovered in recent decades following the control and removal of invasive predators (Bedolla-Guzmán et al. 2019). Alien invasive species continue to threaten some colonies however the eradication of cats and other invasive predators on many breeding islands since the mid-1990s has reversed numerous such trends, generating population increases, as noted at Anacapa Island, California (4.45 increase in nesting 2011-2014 [Whitworth and Carter 2017, Bedolla-Guzmán et al. 2019]), likely at San Miguel Island (2004-2015 [Whitworth and Carter 2018]) and on a number of islands off the coast of western Baja California (Islas Coronado, Todos Santos, San Martín and San Benito [Whitworth et al. 2020]). A number of other threatening processes are however on-going; the combined effects of which are suspected to be inducing an overall moderate decline in this species's global population. 


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Canada extant vagrant yes
Mexico extant native yes yes
USA extant native yes yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Mexico Bahía Todos Santos

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands major breeding
Marine Neritic Pelagic major resident
Marine Oceanic Epipelagic (0-200m) suitable resident
Altitude 0 - 100 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Biological resource use Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Species disturbance, Species mortality, Other
Climate change & severe weather Habitat shifting & alteration Timing Scope Severity Impact
Future Whole (>90%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Human intrusions & disturbance Work & other activities Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species disturbance, Reduced reproductive success
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Rattus rattus Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Problematic native species/diseases - Peromyscus maniculatus Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Problematic native species/diseases - Tyto alba Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Species mortality
Pollution Excess energy - Light pollution Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species disturbance, Reduced reproductive success, Other
Pollution Industrial & military effluents - Oil spills Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Species mortality
Pollution Industrial & military effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded Timing Scope Severity Impact
Past, Unlikely to Return Unknown Unknown Past Impact
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Scripps's Murrelet Synthliboramphus scrippsi. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/scrippss-murrelet-synthliboramphus-scrippsi on 24/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 24/12/2024.