The Marbled Murrelet: Little Lord of British Columbia's Fiords

The Marbled Murrelet is a small auk that lives along the West Coast of North America from California to Alaska. It is a seabird related to the murre and puffin but unlike its larger relatives that breed in huge colonies on small offshore islands, it nests by itself on the mainland. These unusual habits made it one of the most obscure birds in North America until a nest was finally discovered in 1974. It had kept its nest site a secret longer than any other North American bird.

The discovery...