Dawlish News
Long-billed Murrelet spotted off Dawlish Beach
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The small seabird, normally found in the North Pacific, was spotted earlier today just off Boat Cove. A local birdwatcher said that he had been observing it for several hours. It spent most of its time swimming out to sea, occasionally coming inland to feed.
The Murrelet is a breed of bird that has experienced a decline in numbers over the recent years. The birds are found from Kamchatka (Russia) to the Sea of Okhotsk (Japan). The Long-billed Murrelet does tend to wander more than its closest relative the Marbled Murrelet.
The Long-billed Murrelet has been found in Europe in the past. A drowned first-winter individual was discovered in a fishing net at Zollikon, Lake Zurich, Switzerland in December 1997.
