The common murre (Uria aalge) makes its nest on cliff ledges that are
so small that there is usually room for only one egg and one incubating parent,
if the parent stands upright. The egg is very long and very pear shaped, so
that when bumped, it rolls in a tight semicircle rather than falling off the
ledge.
When the baby is half grown, it will jump from the ledge, which may be 30 to 50 feet above the water, and follow its parents to wintering waters, often a journey of hundreds of miles. The murres of the Pacific Coast are generally safe from human intrusion but oil spills pose a threat to whole colonies.
Copyright © 1999 Chintimini Wildlife Rehabilitation Center