In winter plumage, the crisp black head, white neck patch, and gray back are striking, and when combined with a pale bill this species is readily distinguished from small alcids in Oregon.

Wing-propelled divers, they are nonbreeding visitors to Oregon's offshore waters. They are the only seabirds whose young are reared entirely at sea.

The Ancient murrelet is an uncommon to common fall migrant and winter visitant in shelf waters near shore; rare to uncommon in spring; absent to rare in summer.

Hear the call of the Ancient murrelet

Photo by Patty Mcgann, Flickr