Kittlitz’s murrelet

bird

Also known as: Brachyramphus brevirostris

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June 30, 2026

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Kittlitz's murrelet is a type of murrelet, which is a small diving bird belonging to the auk family. These birds are approximately 20 cm (8 inches) long with thin bills and plain plumage in the winter. Kittlitz's murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostre) is characterized by buff spots and can be found ranging from Japan and Kamchatka to Alaska. The species is named after Baron Friedrich von Kittlitz, a German officer, ornithologist, and traveler. In some murrelet species, the young leave the nest for the sea when they are only two days old.12

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murrelet
…far south as California, and Kittlitz’s murrelet, (B. brevirostris), which reaches Japan. Most southerly is Xantus’s murrelet (Endomychura hypoleucus), which nests on the hot coast of Baja California and (like some gulls of the region) travels north in winter.
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…far south as California, and Kittlitz’s murrelet, (B. brevirostris), which reaches Japan. Most southerly is Xantus’s murrelet (Endomychura hypoleucus), which nests on the hot coast of Baja California and (like some gulls of the region) travels north in winter.
Read More