The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking public input on a periodic status review for the marbled murrelet, which includes a recommendation to keep the bird on the state endangered species list.
The public comment period is open now through Sept. 28, F&W stated in a news release.
The draft periodic status review for the marbled murrelet is available on WDFW’s website at wdfw.wa.gov.
The marbled murrelet is a small seabird that nests in old-growth forests and forages in marine waters along the Pacific Coast. The species was listed as threatened in Washington in 1993 and reclassified as endangered in 2016. The 2023 population estimate was around just 4,400 birds.
While federal and state regulations have helped protect nesting areas, the species still hasn’t met F&W’s recovery goals.