[EBB Sightings] MURRE UPDATE

Jay Holcomb, the Executive Director of International Bird Rescue
Research Center, has written that they have no clear reason yet the for
high numbers of dead and dying murres reported recently.   Those they've
received at the Center have been first year birds which appear to be
starving.  Right now they are leaning toward the supposition that this
was a successful breeding year which produced high numbers of young and
consequently, a higher and more visible die off of first year birds.
Die off of young birds is a normal occurrence with up to 80% of them not
surviving.  There is as yet no evidence of any other cause.

Sylvia Sykora