Thick-billed Murre - 2/17/2026

     Earlier in this still somewhat new year, I was seeing alcids, mostly razorbills, from the beach and inlets.  I even had a few dovekie sightings, including nice views of one at Manasquan inlet.  But pretty much since the beginning of February I have not seen any alcids.  The only thing more disappointing than a winter beach day without seeing an alcid is a day seeing a dead one.  

Yesterday was such that case.  On a short afternoon walk at Island Beach State Park, I noticed an obviously deceased sea bird near the dune line.  As I approached, it became apparent that it was an alcid.  When I came upon it and saw its head, I knew it was a murre.  The noticeable creamy colored gape line on its bill and the lack of dark streaks on its flanks had me saying to myself that it was a thick-billed murre (TBMU).  Of course I took some photographs which I sent to some friends.  Within minutes they all responded back, unanimously, it was a TBMU.
Deceased thick-billed murre, 2/17/2026.  © S. Weiss

Left, thick-billed murre (TBMU).  Right, common murre (COMU) from April 2023.   © S. Weiss
Helpful field marks to separate the two birds:  the whitish gap line on the TBMU which the COMU lacks; the black line running from the COMU's eye to its nape which the TBMU lacks, and the black streaks on the COMU's flanks which the TBMU also lacks (I checked).

Dovekie, 2/13/2026.  © S. Weiss

Technically, a dead bird is not countable in the sometimes-unethical world of birding.  However, I still try to document my findings for the sake of science.  I added it to my eBird check list with a zero entered in the number box and included a photo.  I also uploaded the sighting to iNaturalist.  This is not how I wanted to spot my (unofficial) first TBMU of the year, but it does show that it and others have been in the area.  This is prime time for them and other alcids, so where have they gone?  I was talking with my friend Jason last night and we had a few thoughts on that rhetorical question.  

My thought, based my experience with alcid movements, is that the recent bitter cold pushed them further out to deeper and warmer water.  Jason, more knowledgeable than me, more succinctly said that they moved south to warmer water.  He told me that recent pelagic trips out of Hatteras, NC have recorded ridiculous numbers of alcids.  A check of the latest trip reports from there (https://ebird.org/tripreport/478114), shows they had epic numbers of birds: thousands of razorbills and dovekies, hundreds of Atlantic puffins, dozens of murres, and even two great skuas.  If you have ever considered taking a pelagic trip from there, Brian, owner and captain, is by far the best.

There is still time to find some alcids from the beach.  The past few years there have been razorbills and common murres into April.  As we inch closer to March and April the inshore water temperatures will slowly rise and if we are fortunate, just enough to bring those black-and-white winter birds much closer.  Eventually, all those birds down in North Carolina now will have to head back this way, hopefully right along our shores.

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