Thick-billed Murre - Trophic Linkages

Trophic Linkages

The nominate race feeds primarily on fish such as Gadus spp. and Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), as well as the pelagic amphipod Parathemisto libellula. Other fish such as capelin (Mallotus villosus) and Myoxocephalus spp., as well as other crustaceans, polychaetes, and a few molluscs, are found in their diet but in relatively low numbers. When wintering near Newfoundland, capelin can account for over 90 percent of their diet.

Thick-billed Murres have few natural predators because the immense number of concentrated birds found on the breeding colonies and the inaccessibility of these breeding sites make it extremely difficult for them to be preyed upon. Their main predator is the Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus), and these feed exclusively on eggs and chicks. The Common Raven (Corvus corax) may also try to obtain eggs and hatchlings when they are left unattended.