In recent decades, the number of Marbled Murrelets, a seabird of the
Pacific coast, has declined.
Scientists in Canada and the US have
analyzed the chemical composition of Murrelet feathers – some from birds
carefully preserved since 1894 by the Burke Museum in Seattle.
The
analysis shows that the diet of the Murrelets has changed dramatically
in the last 40 years, to smaller and smaller prey items, which take
longer to find.
This means that adult Murrelets are away from their
nests longer, leaving the young birds unprotected.
Find out more here.