DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF KITTLITZS-MURRELETS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA

Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) is a rare seabird fou nd mostly in coastal waters of Alaska. Little is known about its distr ibution and abundance. We conducted population surveys for seabirds in three areas within its range: lower Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound, and southeastern Alaska. In summer, Kittlitz's Murrelets were distrib uted near tidewater glaciers or recently deglaciated regions of Prince William Sound and southeastern Alaska. In Prince William Sound they a lso occurred in low densities away from glaciers. Kittlitz's Murrelets were found in low densities throughout lower Cook Inlet, where there are no tidewater glaciers. We observed Kiitlitz's Murrelets in low den sities in Prince William Sound in winter, but not in eastern lower Coo k Inlet. We estimated abundances +/-95% confidence intervals as: 3,353 +/- 1,718 in lower Cook Inlet during summer; 3,368 +/- 4,073 in Princ e William Sound during summer; and 5,408 +/- 7,039 in southeastern Ala ska during summer. The combined estimate for the three areas during su mmer was 12,130 +/- 8,312. In winter we estimated 410 +/- 744 Kittlitz 's Murrelets were in Prince William Sound. We compare distribution and abundance with historical observations of Kittlitz's Murrelets.