POPULATION STATUS AND TRENDS OF THE

Evaluating the status of a species is a fundamental challenge in conservation, requiring knowledge of its distribution, population size and trend. Unfortunately, few species have been studied and monitored sufficiently over time to acquire this information, and this is especially true of species that are rare or uncommon. Ironically, it is these uncommon species for which we often have concerns regarding their conservation and status. For marine birds, surveys are often conducted at sea or at colonies to estimate distribution, abundance and the rate of change in populations. These approaches are useful in monitoring populations of the most common species, but do not capture solitary-nesting species, such as the Kittlitz’s Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris. This small seabird, endemic to coastal Alaska and the Russian Far East, is currently a candidate for listing under the US Endangered Species Act because of reported population declines in som