Xantus's Murrelet, Synthliboramphus hypoleucus
Xantus's Murrelets are found, usually not far from shore, often in a parent-young pair during their post-breeding dispersal on the eastern Pacific. On a pelagic outing into the ocean west of Monterey, our boat accidentally separated a pair, both of which stayed close by the boat calling to each other, and so facilitated getting a relatively closeup photo of this small sea-going bird. This bird is of the Northern (scripsii) subspecies most often found off Monterey; on the Southern (hypoleucus) subspecies the white extends in front of, and sometimes above, the eye. The similar species Craveri's Murrelet would have a protrusion of the dark upper feathers into the white breast, and is more often found further south.