Diet of Common Murres in California Current, during breeding (April-August) and non-breeding (September-March), and El Niño versus La Niña.

Region Central California Northern California Oregon Washington
  Monterey Bay Summer/winter, Ad 1974-1987a Monterey Bay Summer/winter, Ad 1999-2000j Gulf of Farallones Summer/Winter, Adult 1985-1988b SE Farallon I. El Niño/La Niña, Chick 1979-1983, 2009-2015h,i SE Farallon I. Chick 1993-2008h,j Castle Rock Chick 2007-2017e Coos Bay Summer/Winter, Ad 1979-1982c Yaquina Head Chick 2007-2017f Newport Summer/Winter, Ad 1972-1982c,d Columbia River Summer 1982c,e Tatoosh I. Chick 1996-2009g
Fish                      
  Sandlance           2 5/18 15 2/2 1 9
  Herring -/4   -/3     1 2/13 15 16/23 2 38
  Embiotocidae     -/2       <1/3   <1/5    
  Anchovy 21/35 22/47 9/25 62/10 65 3 3/24   2/16 47  
  Tom cod           2 18/-   10/21 30  
  Hake -/4 1/- 5/-                
  Greenling             <1/-   7/-    
  Smelt 2/-   2/8 8/2 10 59 12/29 50 6/- 10 40
  Pleuronectidae -/11 2/<1 4/- 4/1   1 5/<1 4 <1/–    
  Salmonidae       1/-   5 2/1   11/3 2 2
  Rockfish 31/30 23/3 46/7 19/86 15 23 19/4 5 2/8 2 4
Invertebrates                      
  Euphausiid     26/23       12/-   17/-    
  Market squid 35/19 45/23 3/10 3/1   2 14/-   8/6 <1  
  Octopus   <1/5 -/7                
Other/unid. Fish 11/8 6/18 5/10   10 2 7/- 10 22/6 2 7

Percent of diet by number

a 652; 653, 122

b 112

c 654

d 208, 261

e 232

f 85

g 655

h 82

i 83

j 199