30 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



Capt. Sprinkle states that it nested on Pelican Island, at the 

 mouth of Mobile Bay, about 1890, but the colony was broken 

 up when the island washed away in 1893. It nests abundant- 

 ly on the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, and it is from this 

 colony that stragglers come to Alabama waters to feed. I 

 saw a few on the west point of Dauphin Island, July 5, 1913, 

 and E. G. Holt collected three specimens there, July 30 and 31. 

 J. L. Peters saw one at Grants Island, early in June, 1914. 



General hoMts. — This tern is similar in appearance to the 

 common and Forster terns, but is slightly larger than these 

 and has a rather conspicuous yellow tip on its black bill. It is 

 usually found in small companies about the sandbars of the 

 outer islands, and is not particularly shy. Audubon describes 

 its cries as sharp and grating, and loud enough to be heard 

 at the distance of half a mile. 



Food habits. — Seven stomachs of this tern taken in Ala- 

 bama and South Carolina in summer have been examined by 

 the Biological Survey. One contained the remains of three 

 prawns (Penaetis setiferus), the others, remains of small 

 fishes. Bent says the species feeds on small mullets, sand 

 launces, young garfish, shrimps, and squids.^ 



FORSTER TERN: Sterna forsteri Nuttall. 



State records. — The Forster tern occurs rather commonly 

 in Mississippi Sound and about the outer islands in summer, 

 but does not breed within the State. I found scattered flocks 

 in the sound and on Dauphin Island, May 16-23, 1911, and 

 saw one bird on the island, July 5, 1913. Holt took two speci- 

 mens there July 30, 1913, and Gutsell noticed the birds fre- 

 quently during late summer (July 20 to September 5, 1911) . 

 Breeding colonies are found on the Chandeleur Islands, 50 or 

 75 miles to the southwestward of Petit Bois, and the birds 

 seen in Alabama waters are doubtless wanderers from these 

 colonies. 



General habits. — This is one of the smaller terns, and is dif- 

 ficult to identify except with a specimen in hand. Unlike 

 most of the other terns, it is a marsh-inhabiting species^ 



tBent, A. C, Bull. 113, U. S. Nat. Mas., p. 226, 1921. 



