- 10 - 
Sooty Tern (1532 + 280 nocturnal) 
Sooty Earns were by far the dominant species in the grid and ac¬ 
counted for 60 % of total birds. A total of 11 specimens was coll¬ 
ected between Baker Island and 20 miles to the southeast. None of 
these were banded. A very few immatures and one subadult bird were 
noted among feeding flocks. Sooty Terns comprised 68.4 % of total, 
flocks including migrating Sooty/Slender-billed Shearwater flocks. 
A slightly greater density was recorded during the present cn '.se 
- —+ 
4 
♦ 
than last month, but is not considered to be great enough to sus- 
» 
pect influxes from other breeding islands. Birds presently swirl¬ 
ing over Howland Island apparently are not part of the larger col¬ 
ony which nested during the summer because of the total lack of 
marked birds. Those now present likely represent a portion of the 
island population which has recently come into the area. The 
scarcity of immature birds in the grid this month also indicates 
* * 
. t 
that the summer population has moved out. No important changes 
in the feeding areas used are apparent from last summer; the area 
about Baker is still being heavily utilized. 
. 
.. Common Noddy (l) 
This species has always been recorded in low numbers which are not 
indicative of the population based on Baker, where considerable 
cruise activity takes place, 
m 
m 
Gray-backed Tern (12 nocturnal) 
4 
Birds were recorded only at night, and many of these were identi¬ 
fied by the distinctive call. The species is probably overlooked 
• • * « 9 
• 1 
during the day because of the similarity to the abundant Sooty Terns. 
* » 
I 
