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300873, ?, 19 May 1923; USNM 300874 , cf, 19 May 1923; USNM 300875 , cT, 
immature, 16 May 1925* 
\ 
Red-footed Booby ( Sula sula ) 
Current Status ; Probably resident, breeds annually. 
Prior Records: The species was probably recorded, as something else, by 
Isenbeck in 1828 (Kittlitz, o^ cit.). As illogical as it may seem, a bird 
listed as Tarns sp., perhaps argentatus, "seen in great numbers flying 
around Gardner Island, and later. onoMoller i [ = Laysan] and Lisianski too" 
is probably this booby. This conclusion is reached by a process of 
elimination among Isenbeck*s species accounts. 
This booby is definitely recorded from Lisianski in late June 1891 
(Rothschild, 1893 - 1900 ). Henry Palmer recorded in his notes for 30 June 
I 89 I: "The small Gannets (Sula piscator [ = sula]) are sitting on their 
1 ir 
nests, 'Which are built on some small scrub." Several nests of this species 
were found near the Japanese poachers shacks by Munter ( op . cit . ) in March 
1915 . Young birds or eggs were found in the nests, but only about ten 
birds were noted for the island. In May 1923 Wetmore (unpub. notes, 1923) 
found about 25 adults roosting in the grass patch at the northern end of 
the island at night, or on the remains of the Japanese feather poachers 
camp. He found two nests with eggs,’ the single egg had been laid in the 
top of a clump of bunchgrass. The total island population was placed at 
40 birds. About 50 birds were present in March 1954 (Richardson, pers. 
comm.). In March 1961 Woodside and Kramer (o£. cit.) found birds nesting 
in the Scaevola, but "comparatively rare." 
Population : The species has been found \on each POBSP visit to the island. 
As the island was not thoroughly surveyed in March 1963 the estimate of 50 
o 
adults is probably too low. In March 1964 about 450 adults were present 
& 
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