Forty-fifth Progress Report - Kura Atoll page5 
The orange streamer had been placed on early this year as io was only 
beginning to show fading, but no wear* The bird was rebanded as 737-92986 
and the band had to be overlapped to keep at on the xeg* On July 31 a 
subadult with an old streamer flow over the tropicbird study area* 
Many of the Sooty Torn chicks in the central rooso are nearly x Cc*uy 
to fledge as they are beginning to fly short distances. The chick 
population has decreased by jOO over last period, but this is due oo better 
estimates by banding of the colonies* In order oo obtain who present 
estimate, tthe colonies were first banded randomly* On a later date, birds 
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were collected and placed into pens until nearly all chicks from the colony 
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were captured or until catching became inefficient and impractical* As 
the chicks were than banded, a ratio of previously banded to unbandea bj.ra& 
was set up. Presently 76 percent of the population is banded, me chicn 
population is estimated to bo 1500 in the contra! roost, 440 in the nor oh— 
east colony, and l60 in the east colony for a total ol 21uG* Incubating 
adults at the beginning of the season in the northeaso and east colonies 
nearly equaled the numbers in the central roost. 
There are now 8 chicks and one egg in the Gray-backed Tern colony east 
of the south antenna field with two ox tne chicks nearing flodging «a.ge# 
Only one chick could be found in the colony east of the north antenna xieia* 
Nests numbers of Noddy Terns decreased this period from jSl on July 10 
to 273 kjr July 24, again due to mortality of chicks* Ify the end of the 
period many chicks had fledged or neared fledging age. 
The Fairy Tern chick in the tropicbird study area fledged July 26 at 
48 days of age* It has remained close to the nesting area* The nest along 
the northwest beach produced a chick this period* 
