SlDmEi 
DRAFT 
BIRDS 
Gray-bac ed Tern ( Sterna lunata) 
Gar rent Status: Common resident and nesting species, 
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Prior R cords: Three specimens were collected in IFire h 1924 by the Whitney Expedition 
and constitute the first record for the island. Child (i960) states that i$r# 
Gray-backed Tern eggs are sometimes eaten on Sydney island "especially during p 
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times of drought when food is scarce*" This statement implys that Sooty Terns 
not nest on the island and that the Gray-backed Terns one of the 
most abundant nesting sneeies. 
ana 
P opulati on: This is one of the three nesting; species on the island tet- the 
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population was estimated as 100 in both November 19,64 and October 1963* 
ed 
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)f 
The Bstirnat44 I4I nests present in November 1963. an0 tke 8 in October 1964 
are based are partial counts the islands in the lagoon and an estimate based 
on the number of birds seen over the other islands not visited. A total of 27 
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nests were counted in November 196B. in the southeast half of the lagoon and i> 
were 
were found in the northwest half in October 1961).. All islands have-beea visited 
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once but none were visited on both trips. 
The adult birds stay quite close to the nesting islands and only a small 
number are ever seen over the shores of the lagoon. ia-the-ease-e# *k©-ieie»4e- 
1CBSP Specimens; USIM W3975, M, testes 8 m., wt. 109 ms., Oct. 2 k s 196k. 
O toer Specimens: Collected March 21, 1924 by J.G. Correia; FF; AMU 20570: 
205704, 205705. 
