Gray-backed Tern 
Lisianski 
Breeding Distribution Data: 
late Aug. 196k-•: One adult and one immature seen together in Scaevela 
in the interior of the island. Others seen around the beach. 
mid-March 1965-: Nesting in widely scattered areas of grassy interior. 
...nesting in scattered colonies under Scaeyola and at the base 
of grass clumps. Nests were not very densely situated — possiblij: 
becasue, of the roughness of terrain caused by shearwater and petrel 
burrows. However, two nests were found but 8 inches apart on the 
opposite sides of a grass clump, (j Most of the birds nesting under 
Scaevola were under low-partly dead Scaevola about 100-200 yards 
in from the east beach and slightly more than half way towards the 
south tip of the island. RBC) .... there are nesting colonies of 
Gray-backed Terns all over the island. ... there was one area lA mile 
long with these terns nesting in the Eragrostis. 
mid-July 1965 -: Relatively few seen. ..these were confined to the edges 
of the Sooty Tern colony... 
* 
mid-June 1966 - —These birds bred in scattered flocks under Scaevola on all 
parts of the island. [ 
' ■ \ 
mid-March 19^7 -J All nests under Scaevola and morning glory on sandy soil.. 
small groups of birds nested here and there under Scaevola.. 
•-« 
early June 19^7 —--: Large concent eat ions of nesting birds were around the 
Scaevola fringe and in scattered nesting areas in the center... 
early Sept. --only a few starving chciks remaining on the island.... 
about five of these young were found in the northern interior near 
a group of nesting Red-footed Boobies and Great Frigatebirds...About 
five more young were found in a clearing on the southwest corner of 
the island (near Brown Boobies) 
Non-breeding Distribution Data : absent from island outside of the breeding season. 
