GREAT ERIGATEBIRD ~~ 
Annotated List —- p.3 m 
- LXSXARSKI 
LSft 13 June l6»19? *66 (PCS Kept) Estimated Population --- 2, 750 adul’:^ 
(incl. nest, loc., imm.) 250 young 
Rests with eggs -- 100 
Banded ------- 31 
Collected --*-- none 
Blood samples ----— 32 
Resting birds occurred throughout the Scaevola association but most 
nests were in the northern half of the island. Most birds seen on the 
southern half were roosting. Both roosting and nesting birds occurred 
in the scattered patches of Scaevola in the interior and each Casuarina 
tree held a few roosting frigates. 
Young ranged from freshly hatched to half grown with black scapulats 
and secondaries appearing. The 1° Tune nest count revealed 218 nestlings 
and 68 incubated eggs. Thus there were estimated to be 750 breeding birds, 
250 nestlings and possibly 2,000 others making a total of about 3?000. 
(immatures in notes^SubaduLts were common and appeared to be healthy. Rone were seen that 
could not fly. Mortality of these was much lower than on the southern 
islands seen by the author (Enderbury, Phoenix, and McKean) 
(PCS notes) %i immature with a brownish white head 
tried to bite the top of my head as I walked along the RE beach. 
Prank Smith saw one with a blowfish and I saw one making repeated passes at 
a freshly hatched chick from which I had just plucked the adult, but the 
immature did not take the chick. 
(RSC notes) Resting cycle ranged from eggs to fully 
fledged immatures. Shelton T s estimate of 2,000 I believe low - probably 
closer to 3? 000 with the large numbers of birds seen high overhead at dusk. 
L Sff 17 Oct. 18-20, *66 (KB Kept) Estimated Population - 1,500 + 50% 
Banded - 121 
Recaptured ----- 1 (sa ?) 
Collected —--- none 
324 local or immature frigatebirds were seen cling to the Scaevola on 
18 October. Head color was found to be unreliable as an indicator of 
age on the young birds. Birds with white heads occasionally had small 
tufts of down on them and rusty or brown headed birds could very often 
fly . A maximum number of 100 adult frigatebirds could be observed in the 
air over the island at any one time. The population estimate is based on the 
count of "local" birds plus two parents each plus a few adult birds that 
were just roosting in the vicinity. All P0BSP personnel agreed closely 
on the population estimate. 
Ro nests with eggs were observed. It appears that the Great Frigatebirds 
are in the late breeding stage where the young are beginning to fly. 
100 locals and 21 adult or subadults were banded 
