WHITE TERM 
Annotated List 
LISIANSKI 
LS$ 21 Aug.31=Sept.5, '&! (RBC-CAE Eept.) 
White Tern 
Population estimate 
Banded - 
c. 250 
73 (adults) 
9 (young) 
Returned 
White Terns on Lisianski were decidedly less numerous than on Laysan 
and fewer active nests were found. The stage of breeding ranged from eggs 
to fledged immatures but very large young (and presumably - undetected 
immatures) were apparently considerably more common than eggs or downy 
. young. Although fewer nests were found on Lisianski the proportion of 
adults (or putative adults) with bare brood patches was decidedly higher 
than* on Laysan. Thirteen of 21 (62$) White Terns handled by one observer 
on Lisianski had bare brood patches whereas only 20 of 55 (36$) handled 
on Laysan had bare brood patches. 
The White Terns roosted in both the high Scaevola on the west, south, 
and southeast sides of the island and in the low Scaevola of the island 
interior as well as in the three groups of Casuarina trees. The number 
of these terns roosting in the Casuarinas was no greater than the numbers 
roosting in a similar volume of high Scaevola . Only four terns were ob¬ 
served in the southernmost Casuarina and not more than ten roosted in the 
other two Casuarina clumps. Maximum densities of roosting birds appeared 
to be in the high Scaevola of the east and southeast sides of the island. 
Five nests were found: 1 with an egg in Scaevola south of camp, and 
four with young from large-downy to stub-tailed juveniles. At least five 
other dependent or flying immatures were banded. 
At 0030 1 September evidence of nocturnal feeding by this species was 
observed. Two adults perched together on the peripheral Scaevola of-the 
east beach both held freshly caught food in their beaks. One tern held a 
small (about two-inch) fish while the other held a four-inch squid which, 
after some difficulty, it finally managed to swallow. 
