Blue-faced. Booby (Sula dactylatra) 
Current Status : Breeds annually. 
Prior Records : Munro (1941) reported seeing this species off Nihoa May 26-27:? 
I89I, Woodside and Kramer (1961) saw these birds pn the island 
March 2, 1961. Other records are Fisher (1906), M'unter (1915)> 
Wetmore (1923), Vanderbilt and Schauensee (1941), Kramer (J.96I), 
Kramer and Beardsley (1962). 
Population: Munter (op. cit) estimated 5^000 present March 18, 1915* Wet more 
(op. cit) estimated 125 pair between June 11-16, 1923. Kramer (op. 
cit) considered them to be very abundant and the most common of the 
three species of boobies^ during this visit^ December 10-15, 19 6l. 
Kramer and Beardsley (op. cit) noted them to be present on June 10, 
1962 but gave no population figures. 
The P0BSP tri p of March 6, 1964 estimated 100 birds present. 
suRvey party survey party 
The March 24, I965 vfeirtr estimated 300 present. The t-rip of September 
23-24, 1964 counted 26 adults on the island. 
The larger numbers of birds observed by Kramer (op. cit) and Munter 
(op. cit), although not substantiated by POBSP observations, cannot 
be discounted since an influx of non-breeding birds could temporarily 
increase the population to these high levels. 
Eeproduction : These birds nest on bare earth r scrapes 1 and require level 
rt<&/* 
terrain for their nests. Most of those - bird s, as reported by Wetmore 
(op. cit) and Vanderbilt and Schauensee (op. cit) nest on the 
plateau north of Miller ? s Peak summit. Fisher (op. cit) observed 
immature birds flying near their ship August 5-10, 1902. Munter (op. 
cit) reported eggs on March 18, 1915. Wetmore (op. cit) reported the 
