Red-footed Boobies was decidedly in advance of that of the population 
on Laysan (where only 1 nest in 8 contained an egg and where considerably 
more effort was expended in searching for nests.) Probably not less than 
75~100 nests were present on Lisianski. 
It is of interest to note that an almost identical difference in the 
cycles on the two islands was noted by Hackman last year when he visited 
the two islands on the same days of the month that I visited them this 
year. Hackman found that 18 of 8> (21 percent) nests checked on Lisianski 
had eggs but found no nests with eggs on Laysan although some as-yet empty 
nests were present. 
As on Laysan and Hihoa the Red-footed Booby nests appeared to be much 
more scattered and less often found in clumps than were those of the Great 
Frigatebirds. The only area where there appeared to be somewhat of a 
concentration was in the higher Scaevola of the northeast corner of the 
island. 
Great Frigatebird Estimated population -- c. 1000 
Sample nest count results: 
$ of nests counted- 38 
# of empty nests- 23(6k ( /o) 
# of nests with egg- 13 ( 38 ^) 
# of nests with small young — none 
The nesting cycle of Lisianski Great Frigatebirds did not appear to 
be significantly different from that on Laysan. Many birds were courting 
and many were nest-building. Ten eggs checked for stage of incubation by 
candling were fresh or very slightly incubated. I suspect that not less 
than several hundred active nests were present but this figure may well 
be erroneously low since coverage of the interior of the island was scanty. 
As on Laysan a number of immature birds were present, most of them 
flying, but a few still on the nest and apparently still being fed by 
their parents. 
Gray-backed Tern Estimated population-c. 1000 
Breeding status: eggs but no 
young present. 
Gray-backed Terns were nesting in the sand- Eragrostis association in 
the north central portion of the island. Kenyon reported that only nests 
with eggs were found and that these terns were nesting in an area peripheral 
to that occupied by the Sooty Terns. 
Sooty Tern Estimated population --c. 7500 
Breeding status: Down on ground 
by day but no nests with eggs or young found. 
/ ■ ’ . 
/ • - - 4l , • . ; . - 
Sooty Terns were swirling over the north-central portion of the island 
