SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20560 
6 November 1967 
Dear Rog: 
The banding data were so complicated (or confused?) for the 
other two islands that I concentrated on them first. I'm sure that 
there are still errors but at least they are consistent now. Sent 
these back to RP as requested and have been incorporating the inter¬ 
island and other data into the Banding and Movement sections for 
each of the three islands. 
Now back to Lisianski. I'm finding that I have considerably 
less recall from here than from the other two and as a result can't 
add much without danger of error. But here goes anyway: 
1) On 2 September (early morning hours) I found one that had wandered 
over to the beach north of camp, near the spot where the turnstones 
roosted in- the wave-cut beach. I'm surprised that such apparently 
weak birds could cover so much ground. It was marked hox-Jever. 
2) I did not handle a large series as on North Island but I am sure 
that the percentage of dark phase biras was very low. 
3) I noted three chicks: the one you mention ? (1 Sept.) and 2 on the 
4-th: 1 with a little down under Scaveola near the NW point; 1 younger 
and about downy under Scaveola near the southeast end of the island 
(after daylight). Judging from Laysan I suspect there were a good 
number of chicks under Scaevol a, especially near the north end. 
4-) It was sitting alone on a narrow sandy beach on the east side of 
the island north of camp. A few rocks, completely covered with Sca veola 
were nearby (also a large log) but I could find no evidence of breedingJ 
(Haven't skinned him yet). 
5) The green books and banding records help here. Based on these and a 
few notes, the break down would be as follows: 128 nests: 4- with eggs: 
16 with SDC; 12 MDC; 38 LDC; 58 fledglings. Under fledglings I've in¬ 
cluded those in the late (last) down stage. Since different people 
recorded chicks differently there may be a small degree of error. If 
your figures include the banding data they would be included in the 
above; if not they should be added. 
Re: description of frigate feeding (or attacks, rather): While 
banding tropicbirds we were followed by several frigates (females and 
subadults) which repeatedly swooped down and tried to pick up fish that 
had been regurgitated. We did not see any actually succeed but they 
were quite persistent injtheir attempts. Many of the birds we released 
were attacked (even though they had regurgitated some food before re¬ 
lease) and one was actually knocked into the water by a female frigate. 
I agree that frigates are faster than tropicbirds. In fact, I was 
quite surprised to see the speed of their flight when pursuing other 
species- I'd underestimated their ability before. Ron Amerson made 
ome observations and renorted the neak of activitv ffnr tropicbirds) 
1200 and 
reported the peak of activity,(for 
IqOO. Thffis agrees with what I r 
remember 
