Egg laying begins from January to March and by July most egg laying has 
(XS^O 
ceased. Nesting activity appears lo unclease more rapidly in the Great 
Frigatebird than in most other breeding species. In addition, at any given 
time, a greater proportion of the Great Frigatebird nests contain eggs sim¬ 
ilarly advanced in incubation or young of approximately equivalent ages than 
is generally true in the other breeding species. 
^ (cessation of egg laying seems to be as abrupt as its initiation. 
In November 1963 the young irere over two months old indicating a cessation 
of most egg laying in July. In November 1964 ; <£te young were between one 
and two months old suggesting laying ceased somewhat later than in 1963. 
Fleding of young extends through December and immature birds spend several 
A 
1 
months in the vicinity of their former nests. Egg loss is very high in the 
yv 
colonies and samesting may be a partial explanation of the extended laying 
period. 
Reproduction : On Enderbury this species nests in Tournefortia trees or 
on the ground while Red-footed Boobies nest mainly in Cordia groves. 
VvCASJ « 
A small number (about 25) of~~Gr e - at - Fri g a4eb4r4s nested in a small circular 
grove of trees at the southeast corner of the island but most nested in the 
extensive "frigate colony" about a mile north of the lighthouse and l/2 mile 
south of the "guano hill". In July 1963 the number of nests found in this 
70 
latter area was about 1700 or approximately JO percent of the total nests 
present. A similar proportion (c.. 62 percent) of the nests were located 
in the "frigate colony" in July 1964 and June 1965. 
The ground nesting birds were found in several colonies in the southern 
third of the island. One colony extended south of the lighthouse along the 
edge of the Sesuvium in the central depression to the south end of this 
depression. Several small colonies were in another large depression at the 
south end of the island and another colony occupied an area on the east side 
of the lagoon opposite the lighthouse. These ground colonies contained about 
640 nests in July 1964 and about 20 to 30 percent of the Great Frigatebird 
nests were usually found in these areas. Ad additional 129 to 200 nests 
were located in small colonies along the edge of the lagoon from the light- 
