Malden Island 
30 March 1 April 
The offshore region of Malden is fairly restricted in the sense used 
in this report. Regular log observations could be taken right up to the 
beach without undue overloading of the recorder. Birds offshore, in other 
words, are not abundant. At the western end of this large island, where 
most offshore estimates were made, the birds present are mostly roosters 
as the majority of the breeding birds are on the western side. Red-footed 
and Blue-faced Boobies were the most common here. Frigates were occa¬ 
sional and Fairy Terns from a small breeding area by the landing were also 
present. 
A hypothetical diurnal survey from 1-3 miles off the landing is 
given as follows: 
11 
#/Hr. of 
slow cruising*' 
Blue-faced Booby 
21 
15 *• 
Brown Booby 
4 
3 
Rea-footed Booby 
28 
20 
Frigatebird 
14 
10 
Fairy Tern 
11 
8 
Sooty Tern > 
14 
10 
Noddy sp. 
8 
5 
Total 
O 
O 
rH 
71 birds per hour 
A few small groups 
of Boobies and 
Frigates were seen, and sm 
traveling flocks of Sooty Terns were present. Low numbers of all tnree 
Roddies would be expectable. Gray-backed Terns were recorded some 15 
miles offshore. Since at least one White-throated Storm petrel was ob¬ 
served during the island survey this species ought to be a possible off¬ 
shore bird, but otherwise no other Procellariformes were evident. Golden 
Plovers, common on the island, may be found slightly offshore. The 
eastern offshore would include proportionally more Noddies and Red-footed 
Boobies. 
Starbuck 
2-4 April 
- <• a 
An uncommonly barren offshore region. Near the Sooty colonies at 
western end crepuscular traveling Sooties were common, but little offshore 
feeding was noted. Several Frigatebirds and a single Wedge-tailed Shear¬ 
water were observed offshore. The small roosting population of Blue-faced 
Boobies (ca. 50) was not in evidence offshore, appearing only around 
dusk at the northwest end. 
Wet Lines vs Dry Lines 
■4 
The north to south chain of the Line Islands shows, more or less, a 
climatic trend from wet to dry and a similar trend in bird populations. 
This is briefly outlined as follows: 
/ 
