77 
A pelagic observation of a flock of 32 birds some 200 miles from 
the nearest breeding location is fairly unique for this usually sedentary 
SCOCICS . 
The sighting was southwest of McKean on 15 February. 
^nix in late January were in a ver inactive, breeding status 
Birds on 
and? I 
_~ r 11 1 1~.i . 1 A xii lauc u J Xii ex V iAiuouivoj 
would assume the same was true of McKean birds. Almost certainly the 
flock was from one (both??) of the locations. 
Common Noddy 
Anous stolidus 
# Obs. - 448 
Sixty percent of the observations were from flocks of both noddies 
close to Tutuila. . Fiji and the northern Line Islands accounted for a 
further 25 percent. Low numbers were found in the Phoenix Islands and 
south of Oahu. A lousy (with lice) weak bird landed on the ship near 
the "desert" between Phoenix and Fiji, was banded and released. 
White-capped Noddy $ Obs. - 943 
Anous minutus 
♦ 
The distribution of this species is almost identical to its con¬ 
gener. Relatively more white-caps were found in the Koro Sea-Fiji 
area, where they outnumber commons 10 to 1 . 
White Tern # Obs. - 736 
Gygis alba 
An outstandingly high linear density of 10 o 3 birds per mile was 
encountered south of Washington Island. The birds seen there in 
half a day account for 63 percent of the observations: 
Linear Density Wo. Sections _ General Area 
0 
0 
Central north pelagic 
. 004 - 
• 
.024 
5 
Northern and southern north pelagic; 
Phoenix Island, southern Lines 
rCn 
• [ 
• 
H 
OA 
O 
4 
Samoa and Fiji 
qiL. - 
10.311 
q 
Northern Line Islands 
15 
The distribution of Fairy Terns 
of the Anous noddies, both prefering 
islands« 
roughly approximates the distribution 
the wetter southern and northern 
The sympatric ranges may be related to the type 
mentioned with respect to Sooty Terns and Frigates. 
Terns may serve as a flocking marker for the noddies. 
of social interaction 
That is, the Fairy 
Field personnel 
who have looked hard at noddy flocks can see 
the advantage 
of having a 
white flag hovering over noddy food, but what, if any, reciprocal an 
vantage does the Fairy Tern gain? 
