DOCSLIB.ORG

'White-Faced' Terns

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
'White-Faced' Terns 164 PAL:•XER,'White.faced' Terns I.[Auk April 'WHITE-FACED' TERNS BY RALPH S. PALMER Plate 7 DxvvEt•sTplumages of the samespecies of ternshave been given new namesso many times that the Marpies have included in their bookon 'SeaTerns' (1934:opp. p. 23) a plate labelled"Comparative Diagram of the 'Spurious'Terns." One of the birds shownis the non-breeding'white-faced' Arctic Tern, Sterna 'portlandica.' While conductinga behaviorstudy of the CommonTern (Sternahitundo) on the SugarloafIslands, at Popham Beach, Maine, the writer has collectedand observedboth breedingand non-breeding'white-faced' examplesof this species.Since the significanceand occurrenceof 'white-faced'plumages in ternsare not generallyunderstood, the writer has undertakento sum up here the available evidenceon plumage sequencein the CommonTern. While most of the factspresented refer specificallyto the CommonTern, they apply equallywell to the Arcticand, in manyrespects, to the Roseateand other terns. The writer wishesto acknowledgethe assistancehe has received from the following institutionsand individuals: the authorities in chargeof the U.S. NationalMuseum and BiologicalSurvey collections, the authoritiesof the American Museum of Natural History, and Mr. Arthur H. Norton of the Portland (Maine) Societyof Natural History for the loan of valuablespecimens. Professor S. A. Asdell,of the Departmentof Animal Breedingat Cornell University,has kindly loanedthe writer many reprintsfrom his filesand has made helpful suggestionspertaining to the endocrineaspect of plumagesequence. EXPLANATION OF PLATE 7 Contmon Terns--The left-hand bird is a juvenal and can be so recognizedby the markingson the back. In other respectsit is much like the next two speci- mens,which are summer non-breedersin fresh eclipse,i.e., 'portlandica,' plumage. The two right-handbirds are old-agebreeders. The nature of the cap and the color of the basesof the bills at oncedifferentiate them from 'portlandica' specimens. Arctic Terns--The left-hand bird is the type of Sterna portlandica Ridgway. It is badly soiled and does not show the cubital wing band very well in the plate. The next two are also summer-eclipseor 'portlandica' birds. The fourth is an old-age breeder of the 'pikei' type. The fifth may possiblyrepresent either a partial assumptionof breeding plumage by an 'immature' bird or a condition approachingold age. THE AuIq VOL. 58 PLATE 7 JUVENAI.AND '•¾}IITE-FACEI)' COhll•ION t'•¾HITE-FACEI)' fiiRCTIC TERNS Vol.1941,58] a PALMER,'Whiteffaced' Terns 165 RELATION OF GONADS TO BREEDING AND F.CLIPSE PLUMAGES As here used,the term 'eclipse'includes all postjuvenalplumages assumedby certain'hooded' or 'capped'Laridae when the gonadsare quiescentor relativelyso. The juvenal stagemight alsobe called eclipse,but it is not socalled because this plumage is easilydistinguish- able from subsequentnon-breeding plumages. This definition of eclipsepertains to the speciesunder discussion, since the physioloõical basisfor arrivingat equivalentplumages in ducksand otherbirds is knownto differfrom that of gullsand terns. Both sexes of the Common, Arctic and Roseate Terns exhibit the followingcharacters in thejuvenal and in the eclipsestates: (1) a light foreheadand a blackishcrown; (2) purewhite under parts; (3) a dusky cubitalband on eachwing; (4) lesshighly colored bills and feet than in breedingplumage. Both sexesof the samethree specieshave the followingcharacters in breedingplumage (with an exceptionwhich will be discussedlater): (I) a black cap,which includesboth foreheadand crown; (2) under partseither •ray or white tinted with pink; (3) no duskycubital band; (4) relativelyhighly coloredbills and feet (in breedingRoseate Terns the bill at the base is bright orange-redand not all black, as is commonlybelieved). The juvenal and eclipseplumaões are assumedduring the time when the gonadsare relatively quiescent. The breeding plumage in at leastpart of the Laridae is apparentlythe one dependentupon the secretionof a sex hormonefor its development. Whereasthis is not the casein many birds, as has been explainedadequately by Domm (1939),I feel certain it is true with the ternswith which we are deal- ing becauseof evidencefrom castrationexperiments on the Black- headed Gull, Larus ridibundus (Van Oordt and Junge, 1930, 1933a, 1933b). This gull hasa plumagesequence and certainsecondary sexual charactersvery similar to thosein Common,Arctic and RoseateTerns. It has a 'hood' on the head, as well as bright-coloredbill and feet, which are presentduring the breedingseason in both sexes. Char- acters of this nature have been called 'ambosexual'characters by Champy (1930)and Champyet al. (1931). If gulls of this species are castratedin winter plumage-eitherfirst winter or succeedingones- the nuptial plumagefails to develop. At the time of the prenuptial molt the birdsagain assume the winter (eclipse)plumage. Further- more, the bill and feet remain in winter condition. Therefore, the assumptionof the nuptial plumage and bright bill and foot color appear to be influencedby a testishormone which cannotbe secreted by castratedbirds. 166 PALMER,'White.laced' Terns L[Auk April While Van Oordt workedon male birds only, a matter commented on by Domm (1939:283), he statedthat he supposedthat ovariectomy would producethe sameresult, sincefemales and maleshave similar plumages. The fact that Common and Arctic Terns of both sexes, that have very small gonadsand do not breed, revert to the eclipse plumageat the time of the springmolt, lendssupport to his statement. As we shall soonsee, Common Terns ordinarily do not breed at an early age, nor do first-yearbirds appear on the breedinggrounds in any numbers. Those which do appear usually have minute non- breedinggonads and are found to be in fresheclipse plumage which they acquiredby a completespring molt. That 'portlandica'birds were non-breedersthat acquiredsuch a plumagein spring was well BREEDING ECLIPSE NATAL Sum. Fall Win. Spr. •u•. Fall Win. SpF. •um. F&11 Win. Spl'. Sum. TEXT-FIe. 1.--Diagrammaticrepresentation of the sequenceof plumagesin early life in the CommonTern. The probablenormal sequenceis shownby the heaviest line. Dotted spacesindicate, in a general way, times of molt. understoodby Dwight (1901: 52). These birds are, in plumage, equivalentto Van Oordt'scastrated gulls. Just how long a tern may revert to the eclipsestage semi-annually is not definitelyknown, but it is fair to assumethat they do so aslong as they stayaway from their breedinggrounds. The matter can only be definitely settled when many banded non-breedingbirds are re- coveredat various times of the year. In general, the sequenceof plumagesof the CommonTern in early life appearsto be thus: (1) natal (acquiredbefore hatching); (2) juvenal; (3) first-wintereclipse; (4) first-summereclipse--'portlandica' (rarely a breedingplumage is acquired instead); (5) second-wintereclipse; (6) second summer, either: a, eclipseagain ('portlandica'),or b, first-nuptialplumage. Many birds require anotheryear beforeattaining their first-nuptial stage. The diagramof plumagesequence shows the probablenormal sequenceup to the fourth summer. It doesnot showduration of molt. Vol.•94• •8] a PALMER,'White-[aced' Terns 167 I havenot calledthe immaturesummer plumages 'nuptial' plumages, as Dwight (1925) has done with gulls, sincethe term is more ap- propriatefor breedingstages. The Common Tern resemblessome of the smaller gulls much more closely,both in time of beginningto breedand in time of assumption of breedingplumage, than many writers have hcrctoœorcrealized. The followingdata will make this clear. YouNG 'WHITE-FACED' TERNS Attainment of breedingage.--No Commonor Arctic Tern appears yet to have bccn recordedwith absolutecertainty as breedingin any form of immature 'portlandica'or eclipseplumage. Coloniesof Cabot'sand SandwichTerns (racesof Thalasseussandvicensis) and Royal Terns (T. maximus)have a fair shareof the breedingpopula- tion showingwhite in the œorchcads.These lighter birds appear to bc first-yearbirds and arc quite definitely known to breed in this plmnagc(H. W. Robinson,1910, 1940). One SandwichTern in "œull winter plumage"has bccn sccn to incubatean egg (Robinson,1940: 150). The Black-headedGull breedsregularly in "immature"plum- age (Kirkman, 1937: 111). Havcrschmidt(1931)mentions the same fact and also statesthat the Herring Gull (L. argentatus)and the LesserBlack-backed Gull (L. fuscus)breed bcœorcattaining the fully adult stage. Tinbergen (1936)reported that immatureHerring Gulls may pair, nest and copulatc,but fail to lay eggs. Many sub-adult Larinac very commonly'play' with nestingmaterial at the season when adults arc breeding. Juvenal CommonTerns oœtcnpick up grassand twigson or near the territory where they wcrc hatched,but the reasonfor their sodoing is not clear. Whereas the Marplcs (1934: 190) stated that Common Terns normally breed when one year of age, the Austins think otherwise. O. L. Austin,Jr., (1999: 130)concluded from his very extensiveband- ing and rctrappingrecords that this speciesdoes not breedat the age of one year, that all do not breed when two yearsold, but that the third year normally sccsthem productive. Later, O. L. Austin, Jr., (1932: 137)reported capturing a singleyear-old Common Tern which was incubatingeggs. Sincenothing was said to indicate otherwise, wc may assumethat it had attained the breedingplumage and that it had a definite connectionwith the eggs. Thus it seemsthat the Common Tern may rarely breed when one year old. From the factsthat year-oldbirds arc rarely rctrappcdat
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pacific Seabird Program Business Plan (Dawson Et Al
    National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Business Plan for Pacific Seabirds (Update) September 2016 Pacific Seabirds | 1 Purpose of a Business Plan The purpose of a NFWF business plan is to provide a detailed blueprint of the strategies and resources required to achieve the desired conservation outcomes. The strategies discussed in this plan do not represent solely the Foundation’s view of the actions necessary to achieve the identified conservation goals, but instead reflect the majority view of the many federal, state, academic, and organizational experts that were consulted during plan development. This plan is not meant to duplicate ongoing work but rather to invest in areas where gaps might exist so as to support the efforts of the larger conservation community. Acknowledgements We thank everyone who contributed to this business plan. We are especially grateful to the seabird experts, funding partners, and working group teams who took the time to develop, contribute, and review material. We acknowledge the contributions of Dantzker Consulting, Advanced Conservation Strategies, and Clarus Research for their evaluation of the Pacific Seabird Program and recommendations for continued implementation of this program. We also wish to acknowledge the valuable input resulting from discussions and written material provided by implementation and funding partners including (but not limited to): The American Bird Conservancy, BirdLife International, The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, The Farallon Institute, Island Conservation, the National Audubon Society, National Park Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Oikonos, University of California Santa Cruz Coastal Conservation Action Lab, The University of Washington, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Database Support for the Alaska Comprehensive Conservation Strategy Planning Effort
    DATABASE SUPPORT FOR THE ALASKA COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION STRATEGY PLANNING EFFORT By Tracey Gotthardt, Tamara Fields, Kelly Walton, Keith Boggs and Santosh KC Alaska Natural Heritage Program College of Arts and Sciences University of Alaska Anchorage 707 A Street Anchorage, AK 99501 June 2010 Partnership in Nongame Wildlife Research - AKNHP ii Partnership in Nongame Wildlife Research - AKNHP iii Partnership in Nongame Wildlife Research - AKNHP ABSTRACT The Alaska Natural Heritage Program (AKNHP) entered into a partnership with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s (ADF&G) Wildlife Diversity Program to summarize biological, ecological, and distribution information on a number of species featured in their Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) to aid with informed decision-making regarding the conservation status of these animals. The products resulting from this partnership, which occurred between 2004 and 2007, included summarizing ecological and biological data for 92 “featured species” to assess their conservation status rank. Additionally, range and element occurrence distribution maps were created for a subset of these species (56 of the 92), and the associated spatial information was entered into AKNHP’s Biotics database. The purpose of this project was to provide ongoing database support for the CWCS featured species dataset and to enhance its utility through the creation of integrated output products to ADF&G and its partner agencies via a web-based interface. During the course of this project AKNHP staff quality
    [Show full text]
  • Threats to Seabirds: a Global Assessment 2 3 4 Authors: Maria P
    1 Threats to seabirds: a global assessment 2 3 4 Authors: Maria P. Dias1*, Rob Martin1, Elizabeth J. Pearmain1, Ian J. Burfield1, Cleo Small2, Richard A. 5 Phillips3, Oliver Yates4, Ben Lascelles1, Pablo Garcia Borboroglu5, John P. Croxall1 6 7 8 Affiliations: 9 1 - BirdLife International. The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QZ UK 10 2 - BirdLife International Marine Programme, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, SG19 2DL 11 3 – British Antarctic Survey. Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, 12 Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK 13 4 – Centre for the Environment, Fishery and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, NR33, UK 14 5 - Global Penguin Society, University of Washington and CONICET Argentina. Puerto Madryn U9120, 15 Chubut, Argentina 16 * Corresponding author: Maria Dias, [email protected]. BirdLife International. The David 17 Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QZ UK. Phone: +44 (0)1223 747540 18 19 20 Acknowledgements 21 We are very grateful to Bartek Arendarczyk, Sophie Bennett, Ricky Hibble, Eleanor Miller and Amy 22 Palmer-Newton for assisting with the bibliographic review. We thank Rachael Alderman, Pep Arcos, 23 Jonathon Barrington, Igor Debski, Peter Hodum, Gustavo Jimenez, Jeff Mangel, Ken Morgan, Paul Sagar, 24 Peter Ryan, and other members of the ACAP PaCSWG, and the members of IUCN SSC Penguin Specialist 25 Group (Alejandro Simeone, Andre Chiaradia, Barbara Wienecke, Charles-André Bost, Lauren Waller, Phil 26 Trathan, Philip Seddon, Susie Ellis, Tom Schneider and Dee Boersma) for reviewing threats to selected 27 species. We thank also Andy Symes, Rocio Moreno, Stuart Butchart, Paul Donald, Rory Crawford, 28 Tammy Davies, Ana Carneiro and Tris Allinson for fruitful discussions and helpful comments on earlier 29 versions of the manuscript.
    [Show full text]
  • Status Assessment and Conservation Recommendations for the Caspian Tern in North America August 2002 Recommended Citation
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Status Assessment and Conservation Recommendations for the Caspian Tern in North America August 2002 Recommended Citation: Shuford, W. D., and D. P. Craig. 2002. Status Assessment and Conservation Recommendations for the Caspian Tern (Sterna Caspia) in North America. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, OR. Status Assessment and Conservation Recommendations for the Caspian Tern (Sterna Caspia) in North America W. David Shuford PRBO Conservation Science 4990 Shoreline Highway Stinson Beach, CA 94970 email: [email protected] and David P. Craig Department of Biology Willamette University 900 State Street Salem, OR 97301 email: [email protected] August 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................. viii Summary............................................................................................................................................... 1 Taxonomy ............................................................................................................................................. 2 Legal and Conservation Status ............................................................................................................. 2 United States .......................................................................................................................... 2 Canada .................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Aleutian Tern Onychoprion Aleuticus Colony Abandonment in Response to Bald Eagle Haliaeetus Leucocephalus Nest Predation
    Corcoran et al. Aleutian Tern colony abandonment 113 ALEUTIAN TERN ONYCHOPRION ALEUTICUS COLONY ABANDONMENT IN RESPONSE TO BALD EAGLE HALIAEETUS LEUCOCEPHALUS NEST PREDATION ROBIN M. CORCORAN1, STACY STUDEBAKER2 & RICHARD A. MACINTOSH3 1US Fish and Wildlife Service, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, 1390 Buskin River Road, Kodiak, Alaska 99615, USA ([email protected]) 2PO Box 970, Kodiak, Alaska, 99615, USA 3910 Steller Way, Kodiak, Alaska, 99615, USA Received 09 April 2018, accepted 30 May 2018 SUMMARY CORCORAN, R.M., STUDEBAKER, S. & MACINTOSH, R.A. 2018. Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus colony abandonment in response to Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus nest predation. Marine Ornithology 46: 113–115. On 09 June 2016 we witnessed an attack by an adult Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus on one of the largest Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus colonies in the Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska; it resulted in complete colony abandonment. The Bald Eagle was accompanied by Black-billed Magpies Pica hudsonia, which scavenged nests destroyed by the eagle and appeared to depredate several nests. Based on nesting chronology determined from earlier surveys and on searches for nest contents remaining after the attack, we concluded that eggs were the primary target. We believe this is the first report of Bald Eagle predation on tern eggs leading to complete colony abandonment. Colony abandonment by Aleutian Terns mid-season has been reported previously, but causes of abandonment have not been identified. Key words: Aleutian Tern, Bald Eagle, colony abandonment, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Alaska, Onychoprion aleuticus INTRODUCTION STUDY AREA AND METHODS Recent trend analysis of Aleutian Terns Onychoprion aleuticus at Seabird colony records between the 1970s and 2017 indicate at least colonies in Alaska suggests that the population of this poorly known 23 sites in the Kodiak Archipelago that have a history of Aleutian seabird has declined by almost 93% over the past three decades Tern nesting (Stephensen et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Aleutian Tern
    Alaska Species Ranking System - Aleutian Tern Aleutian Tern Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Onychoprion aleuticus Review Status: Peer-reviewed Version Date: 08 January 2019 Conservation Status NatureServe: Agency: G Rank:G4 ADF&G: Species of Greatest Conservation Need IUCN:Vulnerable Audubon AK:Red S Rank: S3B USFWS: Bird of Conservation Concern BLM: Sensitive Final Rank Conservation category: II. Red high status and either high biological vulnerability or high action need Category Range Score Status -20 to 20 6 Biological -50 to 50 -21 Action -40 to 40 4 Higher numerical scores denote greater concern Status - variables measure the trend in a taxon’s population status or distribution. Higher status scores denote taxa with known declining trends. Status scores range from -20 (increasing) to 20 (decreasing). Score Population Trend in Alaska (-10 to 10) 6 Renner et al. (2015) proposed that known colonies have declined from 1960 to 2013. However, there are several issues with the data that complicate trend analysis, including outdated or non-existent counts at some colonies, little temporal replication, lack of standardized protocols, low data quality, and natural variation in yearly colony attendance (Renner et al. 2015). Given this uncertainty, we score this question as B- Suspected to be decreasing. Distribution Trend in Alaska (-10 to 10) 0 Uncertain. At least 26 previously undocumented colonies have been documented since 1995, while 29 historically active colonies were found to be devoid of any breeding individuals upon their last visit (Renner et al. 2015). Status Total: 6 Biological - variables measure aspects of a taxon’s distribution, abundance and life history.
    [Show full text]
  • Pacific Seabird Group Aleutian Tern Technical Committee Meeting February 12, 2020, 9-11AM Portland Hilton (Downtown), Broadway I Meeting Notes
    Pacific Seabird Group Aleutian Tern Technical Committee Meeting February 12, 2020, 9-11AM Portland Hilton (downtown), Broadway I Meeting Notes Attendees: Susan Oehlers, Ryan Mong, Robin Corcoran, Janelle Lopez, Mike Goldstein, Leah Kenney, Robb Kaler, Don Lyons, Yat-Tung Yu, Michael Langlois, Linda Welch, Heather Renner, David Duffy, Jill Tengeres (phone) Committee member updates: Updates as summarized in the regional and annual committee reports were reviewed. Additional updates: • Report on Sakhalin Island, Russia colonies from Heather Renner; seemingly better food availability in 2019 than 2018 but one of the three major colonies surveyed in 2018 was abandoned in 2019 due to brown bear predation. • Jill Tengeres reported 588 photos of chick diet provisioning on Kodiak • Update on genetics from Patty Szczys presented by Don Lyons: o Looking for more samples this summer: ▪ Ideal to have even sample sizes across sites, need ~12 from Kodiak and Dillingham. Is there anyone in Dillingham that could get samples? ▪ Ideally 24-32 samples per site (can be blood/feathers/carcasses) ▪ Potential for samples from Naknek and Nome this summer. o Patty expects to show diversity within Alaska • Moratorium on drones use on DOI/USFWS lands o Can’t use drones if supported in any way by FWS funds o We will try to get more information/updates prior to March planning meeting Conservation Planning Meeting • Scheduled for March 18-19 • USFWS Anchorage Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, located at 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, AK 99507 • Sponsorship is from NFWF’s Pacific Seabird Program Colony survey data management • Data prior to 2013 has been compiled.
    [Show full text]
  • Arctic Biodiversity Assessment
    142 Arctic Biodiversity Assessment Incubating red knot Calidris canutus after a snowfall at Cape Sterlegova, Taimyr, Siberia, 27 June 1991. This shorebird represents the most numerically dominating and species rich group of birds on the tundra and the harsh conditions that these hardy birds experience in the high Arctic. Photo: Jan van de Kam. 143 Chapter 4 Birds Lead Authors Barbara Ganter and Anthony J. Gaston Contributing Authors Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Peter Blancher, David Boertmann, Brian Collins, Violet Ford, Arnþór Garðasson, Gilles Gauthier, Maria V. Gavrilo, Grant Gilchrist, Robert E. Gill, David Irons, Elena G. Lappo, Mark Mallory, Flemming Merkel, Guy Morrison, Tero Mustonen, Aevar Petersen, Humphrey P. Sitters, Paul Smith, Hallvard Strøm, Evgeny E. Syroechkovskiy and Pavel S. Tomkovich Contents Summary ..............................................................144 4.5. Seabirds: loons, petrels, cormorants, jaegers/skuas, gulls, terns and auks .....................................................160 4.1. Introduction .......................................................144 4.5.1. Species richness and distribution ............................160 4.2. Status of knowledge ..............................................144 4.5.1.1. Status ...............................................160 4.2.1. Sources and regions .........................................144 4.5.1.2. Endemicity ..........................................161 4.2.2. Biogeography ..............................................147 4.5.1.3. Trends ..............................................161
    [Show full text]
  • Aleutian Tern Satellite Tracking, Kodiak Archipelago, 2019
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Refuge Report 2020.2 Field Season Report: Aleutian Tern Satellite Tracking, Kodiak Archipelago, 2019 Jill E. Tengeres and Robin M. Corcoran Lisa USFWS Hupp, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge April, 2020 The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. Suggested Citation: Tengeres, J.E. and R.M. Corcoran. 2020. Aleutian Tern Satellite Tracking, Kodiak Archipelago, 2019. Refuge report 2020.2, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kodiak, AK. Keywords: Alaska, Aleutian Tern, Gulf of Alaska, Kodiak Archipelago, migration, movement patterns, Onychoprion aleuticus, seabird colony. Disclaimers: The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The use of trade names of commercial products in this report does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the federal government. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................2
    [Show full text]
  • Assessing the Breeding Distribution and Population Trends of the Aleutian Tern Onychoprion Aleuticus
    Renner et al.: Population trends of Aleutian Tern 179 ASSESSING THE BREEDING DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION TRENDS OF THE ALEUTIAN TERN ONYCHOPRION ALEUTICUS HEATHER M. RENNER1, MARC D. ROMANO1, MARTIN RENNER2, SANJAY PYARE3, MICHAEL I. GOLDSTEIN4 & YURI ARTUKHIN5 1Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, 95 Sterling Hwy, Ste. 1, Homer, AK 99603, USA ([email protected]) 2Tern Again Consulting, 388 E. Bayview Ave, Homer, AK 99603, USA 3University of Alaska Southeast, 11120 Glacier Hwy., Juneau, AK 99801, USA 4US Forest Service, PO Box 21629, Juneau AK 99802, USA 5Kamchatka Branch of Pacific Geographical Institute of Far Eastern Branch RAS, Rybakov Prospekt 19a, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 683024, Russian Federation Received 26 February 2015, accepted 19 May 2015 SUMMARY RENNER, H.M., ROMANO, M.D., RENNER, M., PYARE, S., GOLDSTEIN, M.I. & ARTHUKIN, Y. 2015. Assessing the breeding distribution and population trends of the Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus. Marine Ornithology 43: 179–187. We compiled survey data on 202 Aleutian Tern colonies throughout Alaska and Russia to assess the current status and colony sizes and to evaluate whether there had been changes in recent decades. We fit a Poisson generalized linear mixed model to all available counts of Alaskan colonies since 1960, excluding colonies in which the temporal spread of counts was < 6 years. Russian data were not included in the trend model due to our inability to resolve dates on a number of counts. We estimate that numbers at known colonies in Alaska have declined 8.1% annually since 1960 or 92.9% over three generations (33 years; 95% CI = 83.3%–97%), with large colonies experiencing greater declines than small colonies.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume III, Chapter 12 Caspian Tern
    Volume III, Chapter 12 Caspian Tern TABLE OF CONTENTS 12.0 Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia).................................................................................... 12-3 12.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 12-3 12.2 Life History & Habitat Requirements ................................................................... 12-4 12.2.1 Life History ...................................................................................................... 12-4 12.2.2 Habitat Requirements ...................................................................................... 12-6 12.3 Population & Distribution ..................................................................................... 12-7 12.3.1 Population........................................................................................................ 12-7 12.3.2 Distribution...................................................................................................... 12-9 12.3.3 Breeding........................................................................................................... 12-9 12.3.4 Winter............................................................................................................. 12-11 12.3.5 Summer (Nonbreeding).................................................................................. 12-12 12.4 Status & Abundance Trends................................................................................ 12-13 12.4.1 Status.............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Seabird Migration Survey in Southern and South-Eastern Hong Kong Waters, Spring 2006 (ECF Project 2005-10)
    SEABIRD MIGRATION SURVEY IN SOUTHERN AND SOUTH-EASTERN HONG KONG WATERS, SPRING 2006 Organised by: The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Sponsored by: Environment and Conservation Fund Seabird migration survey in southern and south-eastern Hong Kong waters, spring 2006 (ECF Project 2005-10) The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Project Funding Environment and Conservation Fund Copyright The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Limited (Approved Charitable Institution of a Public Character) All right reserved. No extracts in whole or in part may be reproduced without the permission of Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. Published by The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Limited. Available from The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Limited Room 1612, Beverley Commercial Centre, 87-105 Chatham Road Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2377 4387 Fax: (852) 2314 3687 Email: [email protected] Website: www.hkbws.org.hk And Environment and Conservation Fund Research Projects Vetting Sub-committee 10/F Citibank Tower 3 Garden Road Central, Hong Kong HKBWS: Seabird migration survey in southern and south-eastern Hong Kong waters, spring 2006 2 Seabird migration survey in southern and south-eastern Hong Kong waters, spring 2006 Project Funded by Environment and Conservation Fund Contributors Principal investigator Dr. H. F. Cheung Project managed by W.Y. Lo Report complied by Y. T. Yu From contributions supplied by: Dr. H. F. Cheung, Cheung Mok Jose Alberto, H. K. Ying, John and Jemi Holmes Kwan Tze-hoi (Photographs) Suggested citation: The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. 2006. Seabird migration survey in southern and south-eastern Hong Kong, spring 2006 (ECF Project 2005-10).
    [Show full text]