VOL. 8 (5) MARCH, 1980 137 The First Australian Breeding Record of the White-fronted Tern* By J. S. WHINRAY, Flinders , , 7255.

Early in 1979 I found some White-fronted Terns Sterna striata Gmelin breeding in Tasmania on in the . Pre·­ viously the species was known to breed only in New Zealand (Hindwood, 1946; Falla, et al., 1966; Serventy, et al., 1971 ; Frith, 1977). Hindwood (1946) brought together most of the prior records of this species for the Australian region and, with few exceptions, these fell within the period of May to November. Hitchcock & Favaloro (1951) considered it "more than likely" that some of Hindwood's late records, particularly the January "stragglers", were referable to the Com­ mon Tern Sterna hirundo longipennis. The subsequent Australian records of the White-fronted Tern also fell within the May to November period (the sources include Hitchcock & Favaloro, 1951; Clark & Dawson, 1957; Lawrence, 1959; and Kinsky, 1963). The New Zealand breeding season starts in October (Oliver, 1955; Falla, et al., 1966). So the period of the species' absence from the Aus­ tralian region coincided with much of the New Zealand breeding season. The first six Australian recoveries of birds banded in New Zealand were made in 1955 in New South Wales. Six sightings of banded birds were made the next year in the same state. These records were " the first definite evidence to support the theory that White-fronted Terns winter­ ing on the coast of New South Wales and Victoria are birds of New Zealand origin" (Clarke & Dawson, 1957). Six more Australian recoveries of banded birds were made in 1959 in Victoria and New South Wales (Kinsky, 1960). Two more recoveries were made in New South Wales in 1962 (Kinsky, 1963), and a single recovery in 1963 in the same state (Robertson, 1964). These records increased the evidence for the New Zealand origin of the White-fronted Terns recorded in the Australian region. Battery Island The Furneaux Group is in south-eastern and Battery Island is one of its smallest islets. It is a granite islet of about 0.3 of a hectare. Except for the small northern sandbeach, the shore is rocky. The dominant vegetation is hassocks of Prickly Speargrass Stipa tere­ tifolia. The islet has been described in some detail, and a bird list given for May and June 1976 (Whinray, 1978). The Early 1979 Visits On January 8, I landed on the islet, finding a small rookery by the summit of the rocky south-eastern point. Part of this area was vegetated, the cover being a succulent mat with a few emergent Prickly Speargrass hassocks. The birds, which had nested in the vegetated area, were Silver Gulls Larus novaehollandiae, Fairy Terns Sterna nereis and White­ fronted Terns. Each species used a separate but adjacent nesting area. * Preliminary notice of this record was given in the Bird Observers' Association of Tasmania Bimonthly Newsletter, May, 1979 (no page numbering). AUSTRALIAN 138 WHINRAY BIRD WATCHER

About fifteen White-fronted Terns in breeding plumage were present but, as I had no telephoto lens, they could not be photographed. There were three nests: one had two eggs, the others had one egg each. The nests were very simple, just shallow depressions in the succulent mat (see Plate 44. There are three seashell fragments in the nest). In the rookery, but away from the nests, were three chicks of this species. One of them rose and then returned to the rookery. When I left the rookery, adult White-fronted Terns settled on the nest with two eggs and on one of the others. No bird settled on the third nest during the whole visit, which lasted about an hour. A minimum of four pairs, and a maximum of six, could have been responsible for the eggs and chicks seen during the visit. The number of adults - about fifteen - fits the larger figure reasonably well. The second visit was made with a large National Parks and Wildlife Service party on January 23. At the rookery there were three White­ fronted Terns in breeding plumage and four chicks. Two of the latter could fly and one of them flew to a south-west rock. The breeding birds attacked whenever we came too close to the chicks. An adult was seen diving into water about twelve metres deep and then feeding the smallest chick with a small fish. All the film which I took with a borrowed camera and telephoto lens was exposed out of focus. It was the first time I had used such a lens and the presence of so large a party made me anxious to photograph the birds quickly as I was unsure if they would remain at the rookery during the visit. My third visit was made on February 5 in order to take good photo­ graphs. Two black and white films and one colour film were taken successfully during this visit. T here were two White-fronted Tern chicks at the rookery. Both were away from the nests but unable to fly. Two pairs of adult White-fronted Terns were present and each pair seemed to be responsible for a chick. The adults attacked whenever I moved too close to the chicks. They did this by flying at head height, usually towards my face, and then turning aside when just out of arm's reach. Buller noted this mode of attack (Turbott, 1967). On the rocks just south-west of the islet were four White-fronted Terns. One was a mottled, adult-sized immature bird; the others were adults that had the fronts of their crowns mottled. One of these adults landed on the islet later and was photographed. Breeding Birds T hese were about half as long again as the breeding Fairy Terns. So their length from bill tip to tail tip was about 38 centimetres. The bills were slender and black. The crowns were a deep black which extended down the front past the eyes, giving way to white on the fore­ heads. On the sides, the black finished just below the eyes, and the white of the cheeks began there. The change from black to white was abrupt at both places. When the seated birds were seen from behind, the black of the crowns could be seen to continue to the bases of the napes. The throats and sides of the necks were white (for these details see Plates 45, 47 and 48 but note that they were taken in February when two of the breeding birds had white spots in the fronts of their crowns). My photographs do not show as wide a white forehead as was painted VOL. 8 (5) MARCH, 1980 White-fronted Terns 139

White-fronted Tern's nest, Battery Island. The pen is 150mm long. Pla te 44 P hoto by J ohn W h inray

White-fronted Tern with chick, Battery Island. Pla te 45 Photo by John W hinray AU:SlKALlAN 140 WHINRAY BIRD WATCHER by Slater (1970) but they do show the same width of forehead as in the photographs in Serventy, et al. (1971), and Frith (1977). I conclude that Slater's plate could be defective in this detail. When the birds were on the wing, the tails were seen to be long, forked and pale grey on top. The undersides of the tails were white. The main colour of the tops of the wings was pale grey and along their hind edges was a narrow white band. A narrow black edge could be seen on each outermost primary feather as the birds flew about. In repose it was seen to be midway between the shoulder and the wingtip and to occupy about one sixth of the wing edge. The outer primaries were noticed as a darker colour than the backs when the birds were at rest. The undersides of the wings were white. During the first visit the tails were recorded as projecting "just beyond the folded wings". On the third visit I checked the four breeding birds. One had a tail about 2.5 centimetres longer than the folded wings, two had wings and tails of more or less the same length and the fourth had wings about one centimetre longer than the tail. For some of the birds it was very difficult to distinguish their wingtips from their tail tips. The bellies and breasts were white. The legs were recorded as dusky­ red on the second visit, and as "reddish" on the third visit. The only colour change in the plumage of the breeding birds was noticed on the third visit. Two birds had a white spot in the black of their crowns between their eyes (this can be seen in one of the birds in plates 47 and 48) I take this change to be the first step in the reversion to eclipse plumage. Birds Mottled on the Fronts of their Crowns These birds were noticed only on the third visit. The difference between them and the birds in full breeding plumage was in their crowns. Not just the foreheads were white but also the fronts of their crowns to be­ tween their eyes. There the white gave way to a small area mottled black and white. The rest of each crown was black. The black of the crowns extended below the mottled area, reaching and surrounding the eyes (see Plate 48). This colour distribution fits the plate in Slater (1970) , except for two details. I did not note a small black area in front of the eyes and recorded black below them. I think that, as far as these points are concerned, Slater's plate shows a bird in eclipse plumage. Another detail of my sighting - the black area of each crown - shows that the birds did not have eclipse plumage. Falla, et al. (1966) and Serventy, et al. (1971) say that the mottled crown is a sign of eclipse plumage but do not mention a mottled nape. Note that Slater's plate and his description are partly discrepant. He wrote that non-breeding birds have the crown and nape streaked but his plate shows only part of the crown streaked and no change to the nape (Slater, 1970). To judge by the descriptions in Oliver (1955), Falla, et al. (1966), and Serventy, et al. (1971), Slater has attributed mistakenly a characteristic of first winter birds - the mottled nape - to the eclipse adult. But for the mottling in the fronts of their crowns, the birds which I saw could have been sub-adults (second year birds). Falla, et al. (1966) say that they are similar to adults in eclipse "but above the high white forehead are black on the crown." ~< ;.>0 i'lt"' @oo :_3 \0 C/0 0

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""" White-fronted Terns, Batter y Island. The birds centre and left are the same pairs as in Plate 48. Plate 46 Photo by John Whinr ay AUSTRALIAN 142 WHINRAY BIRD WATCHER

I conclude that the birds I saw were adults which had reverted a little more towards eclipse plumage than two of the adults that were tending the chicks. Non-Flying Chicks The following details were noted on the third v1stt. Both the chicks had slender, dark bills and black legs. One had a dark head mottled with a lighter colour. It had grey on the shoulders of both wings. Except for the primary feathers, the rest of the outside of each wing was mottled grey and white. Its belly, breast, throat and the sides of its neck were white. The other chick differed only in its wings. The shoulders were grey but the rest of the wings, except for the primary feathers, were mottled black on grey (see Plate 46). Prior Furneaux Group Records There are two prior records of the White-fronted Tern for the Furneaux Group. On November 18, 1893, A. J. Campbell (1894) made a record on tiny Mid . In contrasting the species with the Crested Tern, seen at , he wrote: "The small Southern Tern (S. fron­ talis), with black bill, was observed in a colony on a rock between Woody and Little Woody , in Franklin Sound. They also had not yet laid in their nesting hollows amongst the short matted ice-plant and other weeds." Later Campbell (1 901) gave a similar account of the same sighting. There was "a small colony of Southern or White-fronted Terns, distin­ guished by their black bills, hovering over or near. Although it was 18th November, they had not laid, but would shortly do so, judging by the little depressions or preparations of nesting-places in terraces prettily situated amongst the short matted pig-face weed and other flowering herbage close to the shore." Hind wood ( 1946) suggested that the nesting hollows on Mid Woody Island could have been made by the Crested Terns which Campbell recorded in Franklin Sound. I consider that Hindwood's attitude was not warranted by the sources. Perhaps he was handicapped, to a certain extent. by using only Campbell (1901) instead of the earlier source as well. However Campbell (1901) stated plainly that the Crested Terns had nesting sites at Samphire Island. He mentioned "that during the visit of the Field Naturalists' Expedition to Furneaux Group, we disturbed a small colony on the Samphire River R eef in Franklin Sound, commencing to nest, and they had not laid. Date, 18th November, 1893." Both of Campbell's accounts attributed the Mid Woody nesting sites quite clearly to the White-fronted Terns and he did not mention Crested Terns there. So, on the one day, he found these species with nesting sites on i~lets eleven kilometres apart. In the face of such clear statements by Campbell, I suggest that his record is totally acceptable and that the White-fronted Terns were acting in a proprietorial way towards, and were likely to have made the nesting hollows on Mid Woody Island. While I agree with Hindwood that the hollows were not evidence of breeding, I think they suggest strongly that the species intended to breed there. The White-fronted Tern was included by Le Souef (1902) in his "Iist VOL. 8 (5) MARCH, 1980 White-fronted Terns 143

White-fronted Tern chick, Battery Island. Plate 47 P hoto by Jo h n Whinray

Pair of White-fronted Terns, Battery Island. Pla te 48 P hoto by J o hn Whinray f-\U~lt\.. f-\LLf-\.1"1 144 WHINRAY BIRD WATCHER of the other birds seen and identified" at the Furneaux Group during a trip which began during the latter end of November 1901. Later Le Souef (no date) gave more details of this record. On the way through Franklin Sound from the east they "noticed a colony of noisy Bass Strait Terns as well as some Southern Terns, but neither had started nesting." (Bass Strait Terns are Crested Terns). Note that Le Souef in this publication mistakenly dated the record for November 1904 instead of November 1901. As Hindwood (1946) did not use the earlier source, he was unaware of this oversight. Comments As the rookery on Battery Island was so small, it seems likely that most of the White-fronted Terns seen in the Australian region during May to November each year are still New Zealand migrants. The discovery resulted from my first summer visit to one of the islets in the southernmost part of the Furneaux Group. As far as I know, my first J 979 landing on Battery Island was only the second by any observer since made one bird record there in 1797. (Flinders (1814), and Whinray (1978), dealt with the prior visits). The only regular bird watching ever done on islands in the southern­ most part of the Group was that of John D. Maclaine who lived on Clarkes Island which is just south of Battery Island. His records, which were made from 1902 to 1907, do not include the White-fronted Tern (Maclain e, 1903>-1908). There h::ts been no thorough survey of the islets, reefs or rocks of the Furne::1ux Group at any period of year, let alone during summer. My survey work has, of necessity, been done piecemeal. My suggestion to the National Parks and Wildlife Service that it should organise such a survey for the summer of 1979-80 was unsuccessful. I will continue to press for a thorough local survey. "Notoriously capricious" is how Falla, et al. (1966) have described the White-fronted Tern's use of rookeries. So while I do not expect the species to breed again on Battery Island, it may be found elsewhere in the Furneaux Group. For it seems unlikely that birds raised on a Tas­ manian islet would go to New Zealand to breed. Future observations should show if the local breeding population persists and increases. Acknowledgements Miss Anne M. Piesse, of the Tasmanian Museum, helped with the first visit. Mr. Barry S. Jobson twice lent his camera and telephoto lens. Mr. G. W. G. Goode generously lent his boat for two of the trips. Miss Truda Grey made very helpful comments on a late draft of the paper. Mrs. Anne Mattay and Mrs. Jenny R ayner, of the State Library of Tasmania, obtained many useful photocopies for me. References and Consulted Sources My listings below under Maclaine differ from those in Hope, et al. (1973). I omit a non-existent note, make two more corrections to their listings and include an overlooked note. Alexander, W. B., 1928. Birds of the Ocean. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York. Armstrong, W. J. T., 1908. A Visit to the Furneaux Group, Bass Strait. Emu VII: 181-184. Campbell, A. J., 1894. Ornithological Remarks. Victorian Naturalist X(ll): 179-183. VOL. 8 (5) MARCH, 1980 White-fronted Terns 145

Campbell, A. J., 1901. Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds ... Published privately, Sheffield. Clark, W. C., and E. W. Dawson, 1957. The Trans-Tasman Dispersal of the White-fronted Tern (Sterna striata, Gm.) Notornis 7 (3): 65-69. Falla, R. A., Sibson, R . B., and E. G. Turbott, 1966. A Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand and Outlying Islands. Collins, London. Flinders, M., 1814. A Voyage to T erra A ustralis . . . , 1. G. & W. N icol, London. Frith, H. J. (Ed.), 1977. Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds. Reader's Digest Services, Sydney. Gould, J., 1842. Sterna Velox. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, part X, pp. 139-140. Gould, J., 1848. Birds of , 7. Published by the author, London. Gould, J., 1865. Handbook to the Birds of Australia. Published by the author, London. Hindwood, K. A., 1946. The White-fronted Tern (Sterna striata) in Aus­ tralia. Emu 45: 179-200. Hitchcock, W. B. and Favaloro, N. J., 1951. Victorian Records of Sterna striata Gm. and Sterna hirundo longipennis Nordm. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 17: 207-214. Hope, J. H., Murray-Smith, S. & F. I. Norman, 1973. A Bibliography of Bass Strait 1797-1971. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 85 (2): 79-116. Kinsley, F. C., 1960. lOth Annual R eport of the Banding Committee Orni­ thological Society of New Z ealand, Inc. For the Y ear ending 31st March, 1960, page 34. Dominion Museum, Wellington. Kinsky, F. C., 1963. 13th Annual Report of the New Z ealand Bird Band­ ing Scheme For the Year Ending 31st March, 1963, page 29. Dominion Museum, Wellington. Lawrence, C. C., 1949. An Occurrence of the White-fronted Tern in Tasmanian Waters. Emu 48: 325-326. Le Souef, D., 1902. A Visit to the F urneaux Group of Islands. Victorian Naturalist 18: 181-188. Le Souef, W. H. D., (no date). Wild Life in Australia. Whitcombe & Tombs, Christchurch. Littler, F. M., 1910. A Handbook of the Birds of Tasmania . .. Published by the author, Launceston. Macdonald, J. D., 1973. Birds of A ustralia. A. H . & A. W. Reed, Sydney. Maclaine, J. D., 1903. (Bass Strait) Notes. Emu 3: 62-64. Maclaine, J. D., 1904. Clarke Island (Bass Strait) N otes. Emu 3: 191- 192; 4: 21-22, 70. Maclaine, J. D., 1905. Clarke Island (Bass Strait) Notes. Emu 4: 174- 175; 5: 34-35. Maclaine, J. D., 1906. Clarke Island (Bass Strait) Notes. Emu 5: 208- 209; 6: 67-68. Maclaine, J. D., 1907. Bass Strait Notes. Emu 6: 194-195. Maclaine, J.D., 1908. Clarke Island (Bass Strait) Notes. Emu 7: 191-193. McKean, J. L., 1960. White-fronted Terns in South-eastern Australia in 1959. Emu 60: 262-264. Mellor, J. W., & S. A. White, 1913. Camp-out. Emu XII: 158-164. Moncrieff, P ., (no date). New Z ealand Birds and How to identify •Them. Whitcombe & Tombs, Auckland. AUSTRALIAN 146 WHINRAY BIRD WATCHER

Newman, 0 . M. G., 1975. Tasmanian Bird Report 4:13. Bird Observers Association of Tasmania, Hobart. Newman, 0. M. G., 1976. Tasmanian Bird Report 5:12. Bird Observers Association of Tasmania, Hobart. North, A. J., 1889. Descriptive Catalogue of the Nests and Eggs of Birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania. Australian Museum, Sydney. North, A. J., 1913-1914. Nests and Eggs of Birds found Breeding in Aus­ tralia and Tasmania, IV. Australian Museum, Sydney. Oliver, W. R. B., 1955. New Zealand Birds. A. H. & A. W. Reed, Wellington. Robertson, C. J. R., 1964. 14th Annual Report of the New Zealand Bird Banding Scheme for the Year ending 31st March, 1964, page 28. Dominion Museum, Wellington. Serventy, D. L., Serventy, V. & J. Warham, 1971. The Handbook of Australian Sea-Birds. A. H . & A. W. Reed, Sydney. Sharland, M., 1958. Tasmanian Birds. Angus & Robertson, Sydney. Slater, P., 1970. A Field Guide to Australian Birds Non-Passerines. Rigby, Adelaide. Soper, M. F., 1972. New Zealand Birds. Whitcombe & Tombs, Christ· church Thomas, D. G., 1979. Tasmanian Bird R eport 7:17. Bird Observers Asso­ ciation of Tasmania, Hobart. Turbott, E. G. (Ed.), 1967. Buller's Birds of New Zealand. Whitcombe & Tombs, Christchurch. Wall, L. E., 1969. White-fronted Tern Sterna striata in Tasmania. Tas­ manian Naturalist 19: 2. Whinray, J. S., 1978. Some Records for Battery Island, Tasmania. Vic­ torian Naturalist 95 (2): 62-66. White, S. A., 1909. Narrative of the Expedition Promoted by the Aus­ tralasian Ornithologists' Union to the Islands of Bass Strait. Emu VIII: 195-207. ABW VOL. 9 (4) DECEMBER 1981 Birds in a Suburban Coastal Environment 129

Introduced Species

Domestic Pigeon: (J) and (L) Usually in flying flocks but small numbers in car parks and open area. Spotted Turtle-Dove: (J) More than 5 all year. (L) Fewer. Blackbird: (J) Occasionally more than 20, breeding. (L) Usually less than 5. European Goldfinch: (J) Less than 5, irregular, all year. (L) Fewer. European Greenfinch: (J) Usually less than 5, irregular, all year. House Sparrow: (J) Often more than 20, all year, breeding. (L) Fewer and sometimes absent. Tree Sparrow: (J) Few birds, May, May. (L) May, June, Oct. Common Starling: (J) and (L) Often more than 20, always present, car parks and open areas. Common Mynah: (J) Seldom more than 5, always present, car parks and open areas. (L) Fewer and often absent.

ABW

Corrigendum

In the Australian Bird Watcher vol. 8 pp. 141 and 143 the three plates illustrating 'The First Australian Breeding Record of the White-fronted Tern' by J. S. Whinray were incorrectly labelled. Corrections should be made as follows: p. 141 for Plate 46 write Plate 48 for pairs as in Plate 48 write pair as in Plate 47 p. 143 for Plate 47 Write Plate 46 for P late 48 write Plate 47 These corrections should also be made to the plate numbers as given in the Index of Plates, vol. 8 p. 264. ABW