AMNWR 08/13 BIOLOGICAL MONITORING AT AIKTAK ISLAND, ALASKA IN 2008: SUMMARY APPENDICES Brie A. Drummond Key words: Aiktak Island, Alaska, Aleutian Islands, ancient murrelet, Cepphus columba, common murre, double-crested cormorant, fork-tailed storm-petrel, Fratercula cirrhata, Fratercula corniculata, glaucous-winged gull, horned puffin, Larus glaucescens, Leach’s storm-petrel, Oceanodroma leucorhoa, Oceanodroma furcata, pelagic cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, Phalacrocorax pelagicus, Phalacrocorax urile, pigeon guillemot, population trends, productivity, red-faced cormorant, Synthliboramphus antiquus, thick-billed murre, tufted puffin, Uria aalge, Uria lomvia U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Aleutian Islands Unit 95 Sterling Hwy, Suite 1 Homer, Alaska 99603 September 2008 Cite as: Drummond, B. A. Biological monitoring at Aiktak Island, Alaska in 2008: summary appendices. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv. Rep., AMNWR 08/13. Homer, Alaska. 139 pp. Southern coast of Aiktak Island, Alaska, in early June. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................... 1 STUDY AREA............................................................................................................................................. ..1 METHODS.................................................................................................................................................. ..2 INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS............................................................................................................... .7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................................................. ..7 REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................. 8 FIGURES AND TABLES............................................................................................................…............. 11 Fork-tailed storm-petrel............................................................................................................................... 12 Breeding chronology............................................................................................................................ 12 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 15 Chick growth......................................................................................................................................... 18 Food habits........................................................................................................................................... 19 Leach’s storm-petrel............................................................................................................................... … 22 Breeding chronology............................................................................................................................ 22 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 25 Chick growth........................................................................................................................................ 28 Food habits........................................................................................................................................... 29 All storm-petrel species.............................................................................................................................. 32 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 32 Populations........................................................................................................................................... 35 Morphology........................................................................................................................................... 38 Band resightings.................................................................................................................................. 39 Double-crested cormorant.......................................................................................................................... 40 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 40 Red-faced cormorant.................................................................................................................................. 41 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 41 Pelagic cormorant....................................................................................................................................... 42 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 42 All cormorant species................................................................................................................................. 43 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 43 Populations........................................................................................................................................... 44 Black oystercatcher.....................................................................................................................................45 Breeding chronology.............................................................................................................................45 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 48 Populations........................................................................................................................................... 50 Glaucous-winged gull..................................................................................................................................52 Breeding chronology.............................................................................................................................52 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 55 Populations.......................................................................................................................................... 58 Food habits...........................................................................................................................................64 Common murre........................................................................................................................................... 69 Breeding chronology............................................................................................................................ 69 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 72 Thick-billed murre....................................................................................................................................... 74 Breeding chronology.............................................................................................................................74 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 77 All murre species........................................................................................................................................ 79 Populations........................................................................................................................................... 79 Pigeon guillemot......................................................................................................................................... 83 Populations........................................................................................................................................... 83 Ancient murrelet.......................................................................................................................................... 87 Breeding chronology............................................................................................................................ 87 i Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 90 Horned puffin...............................................................................................................................................92 Breeding chronology.............................................................................................................................92 Reproductive performance................................................................................................................... 95 Chick growth.......................................................................................................................................