FINAL REPORT TO THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (OCSEAP) Contract: 01-5-022-2538 Research Unit: 341 TEE BREEDING BIOLOGY AND FEEDING ECOLOGY OF’ MARINE BIRDS IN THE GULF OF ALASKA Principal Investigators Calvin J. Lensink Gerald A. Sanger Editors Patricia A. Baird Patrick J. Gould Authors Patricia A. Baird Scott A. Hatch Robert D. Jones David R. Nysewander Margaret R. Petersen Reporting partially on the final results of research conducted under OCSEAP Research Unit 341, “Population Dynamics and Trophic Relation- ships oi Marine Birds in the Gulf of Alaska.’” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fishery Research Center Migratory Bird SecEion Anchorage, Alaska 99503 August 1983 . -,-. ‘/ . I ! T -.-:.. - +&?_~-Tj +=+-z .--.’. ‘- -&- .._ .,-. .-. -- k.’ . * . iv . .+~=., ---- +.. .’.. ‘i.=’ -. -- %~+;’?? - -,== t, -.. ...\---- . “ . -’%i?-.-- .-:.: - & .$, .- -% -r;-. - .- ‘-i” “=- - . ---- ::&%~. ,7 . * ;..’$ “ . ““ “=: -’--- ., +=--‘ “. ,0-.,$ . --- .-. ,, e *.< :.. -( “g<ff’p+~~~sk.s - “. - --- “’ ‘-’ “b---- .’._ L.. -.——-— The Breeding Biology and Feeding Ecology of Marine Birds in the Gulf of Alaska Patricia A. Baird Scott A. Hatch Robert D. Jones Davin R. Nysewander Margaret R. Petersen U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1011 East Tudor Road Anchorage, Alaska 99503 August 1983 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ● . .*.***... ● * **..**.*. ● *..*.*,,.. iv LIST OF FIGURES . ● ● .0 . ● . ● * ● S* ● ● 6 ● ● # ● ● e ● * ● . ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● . ● ● ● ● ● xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . ● ● * ● ● * ● * ● . ● ● ● . 0 . ● * ● ● ● ● * ● ● * . ● ● . ● ● ● ● . ● xv SUMMARY WITH RESPECT TO OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT . xvi INTRODUCTION ● ● * ● ● ● ● * ● * ● ● ● ● e ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● * * ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● * ● ● * ● * ● e ● ● 1 SPECIES ACCOUNTS . ● * ● . ● . ● . ● e . ● . ● o ● ● ● ● ● . ● . ● ● . ● ● ● . ● . ● . ● 5 Northern Fulmar . 5 Fork-tailed and Leach’s Storm-Petrel . 32 Cormorants . 67 Glaucous-winged Gull . ● * ● * . ● .* ● . ● . ● . ● . ● . ● ● ● ● ● ● . 96 Mew Gull . ● . ● .** . ● ● ● *.. ● ● ● . ● ● . ● ● ● * ● O ● ● ● ● . ● * ● ● . ● ● * ● ● ● ● ● 135 Black-legged Kittiwake . 152 Arctic and Aleutian Tern ● ..*.*** . +........*...*. 204 Common and Thick-billed Murre . ..o.o..o...se.. 235 Horned Puffin . 253 Tufted Puffin . 277 DISCIJSSION AND SUMMARY... 319 Breeding Distribution and Abundance . 320 Nesting Habitat . ● * ● . ● ● ● . ● O ● 0 . ● * ● * ● ● * ● ● . ● ● . ● ● ● 321 Breeding Chronology . ● . ● ● . e. e . ● ● O . ● .* . ● ● . ● . .* 323 Reproductive Success . 325 Growth of Chicks . 327 Food Habits and Feeding Ecology . 328 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page Colony Attendance . 330 Factors Affecting Reproductive Success . 332 Needs For Furthur Study . 333 Appendix . 335 iii LIST OF TABLES Page I- 1. Number of Nesting Colonies and Breeding Birds in the Gulf of Alaska . 3 II- 1. Estimated Numbers of Fulmars Nesting at Four Major Colonies in Alaska . 16 11- 2. Breeding Chronology of Northern Fulmars at the Semidi Islands, 1976-1978 ● ● * ● ● ● * ● ** ● * ● ● ● ● ** ● ● * ● ** ● * 17 11- 3. Productivity of Northern Fulmars at the Semidi Islands . 18 II- 4. Growth of Northern Fulmar Chicks at the Semidi Islands (1976 and 1977 Data Combined) . ..o. 19 III- 1. Estimated Numbers of l?ork-tailed and Leach’s Storm- Petrels Nesting at Study Sites in the Gulf of Alaska . 48 111- 2. Breeding chronology of Storm-Petrels in the Gulf of Alaska 1976-1978 . ● . ● . ● ● . ● * . ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● * ● . ● ** 49 111- 3. Productivity of Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels . 50 III- 4. Growth of Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Chicks at the Barren and Wooded Islands . ● ,. * . ● , ● . ● ● .* ● ● ● ● ● 51 111- 5. Growth in Culmen, Tarsus, and Wing of Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Chicks at the Wooded Islands, 1976 and 1977 Data Combined..**... ...0..... 52 111- 6. Growth of Leach’s StorwPetrel Chicks at the Wooded Islands, 1976 and 1977 Data Combined . 53 111- 7. Characteristics of Nestling Development in Fork- tailed Storm-Petrels at Two Sites in the Gulf of A3.aska Between 1976 and 1978 . 54 111- 8. Percent Numbers and Frequency of Occurrence of Prey From Regurgitations of Adult Fork-tailed Storm- Petrels at the Wooded Islands, 1976 and 1979 . 55 111- 9. Feeding rates of Fork-tailed and Leach’s Storm- Petrel Nestlings at the Wooded Islands and Barren Islands in 1977 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● . ● ● ● ● ● ● . ● . ● ● ● . 56 H1-10. Mortality of Fork-tailed SLorm-Petrel Eggs and Chicks in Different Habitats at Wooded Islands... 57 iv Page Iv- 1 ● Estimated Numbers of Cormorants Nesting at Eight Colony Sites in the Gulf of Alaska, 1976-1978 . 80 Iv- 2. Variability in Number of Pelagic Cormorants Nesting at Chiniak Bay, Kodiak Island, 1975-1978... 81 Iv- 3. Variability in Numbers of Red-faced Cormorants Nesting in Chiniak Bay, Kodiak Island . 82 Iv- 4. Breeding Chronology of Double-crested Cormorants at Two Sites in the Gulf of Alaska, 1976-77 . 83 Iv- 5. Breeding Chronology of Pelagic Cormorants at Five Sites in the Gulf of Alaska, 1976-78 . 84 IV- 6. Breeding Chronology of Red-faced Cormorants at Four Sites in the Gulf of Alaska, 1976-78 . 85 Iv- 7. Productivity of Double-crested Cormorants in the Gulf of Alaska, 1976-1978 . ● . ● . ● . ● . ● . 86 IV- 8. Productivity of Pelagic Cormorants in the Gulf of Alaska, 1976-1978 . ● . , . , . , . 87 Iv- 9. Productivity of Red-faced Cormorants in the Gulf of Alaska, 1976-78 . , ● . ● . ● . ● ● . , . 88 Iv-lo . Variability in Productivity of Pelagic and Red- faced Cormorants in Chiniak Bay, 1977-1978 . 89 Iv-n. Comparison of Productivity of Pelagic Cormorants at Three Areas in the North Pacific Ocean. 90 v- 1. Estimated Numbers of Glaucous-winged Gulls Nesting at Study Sites in the Gulf of Alaska . 113 v- 2. Parameters of the Nesting Habitat of Glaucous- winged Gulls... 114 v- 3. Breeding Chronology of Glaucous-winged Gulls in the Gulf of Alaska 1976-1978. 115 v- 4. Productivity of Glaucous-winged Gulls . 116 v-5. Frequency Distribution of Clutch Sizes of Glaucous- winged Gulls, . ...*.. 117 V- 6. Estimates of Minimum and Maximum Number of Glaucous- winged Gull Chicks Fledged at Sitkalidak Strait, 1977 . ● . , . ● . , . , . , . , ● . , ● . 118 v Page v- 7. Growth of Glaucous-winged Gull Chicks, Sitkalidak Strait, 1977 and 1978 Data Combined . 119 V- 8. Growth of Glaucous-winged Gull Chicks at Sitkalidak Strait, 1978 . ● . ● ● * ● * ● ● ● ● ● ** ● ● ● ● . ● . ● ● ● ● ● ** ● ● ● . ● ● ● ● ● ● 120 v- 9. Frequency of Occurrence of Frey of Glaucous-winged Gull Chicks, 1976-1978 . ● ● * ● . ● * . ● . ● . ● * ● ● . ● ● ● * ● ● 122 v-lo ● Percent Numbers of Prey Items of Glaucous-winged Gull Chicks, 1977-197$3 at Sitkalidak Strait . 123 V-11* Qualitative List of Types of Prey Found in Regurgitations of Glaucous-winged Gull Chicks or atthe Nest Site . 124 V-12 . Mortality of Glaucous-winged Gull Eggs and Chicks . 125 VI- 1. Estimated Numbers of Mew Gulls Nesting at Five Major Sites in the Gulf of tiaska . 144 VI- 2. Nesting Chronology of Mew Gulls . 145 V1- 3. Reproductive Success of Mew Gulls . 146 VII- 1. Estimated Numbers of Black-legged Kittiwakes Nesting at 10 Study Sites in the Gulf of Alaska . 173 VII- 2* Variations in Numbers of Black-legged Kittiwakes Nesting at Study Sites in the Gulf of Alaska . 174 VII- 3. Parameters of the Nesting Habitat of Black-legged Kittiwakes at Cathedral Island, Sitkalidak Strait, 1977-1978 ., ● ● ● . ● ● ● ● ● . ● e ● . ● * . ● ● * ● . ● ● ● ● 175 VII- 4. Breeding Chronology of Black-legged Kittiwakes in the Gulf of Alaska, 1976-1978 . 176 VII- 5. Productivity of Black-legged Kittiwakes in the Gulf of Alaska, 1976-1978 ., 9* . ● .* ● ● ● ● * * ● * ● ● . ● ● ● ● ● * ● 177 VII- 6. Comparison of the Reproductive Success of Black- legged Kittiwakes Breeding on the Edge and in the Center of a Colony. 179 VII- 7. Growth of Black-legged Kittiwake Chicks in the Gulf of Alaska, 1977-1978 . ● * . ● . ● ● ● . ● . ● ● ● ● ● . ● * 180 VII- 8. Polynomial Regression Equations Describing Growth of Kittiwake Chicks in the Gulf of Alaska, 1977-, 1978 .0. ● ** . ● . ● . ● **.*** . ● . ,. ● . ,. ● ● 181 vi Page VII- 9. Average Daily Weight Gain of Black-legged Kittiwake chicks aged 4-20 days . 182 VII-10. Comparison of Asymptote or Peak Weight of Kittiwake Chicks at Four Sites in the Gulf of Alaska, 1977-1978 . 183 VII-11 . Growth by Two Types of Measurement of Wing Length of Black-1egged Kittiwake Chicks in the Gulf of Alaska, 1977-1978 . ● ● * .* ● ● ** ● . .** ● * ● .** ● . ● * ● * ● . ● ● ● 4 184 “VI 1-12. Growth of Tarsus of Black-legged Kittiwake Chicks in the Gulf of Alaska, 1977-1978 . 185 VII-13. Frequency of Occurrence of Prey of Black-legged Kittiwake Chicks in the Gulf of Alaska, 1977- 1978 . 186 VII-14 . Composition by Weight of Prey Delivered to Black- legged Kittiwake Chicks in the Gulf of Alaska, 1977-1978 ● ● ● ** ● ** ● ** ● ● * ● ● * ● ● ● ● * ● ● * ● .* ● ● * ● * ● * ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 187 VII-15. Frequencies of Feedings Per Chick Per Hour on Different Days at Chiniak Bay and Sitkalidak Strait, August 1978 ● * . ● . ● * ● ● ● ● ● ● . .* ● ● ● * .* .*. 188 VIII- 1. Estimated Numbers of Arctic and Aleutian Terns Nesting at Study Sites in the Gulf of Alaska . 217 VIII- 2. Parameters of the Nesting Habitat of Arctic and Aleutian Terns . 218 VIII- 3. Breeding Chronology of Arctic Terns in the Gulf of.