ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN

NO. 561

THE STATUS OF THE BIRDS OF WAKE ATOLL

BY

MARK J. RAUZON, DAVID BOYLE, WILLIAM T. EVERETT,

AND JOHN GILARDI

ISSUED BY

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A.
NOVEMBER 2008

Figure 1 . Map of Island Location in Pacific.

THE STATUS OF THE BIRDS OF WAKE ATOLL

BY

MARK J. RAUZON, 1 DAVID BOYLE, 2 WILLIAM T. EVERETT, 3

AND JOHN GILARDI 1

INTRODUCTION

With the exception of the extinct Wake Rail, Wake Atoll birdlife has recovered
from the destruction of World War II and the depredations of introduced feral cats.
Significant changes in the avifauna of Wake Atoll began with the commencement of
cat control in 1996, and accelerated with eradication of feral cats in 2004. (See cat
eradication paper in this volume). As a result, Gray-backed Tern and increasing numbers
of boobies and shearwaters recolonized areas where they were found nesting before
the war. Band recoveries from four species indicate French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii and
Johnston Atoll serve as sources for some of the species recolonizing Wake. After cats
were eliminated as predators, Pacific rats numbers increased and they depredated tern
chicks and eggs. In 2006, Wake was struck by a super-typhoon. Nevertheless, seabird
populations continue to increase, and additional species are found as migrants.

Our annotation of 56 bird species add over 20 species to the previous published
assessment of 3 1 species known from Wake Atoll (Jones 1995). We include 15 new
records, several unreported museum specimens, document seven species that were
previously considered hypothetical and list six needing confirmation. In addition, we
include a rare photograph of the Wake Rail from a previously unpublished journal
discovered in 2004. We also review some unpublished accounts and report our own
observations made during feral cat project spanning 1996 to 2004, as well as observations
made during a rat control program from 2006 to 2008, that added additional new species.

We reviewed notes on birdlife published from past Wake Atoll expeditions
including those of A. Wetmore (1923) in (Olson 1996); A. F. Bailey (1951); E. H.

Bryan Jr. (1959); and F. R. Fosberg (1966). Many bird records were obtained from the
Smithsonian Institution’s Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program (POBSP) but there is
no published summary of these observations except a study of the Pacific Golden Plover
that includes vagrants seen on Wake (Johnston and McFarlane, 1967).

Baker (1951) listed birds known from Wake in his review of the Micronesian
avifauna. Although Wake is considered an outlying Marshall Island, the status of Wake
birds were not considered by Amerson in his review of ornithology of the Marshall
Islands (1969).

Marine Endeavors, 4701 Edgewood Ave. Oakland, CA 94602

2 Wildlife Management International Inc. Wellington, New Zealand

3 Endangered Species Recovery Council, Julian, CA 92038

Manuscript received 10 October 2008; revised 3 December 2008

2

The only nearly complete list of the species known to occur at Wake is a checklist
of Micronesia by Pyle and Engbring (1986) who make several references to poorly
documented records of specimens housed in the U.S. National Museum. There is another
paper entitled Notes on the Birds of Wake Island, Central Pacific, by R. B. Clapp (1986)
that was not published. More recently, Wiles (2005) lists a review of Micronesian fauna
that includes some of our reports of Wake birds, but did not list species reported without
documentation, and VanderWerf (2006) reviews Marshall Island birds from Kwajalein.

Survey Area

Wake Atoll is one of the most isolated islands in the world. Tocated in
Micronesia, it is the northernmost outlier of the Marshall Islands. Wake Atoll (19°18'55 M
N : 166°38'21 M E), lies approximately 1,400 miles from Guam, 1,200 miles from Midway
Islands, 2,600 miles from Honolulu 1,600 miles from Johnston Atoll; 900 miles from
Marcus Island to the north. The nearest landfall is Taongi Atoll, 375 miles to the south.
(Figure 1).

The total land area of Wake Atoll is approximately 739 hectares (1,826 acres; 2.85
square miles; 7.4 km 2 ) with 12 miles of coastline. Its three islands, Wilkes, Wake and
Peale, form a “V” shaped atoll, open on the northwest side and surrounded by a barrier
reef. (See Figures 2 & 3). The islands are linked by about 9 miles of paved road and
about 25 miles of unpaved roads. A 10,000-foot runway, with associated taxiways and
aprons covers much of Wake Island at the head of the lagoon. The runway is adjacent to
freshwater ponds in a few low-lying, wetland areas. Extensive sand flats at the head of
the lagoon also provide shorebird habitat.

The three islets that compose Wake are separated from each other by water.

The original channel between Wilkes and Wake Island is now a solid fill causeway but
a channel was blasted in Wilkes Islet that is now submerged during high tide. Another
channel separating Wake and Peale Islands was spanned with a wooden trestle bridge
until it burned down in December 2003. Due to the linkage of Wilkes and Wake and the
placement of cement bridge anchors between Wake and Peale, tidal flow has decreased
and the lagoon has become shallow with a maximum depth of 25 m. (Banner et al.,

1969).

Along the lagoon shore, sandy beaches extend to the tips of the islets (See Figure
3). The island’s north side is composed largely of broken coral pieces, interspersed with
coral rock shelves. The eastern side and southwest side is very rough, eroded coral rock,
with projections of large sheets of flat reef the bordering the island. Captain Wilkes
noted in 1839: “Wake’s Island is a low coral one, of triangular form, and eight feet
above the surface... From appearances, the island must be at times submerged, or the sea
makes a complete breach over it.” (Wilkes, 1844). The naturalist for the U. S. Exploring
Expedition, Titian Ramsey Peale, described the island similarly: “The only remarkable
part in the formation of this island is the enormous blocks of coral which have been
thrown up by the violence of the sea.” (Poesch, 1961) . . .It has upon it the shrubs which
are usually found on the low islands of the Pacific, the most abundant of which was the
Tournefortia (Wilkes Narrative v:284-5-1844 in Bryan 1959)

The vegetation is typical of Pacific islands, composed of six major plant habitat
types: Tournefortia argentia scrub including some Scaevola taccada , Cordia subcordata

3

Figure 2. Locations mentioned in text on Wake Atoll.

Figure 3. Satellite Image of Wake Atoll. Peale Island is the turtle-shaped isle in the upper left;
Wake Island is the main ‘V’ shaped island and Wilkes Island is at the lower left.

4

and Pisonia grandis ; Pemphis acidula scrub; grasslands with Dactyloctenium aegyptium
and Tribulus cistoides ; Sesuvium portulacastrum wetlands; Casuarina equifolia forest; and
ruderal areas that include Leucaena leucocephala (Fosberg and Sachet, 1969). Birds inhabit
relatively small portions of the atoll (See Figure 4). The largest habitat is Tournefortia
forest (See Fig. 5 & 6). The native vegetation and birdlife was devastated during World War
II when thousands of Japanese soldiers were put under siege and bombed by the American
forces for four years. After the war, military debris was salvaged, areas of the island
were abandoned and native plants recolonized. From the 1950s to the 1960s, the aircraft
areas were vegetated in grass and housing areas were landscaped with exotic tropical
vegetation. Over 2,000 people lived on Wake in the 1970’s, but when the island personnel
were reduced, introduced vegetation, especially ironwood trees ( Casuarina equifolia ),
becomes a monoculture around the atoll. Ironwood creates habitat for tree-nesting noddies,
and other species such as Taysan Albatross, Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, and White-tailed
Tropicbirds may benefit from the cover. However, native vegetation is diminishing due to
the smothering effect of ironwood needles.

Legend

fauna_sighting_point
feat dcsc

$ BlacMoated AJbafiO&S
Ip Christmas Shearwater
® Laysan Albatross
Ip White- tailed TropjcbirtJ

nesting area
FAUNA_SPP

Black Noddy
| BrttUe-llilghcd Curlew
| Brown Booby
Brown Noddy
Gray-becked Tern
H Great Frigatebird

| Red-footed Bnoby
| Red-lailcd Tropicblrd
Sooty Tern

| weoge-taitoa Shearwater
White Tern

| White- tailed Tropicblrd
P waterfowl

Figure 4: Bird areas on Wake Atoll. Map courtesy of A. Hebshi.

5

Figure 5. Construction workers with a bo’sn bird and a dark shearwater, maybe Christmas?
Peale Island- 1936 (photo courtesy of C. Nickerson).

Figure 6. Peale Island: 1939- Vegetation Photograph of Tournifortia forest. Photo by Torrey Lyons

Avian History

The first bird records from Wake are those regarding albatross made by Titian
Peale, the biologist for the U.S. Exploring Expedition in 1838-41 (See albatross species
account). The first comprehensive bird survey was by Dr. Alexander Wetmore of the
Smithsonian Institution, biologist-in-charge of the Tanager Expedition, who visited Wake

6

and other islands in the Central Pacific Ocean. These observations made from 27 July to
5 August, 1923, portray the Wake Atoll avifauna after the island had already been raided
by Japanese feather hunters in the first decade of the 1900s; but was “more or less in its
original condition.” (Wetmore letter, 1939; Olson, 1996).

Wetmore reports that Wake did not have the extensive bird colonies found in the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Olson, 1996). E. H. Bryan who accompanied Wetmore
on their summer survey of Wake wrote: “In 1923 the sea birds were the usual species:
petrels, red-tailed tropic bird, boobies, frigate, and terns... to the Pacific golden plover,
bristle-thighed curlew, wandering tattler, turnstone, sanderling, and sandpiper, doubtless
could be added other migratory species of the western Pacific.” (Bryan, 1942). Wetmore
also found some old albatross bones: “3 weathered humeri, heads of 3 others... These are
all Diomedea immutabilis .” (Olson, 1996). Wetmore also collected a series of about 45
endemic Wake Rails (Gallir alias wakensis) that are housed in the U.S. National Museum

In 1935, Pan American Airline construction workers reported a similar
avifauna:

“There were no goonies at Wake Island and no love birds, [White Terns] but there were
large numbers of black terns [Black Noddies] which made their nests in trees. They
resented any approach, and would swoop down at us scolding vigorously. The bo’sn bird
were also present... Perhaps the bo’sn bird gets his name from his ability to imitate a hard-
boiled bo’sn swearing at his crew.” (Grooch, 1936). See Figure 7.

Photo # 80-G-4 11160 Wake Island. 25 May J 94 1 . looking toward the west

Figure 7. Aerial view of Wake and Peale Islets in 1941- National Archives photo.

7

An early effort in bird conservation is noted in a letter dated 16 Aug. 1935 from
the Commandant of the 14th Naval District to Pan American Airways:

“We appreciate very greatly Rear Admiral Yarnelfs interest in the preservation of the
unique birdlife found on Midway and Wake Islands, and the instructions he has been
given regarding the introduction of cats, dogs, mice and other bird enemies on these
Islands. The introduction of such domestic animals as swine, goats, and sheep on islands
in other parts of the world has had equally disastrous effects on bird life by destroying
vegetation and cover. May we suggest that these animals be included among those
prohibited on the Islands? The Commandant has issued instructions that no domestic
animals including swine, goats and sheep be permitted to land on Midway and Wake
Islands.”

In 1938, Vaughan (1945) identified Laysan Albatross (“goonies”) and what he
called Common and Least Terns in his account of the birdlife.

“Others of which I was uncertain were two or three kinds of terns, a “stormy” petrel, a
wader that resembled a Phalarope or a Plover that might be peculiar to this island [Wake
Rail?] and a blackish bird that at a distance looked like a crow but probably was not
[Brown Noddy?]. My infonnants were also of the opinion that only the Albatross and
perhaps some of the terns were away for part of the year and that the other species were
permanent residents.” (Vaughn, 1945).

In 1939-41, Torrey Lyons, a gardener hired by the Pan American Airways, kept a
journal of birds observed, collected and photographed for over a year. These observations
occurred at a time of minimal disturbance and are especially important for the extensive
observations and photographs of the Wake Rail. Lyons' forgotten journal, and unknown
photos of Wake Rails were rediscovered during our research. See Figure 8. These
complement the five specimens of Wake Rails, including the only chicks preserved,
that Lyons collected and housed at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of
California in Berkeley.

Figure 8. Best photograph of a Wake Rail, Peale I. in the photo collection of Torrey Lyons, 1939.

8

After the war, natural history investigations did not resume until May 1949
when Alfred M. Bailey visited Wake. He reported the extinction of the Wake Rail and
commented on the devastation wrought by the war. He noted few bird species, other than
Sooty Terns that were nesting by the thousands on Peale Island:

“A few man-o’war birds ( Frezata maznificens ) [sic] were sitting about on the rusted iron
skeletons of the bombed naval buildings. Small groups of noddy terns ( Anous stolidus )
were nesting in the dwarf trees known locally as bukas ( Pisonja zrandis ). We saw two
white-tailed tropicbirds. It was apparent that the bird population had suffered from the
Japanese occupation, for aside from what I have just mentioned, there were no birds. We
did not see any boobies ( Sula ). red tailed tropicbirds, or albatrosses. A search for burrow
nesting birds as petrels and shearwaters was out of the question. . .1 saw nothing of either.”

(Bailey in Bryan 1959).

Fosberg (1966) visited the atoll six times starting from 1951 to 1963 and recorded
15 bird species. A considerable amount of information was obtained by the Smithsonian
Institution’s Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program (hereafter POBSP), during 11
visits from 1963 through 1968. See Table 1. Most reports were by biologist Robert
McFarlane, but in 1967, R. Chandler reported 11 bird species from Wake Atoll and
importantly; “The main island, Wake proper, was found nearly devoid of birdlife except
for occasional golden plovers around the air strips.”(POBSP; Chandler, 1967).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologists visited and made
observations in 1982, 1983, 1989, and 1994. H. T. Jones (1995) who visited Wake from
24 March - 1 April 1993 published observations of 31 species of birds and summarized
some historical data. We build on Jones’ report with observations made during seven
extended visits from 1996 to 2004. Our visits were funded by the U.S. Department
of Defense Tegacy Program and entitled: Conservation of Indigenous Birds at Wake
Atoll, during which time we eradicated feral cats, concluding in late 2004. The cat
eradication program helped increase bird diversity and populations that are now at the
levels first recorded in 1923. A review of past bird populations is in Table 2. We have
summarized 56 species that have been identified at Wake, and gathered new information
on the extinct Wake rail to be published later (Olson and Rauzon, in prep.). We also
report some previous undocumented specimens and confirm several published records
(Johnson and McFarlane, 1967) that failed to provide descriptive evidence and therefore
were considered as questionable sightings. Pyle and Engbring (1985) list three species
requiring further documentation before their identity can be confirmed, and we provide
museum specimen numbers for two of these species. In the following Species Accounts,
we also provide reviews of four more hypothetically occurring species that need further
documentation.

9

Table 1: Recent Scientific Visits

POBSP Visits
June 8-16, 1963

July 20-28, 1963

Dec. 21, 1963-Jan. 5, 1964

Apr- 11 -27, 1964

Aug 22-30, 1964

Dec 19, 1964- Jan 10, 1965

May 8-23, 1965

June 14-21, 1966,

Dec. 27, 1966- Jan. 4, 1967
Mar. 1-15, 1968
Sept 4-7, 1968
CAT Program Visits

Dec. 5-10, 1996

Jul. 17-29, 1998; Oct. 21-23, 1998 (USFWS)

Feb. 17-Mar. 8, 1999

Sep. 21-Oct. 4, 2000

Jun. 28 -Aug. 20, 2003

Nov. 1, 2003 - Jan. 10, 2004

Jul. 25- Aug. 27, 2004

RAT Program Visits

Feb. 17-Mar. 5, 2007- Hebshi et.al

May 23 - Jun. 7, 2007- DoD Tegacy Team

Sep. 23 - Oct. 7. 2007- Hebshi et. al

27-29 July 2008- Hebshi et. al

13-14 Jan. 2008- Hebshi et. Al

Table 2. Wake Bird Population Counts
(Population count/number of nests)

10

Jan-08

0/0

p/0

24 active nests

cn

Ph

O

SO

"p

Nesting/one red-

headed juvenile

<D

<D

Ph

<§>

O

O

O

o'

in

SO

in

26 on 10/07

Jun-07

2/failed nest

1 Dead, p/0

81/90 burrows

^P

3/courting

u/d

60/25

313/164

733/n

Possible

Nesting

Chick mass

starvation

^p

in

r-

all isles nests

common/n

Tree&ground

nesting

cn

CN

N"

m

OS

2006

IOKE

o

Q-

<o

p

2005

2/1 chick

Q

p

Possible

Nesting

Aug-04

Feb-00

o

176/105

5/2n?

in

'o-

70/18

so

'p

3000/5

150-300

$0

a.

6/09

400/n

2000/n

1000/n

20

<n

in

o

Dec-03

^P

CN

3-6/ln?

?/n

O

c-

p

75/18

300/31

2500/76

150-300

p

O

O

O

cn

1 500/n

500/n

00c

in

CN

CN

rr>

©

i

O

O

0 LH

o

CN

o

P

«n

(N

400/162

O-

o

£N

O

o

in

CN

150-300

u/d

O-

<n

002

1000/n

200/n

O

CN

O

n-

•n

in

o

Mar-99

oo

Os

~l

p

CN

P

■Tt

O

c^*

100/25

1 l/5n

n-

n-

P

in

CN

p

400/n

200.000

O

O

<©

rT

oo

p

o

N -

.P

O

so

715/2n

20/4n

091

0£

so

Jul-98

0 (1 n-'97)

Os

SO

?/50

o

o-

<n

CN

21/5n

400/1 07n

2,200/5n

100/0

11K/75

100/3

300/1 OOn

100/50n

cn

CN

o

Dee-96

5/1 n?

3/1 n

o

o

o

10/2n

26/13n

l,500/32n

500/0

lOK/n

p/ln

P

o

o

o

o

CN

Jun-00

200

N"

N"

1993

"p

O-

SO

o

o

5/n

1 1 l/56n

p/35n

225/0

p/300

n-

oo

^P

so

c~*

CN

98/3n

P

P

1988-92

<n

o

o

P

CN

n-

212/106n

p/41

274/0

p/143,000

p

in

1967

o

o

o-

so

o

c —

_P

■n

CN

o

CN

o

40/23

OO

~Qh

30/2n

p/230,000

CN

u/d

O

O

o

in

o

in

CN

P

o

o

CN

Os

1949-53

o

o

o

o

CN

o

o

O

u/d

"a few"/?

“cn

O

O

o

O

u/d

o

u/d

24

CN

1939-40

o-

3/0?

100/n

+ in 1936

C"-

"many'712

?/"many"

o

o

2000+/++

“very many’725

p/500

400/?

'o-

in

CN

P

“abundant”/
4 nests

“abundant”

91

in

CN

1923

o

p/0?

100/n

O-

CN

30/n

3/2n

500/n

5,000

2,000/n

?/300n

100/n

.p

o

o

<n

cf

200/n

.P

O

O

o

so"

200

cn

CN

CN

BIRDS

Laysan

Albatross

Black-footed

Albatross

Wedge-tailed

Shearwater

Christmas

Shearwater

White-tailed

Tropicbird

Red-tailed

Tropicbird

Masked Booby

Brown Booby

Red- footed
Booby

Great

Frigatebird

Sooty Tern

Gray-backed

Tern

Wliite Tern

Black Noddy

Brown Noddy

Pacific Golden
Plover

Bristle-thighed

Curlew

Wandering

Tattler

Ruddy

Turnstone

Pintail Duck

11

TYPHOON IOKE

Wake Island was hit by Typhoon Ioke on 3 1 August 2006. The storm was a
Category 5 level typhoon for five days before it landed at Wake. It built to a ferocious
level with a 50’ wave surge, and sustained 140 knots gusting to 170 knots. Initial fears
that the storm surge would submerge the entire island did not materialize. If this wave
had hit as predicted, it would have devastated the island. There were 3 million gallons of
JP-5 jet fuel on the weather-side of the island, five tanks filled with asphalt/tar, 4,000 to
5,000-gallon drums of gasoline, three aircraft refueling tanks that were filled to capacity.
Fortunately, there were few major damages. The new multi-million dollar runway
resurfacing was largely unharmed. The Air Terminal building was intact, however, it
suffered roof damage as did many other buildings that were later condemned. The beach
houses where Thai workers recreated were largely gone. Several of the beaches were
rearranged by large waves from a lagoon surge. The most significant toxic hazard was
that asbestos was spread around the island.

Natural resources appeared to have suffered little sustained damage. Most of the
birds probably escaped before the storm hit. Typhoon damage impacted the shearwater
colony at Peacock Point, Wake Island that had developed since cat eradication, but a
few birds continue to visit the colony. See Fig. 4. At the fuel farm colony that had been
covered with flotsam when the lagoon surged, several individuals were seen and heard
in June 2007. The main colony on Wilkes Island appears to be largely unharmed and
continues to grow. Approximately 80 birds were counted at night on 1 June 2007. The
newly formed Gray-backed Tern colony on the northshore of Peale Island was inundated
and abandoned. Some of these birds probably moved to the Wake Island tern colony as
that colony was now larger. It was also more diverse with Brown Noddies starting to nest
on the ground adjacent to the main colony.

Typhoon Ioke’s winds denuded virtually all the ironwood trees and many coconut
trees snapped in two. Despite all the ironwood trees losing their needles, there were
benefits to White Terns and Black Noddies. White Terns place their eggs on broken
branches near the trunks of ironwoods while branch re-growth sprouting from all surfaces
support Black Noddy nests. However, the spread of ironwood seeds around the atoll
that resulted from the storm is a significant threat to the remaining patches of native
vegetation, especially on Wake Island.

SPECIES ACCOUNTS
Laysan Albatross ( Phoebastria immutabilis)

This wide-ranging North Pacific species regularly visits Wake Atoll but notes on
its past occurrence are ambiguous. Wake Island was visited in 1841 by the U.S. Exploring
Expedition, also called the Wilkes Expedition. Commander Charles Wilkes wrote:

“Mr. Peale found here the short-tailed albatross, and procured an egg from its nest. The
birds were quite tame, although they were not so numerous as we had before met with
in uninhabited islands/' (Wilkes, 1844). Titian Peale, the naturalist for the expedition,
recorded:

12

“On the 20 th of December, we found them breeding on Wake’s Island. The single egg
of each pair was laid on the ground in a slight concavity, without any lining material;
both sexes take turns in the labours of incubation; and neither the male nor the female
abandoned the nest on our approach, but walked round us in a very dignified manner, and
made but a few demonstrations of defense with their beaks, when taken up in our arms.”

. . . “It was not our fortune to observe more than this species of Albatross in the North
Pacific It is subject to great variation of plumages, but is very distinct from those of the
southern hemisphere. . . ” (Peale 1841).

Peale evidently considered all North Pacific albatrosses to belong to a single
species, the Short-tailed Albatross Diomedea brachyura [=P. albatrus, Short-tailed
Albatross], under which Peale listed D. nigripes as a synonym. (The Laysan Albatross
was not described until 1893 by Rothschild). Peale collected an albatross egg (USNM
949), now labeled D. immutabilis, although this may be no more than a surmise (S.

Olson pers. comm.) The badly broken and patched albatross egg is smaller than Black-
footed Albatross eggs, but there is almost complete size overlap between Taysan and
Black-footed eggs and even some overlap between them and Short-tailed Albatross eggs.
(B. Flint, pers. comm.). In addition to the egg, there is a skin of D. nigripes .” (National
Museum specimen 15552) marked Wake’s Island, U.S. Exploring Expedition, field
number 745. This is the only skin of either albatross from the expedition cataloged in the
U.S. National Museum (Rice and Kenyon, 1962).

In 1908, Japanese bird harvesters raided Wake Island, the island they knew as
Otori-jima : ‘white-bird island’. In 1923, the Tanager Expedition found the ruins of a
Japanese camp with two large tin roofed houses, about 18 feet wide by 30 feet long, two
smaller buildings, one tank, and a statement in Japanese characters that the island was
abandoned 12 or 13 November 1908 [during the time albatross would return]. Figure 9 is
a composite of three photographs of their camp. Regarding the occurrence of albatross,
Rice and Kenyon (1962) report: “The pile of bird bones indicated great destruction of
bird life over the years. The species identified from the bones were frigate birds, boobies,
and terns [no albatrosses]. . .the fact that they were not among recent bones left by
plume hunters indicates extermination long before 1923.” However in 1922, Lt. Comdr.
Pickering observed Laysan Albatross were present. Wetmore had found several albatross
bones in 1923 in an area that was used by Japanese feather hunters but he didn't identified
this material until September 1968 as belonging to Laysan Albatross. He writes in his
journal: “Of definite importance as a record of this species on Wake.” (Olson, 1996).

The field notes of Torrey Lyons from 1939-1940 do not record Laysan Albatross,
but note a few Black-footed Albatross (P. nigripes ) (see next account.) A war diary
written by a Japanese officer while they were under American siege has an intriguing
reference. “August 22-Two night alarms and one day. The enemy seems to know how to
harass us. What a life! An order has just come out forbidding us to catch gooney birds
lest they be wiped out.” In 1951, Bailey wrote: “The effort of the officer to protect the
‘gooney birds’ must have been largely in vain. Most of the birds were destroyed by the
starving soldiers. . .” (Bryan, 1959). Olson (pers. comm.) notes the August timeframe of
the order is wrong for albatross to be on Wake, and suggests this refers to boobies instead,
however, it could refer to albatross since they was already rare. Bryan (1959) thought
that albatrosses could be found here, and Owens (1977) reported albatross sporadically
occurred here after the war. In 1967, McFarlane records that local residents had never
seen Laysan Albatross, but a band was read by POBSP biologists at Mejit Island in the
Marshall Islands, a neighboring island relatively close to Wake (Amerson, 1969).

13

Figure 9. Photographs of the derelict Japanese feather poacher camp on Peale I. Upper left, jug and
crockery; lower left, row boat skeleton, both photos by C. Koller, 1935; Upper right, camp sheds,
courtesy of Hawaii State Archives.

It was not until 6 April 1980, that three Laysan Albatross were photographed
together dancing on Wake Island (Jones 1995). Throughout the 1980s, Laysan Albatross
were seen repeatedly and suspected to nest on Wake (Fefer and Harrison, 1983; Jones,
1995). Beginning in the 1980s, this large conspicuous seabird expanded its breeding
range from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to include Wake, the main Hawaiian
Islands and islands off NW Mexico (Gallo and Figeroa, 1996; Howell and Webb, 1992).

14

We confirmed the first Lay san Albatross breeding attempt in 1996 when two
widely separate nests with eggs were found in ironwood groves, one at the west end of
the runway and the other near the water treatment plant. It is not known if these eggs
hatched, but no albatross chicks were hedged. All subsequent breeding attempts have
been from the site at the west end of the runway. In 1998, a pair of Laysan Albatross
again nested under the ironwood trees at the west end of the runway but a rare-20 foot
storm surge wave hooded the nest and egg (L. Hitchcock, pers. comm.). In 1999, an
egg was layed but subsequently abandoned (M. Timmons, pers. comm). In 2001, three

adults were reported from Wake Island
and a pair again nested at the west end
of the runway under ironwood trees.
This nest successfully hedged the first
albatross produced on Wake in over 50
years. (Fig. 10). A nest contained two
eggs was found in December 2003,
suggesting a female-female pair. One
egg disappeared and the other egg was
eventually abandoned and a third adult
was seen regularly at Peacock Point. A
chick was produced in 2004-05 season
but later disappeared (T.Tiley, pers.
comm). Although birds were present,
no breeding attempts were made from
2006 to 2007. In 2008, three nests were
produced, including another two-egg
clutch. Two of these nests survived a tidal surge in the ironwoods between the runway
and the lagoon.

Black-footed Albatross ( Phoebastria nigripes )

The historic range of Black-footed Albatross extends west of Wake Island to
Torishima, Japan and south to include Taongi Atoll, Wake's nearest neighbor, where
a Black-footed Albatross was seen hying offshore on two occasions (Fosberg, 1966;
Amerson, 1969). There were no valid breeding records for Micronesia, except at Wake
Atoll. Rice and Kenyon (1962) report that the Wilkes Expedition collected a specimen
of a Black-footed Albatross in 1841. Olson (1996) writes: “This is the only evidence I
know of to substantiate the species from Wake." During 1939-1940, several were seen on
the ground. The field notes of Torrey Lyons record up to four Black-footed Albatross as
visitors in 1940 but not as a nesting species.

There are dubious records of five Black-footed Albatross eggs housed in the
USNM (41696-41673), reportedly collected on Wake, received from Nat. Zoo. Park and
entered in the records on February 11, 1958. In spite of search efforts, the specimens were
not found, and it seems unlikely they are from Wake since five eggs would be more than
ever reported from Wake.

In December 1996, a pair of Black-footed Albatross nested on Wake Island under
a Tournefortia shrub along the northeast shoreline near Peacock Point (Fig. 11). The fate

Figure 10. Laysan Albatross pre-fledgling,
Wake I. 2001. Photo by R. Wheeler.

15

of the egg is unknown but island personnel never reported
seeing a chick. On 12 December 1996, a dead Black-footed
Albatross washed ashore. Autopsies suggest the individual
was a male that died of a puncture wound to the neck. It had
very low fat reserves, little pectoralis muscle was present,
and crop was empty except for squid beaks (K. Lopez, pers.
comm.).

In the winter of 1997-1998, up to six were observed
and photographed roosting and flying over the north end of
the runway apron (M. Henz, pers. comm.). We do not know
if any of these attempted breeding. In March 1999, four
albatross were repeatedly seen and photographed dancing
together. A pair was photographed sitting on an empty
nest, and another pair was photographed nuzzling each
other. Three of the birds appeared to be all dark without
white rumps indicating they were young birds. In 2000,
two pairs laid eggs, but all deserted “as soon as the eggs
hatched’' (R. Wheeler, pers. comm.). In 2001, several were
seen on Wake Island, but no nests were reported. Three
pairs were reported to have attempted breeding in 2002-03, with single pairs behind the
medical dispensary, along the south coast of Wake and on the west coast of Wilkes, but
we do not know if any produced viable eggs. A pair returned on 20 November 2003 to
the site behind the medical dispensary and eventually laid an egg that was subsequently
abandoned. There were no known breeding attempts in 2004-08, although several birds
were seen (T. Tiley, pers. comm.). In February 2007, a dead bird was found (A. Hebshi,
pers. comm.).

Wedge-tailed Shearwater ( Puffinus pacificus)

Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are widely distributed throughout the tropical areas
of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In Micronesia, they breed at Taongi, Bikar, and Taka
Atolls and may visit Eniwetok (Amerson, 1969). Wetmore reported that on 30 July 1923,
he found a colony of about 50 pairs on Peale Island as well as a few burrows on the
northern portion of Wake Island (Olson, 1996). Shearwaters were also found nesting on
Peale Island in 1935 and were considered by Pan American surveyors to be a good place
to build because they thought the nesting area would not be subject to tidal flooding:

“I had no idea that there were moaning birds (on Peale Island) until I broke through to
my knees in one of their holes. I had thoroughly disliked the moaning birds at Midway,
but now I could have wept for joy at finding them. I knew full well that those birds would
never dig holes where they might be drowned out by high water” (Grooch, 1936).

Torrey Lyons found Wedge-tailed Shearwaters to be fairly common in 1939-40.
He collected an immature (MVZ-79426) in July 1940, and reported:

Figure 11. Black-footed
Albatross nesting on Wake I.
December 1996.

16

“two nests near the shore of the lagoon, north end of Wake 1/4 miles south the channel.

This bird almost white underneath. Wing 17” tail 6”; confirming the light-phase was
present.” On 19 November 1939, Lyons wrote: “None heard lately-holes seen at
southern tip of Wake (Peacock Point). On 1 April, very many burrows in middle of Wake
3/4 mi. east of Peacock Point.”

The war eliminated the shearwater colonies. In 1967, Amerson lists Wedge-tailed
Shearwaters as having formerly bred on Wake, and POBSP biologists reported only six
were seen and only on Wake Island, not Peale or Wilkes Islands (King, 1973). A female
(USNM 496548), found on the runway taxi area in front of the terminal, was collected 20
June 1966. The presence of subcutaneous blood clots suggests that the bird had flown into
one of the nearby poles and died of internal injuries.

For over 20 years, shearwaters
were occasionally heard at night on
Wake Island, but they were not known
to breed there until we found about
15 burrows on Wilkes Island in July
1998, that were not observed in 1996.
We estimated approximately 50 birds
were on or under the ground calling
and courting (Fig. 12). The burrows
were made conspicuous by the piles of
excavated white sand at the entrances
and most appeared empty during the
day. By August, the Wilkes Island
colony had increased to over 60 burrows and a hatched chick was observed. In early
November 2003, we found approximately 15 fledglings in this colony.

In January 2001, one Wedge-tailed Shearwater was on the ground at Peacock
Point, Wake Island where Tyons described a colony in 1939. On 9 July 2003, we found
an adult on an egg in this colony consisting of approximately 50 burrows (See Fig. 4). In
July 2004, another colony of 20 burrows was found in ironwoods near the fuel farm in
the center of Wake. Shearwater sightings also increased and single birds were found south
of the golf course, along the beach road by Heel Point and on Peale Island. The recent
increase of shearwaters at Wake Atoll is probably due to a cessation of feral cat predation,
beginning in 1996, combined with immigration from an increasing shearwater population
in the main Hawaiian Islands. Several of the tropical dark morphs were seen but the
majority were light-colored Hawaiian-type s. A shearwater was found killed by cat on
Wilkes Islands in 2003. It had been banded at Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii
in 1996. Another band was read from a live shearwater in 2007, and it also was banded in
1996 at French Frigate Shoals.

Typhoon Ioke hit in August 2006 when chicks were ready to fledge and wiped out
the recently established shearwater colonies on Wake Island. The Peacock Point colony
was nearly inundated, but in 2007 a few birds continue to visit the colony. At the fuel
farm site on Wake, the colony had been covered with flotsam when the lagoon surged but
several individuals were seen and heard calling here in 2007. The main colony on Wilkes
appears to be intact. On a night survey on 1 June 2007 of all the known places shearwater
occurred, we found about 80 birds, compared to 176 birds counted in July 2004.

Figure 12. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Wilkes I.

17

Christmas Shearwater ( Puffinus nativitatus )

Christmas Shearwaters range into the western Pacific Islands. The species is
reported from Taongi and Bikar in the Marshall Islands (Amerson, 1969; Brooke, 2004).
Baker (1951) also lists it from Ailuk but Amerson (1969) considered this record wrong.
They apparently have been extirpated from Marcus and the Bonin Islands. Owens (1977)
reports Christmas Shearwaters from Wake in the checklist of the birds of Micronesia
based on Wetmore collecting a pair from Peale Island on 30 July 1923. Figure 7 is a 1935
photograph of a possible Christmas Shearwater from Peale Islet. There is also one record

of this species from the POBSP era;
a male (USNM 495852) collected
on Wake during a heavy rainsquall
on 20 May 1965.

We observed a single
adult on 3-5 March 1999 on Wake
Island in the abandoned housing
area, where it roosted in a tangle
of leaves under a large screwpine
(Pandanus orodatissimus ).
Photographs of the birds' left foot
show it was held off the ground,
indicating it may have been injured.
(See Figure 13). In August 2004,
a Christmas Shearwater was seen repeatedly in the Wedge-tailed Shearwater colony on
Wilkes Island. In June 2007, one individual was observed there twice. On both occasions
it was interacting with Wedge-tailed Shearwaters; once being mounted and another
time harassed into a burrow. It may be the bird seen here in 2004 and 2007 is the same
individual.

Newell’s Shearwater ( Puffinus auricularis newelli)

There are two records for Wake, both females (USNM 496561, 496562). These
are the westernmost specimens of the species taken by the POBSP (King and Gould,

1967; POBSP unpub. data). These birds were found on the ground on the night of 15
June 1966 among Sooty Terns on Kuku Point, Wilkes Islet. Some measurements included
in data sheets suggest they had small ovaries and presumably were immatures or non-
breeding birds (R. Banks, pers. comm.) that strayed from the breeding colonies in the
main Hawaiian Islands where laying occurs in early June (King and Gould, 1967).

Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus griseus/tenuirostris)

McFarlane (1965 ms.) reported collecting a Short-tailed Shearwater in May
1965, but due to a lack of a specimen number, and the possible confusion with Sooty
Shearwater, this species remained hypothetical. On 6 August 2004, David Boyle saw a
Sooty Shearwater in a feeding flock with Black Noddies about a mile offshore. In late
May 2007, dark shearwaters were observed migrating far offshore. Three specimens later

Figure 13. Christmas Shearwater, Wake I.

18

washed ashore around 1 June 2007 and their skulls were collected and represent the first
proof of Sooty Shearwater in atoll waters.

Black-winged Petrel ( Pterodroma nigripennis)

Petrels have been reported by past observers without specific information (Thorp,
1960). Lyons (1940) variously referred to petrels, shearwaters and “moaning birds.”

We made the first documentation of petrels at Wake. A female Black-winged Petrel was
found dead on 1 July 2003 under electrical wires near a street light along the main road.
(Fig. 14) This study skin is in the San Diego Natural History Museum (#50794). Another

individual was seen by David
Boyle flying over Wake Island
village on the nights of the 14 and
28 December, and early in the
morning of 29 December 2003.

Black-winged Petrels are
an Australian species of ‘gadfly’
petrel that nests in the Austral
summer and are common in the
northwest Pacific Ocean. This
species is a rare example of a
petrel that is expanding both
range and breeding populations
and should be expected to pass Wake (Brooke, 2004). Bonin Petrels ( Pterodroma
hypoleuca ) which nest at Midway and Kure Atolls, are recovering after rat eradication,
and could also be expected to occur at Wake.

Leach’s Storm-Petrel ( Oceanodroma leucorrhoa )

There is one specimen of this species for Wake Atoll (USNM 494112). R.W.
McFarlane collected a partial body skeleton with plumage fragments in the antennae
fields on Wake Island in December 1964 (R. Banks, pers. comm.).

Lesser Frigatebird ( Fregata ariel )

A previously unreported specimen, USNM 497832, was a male collected 15 June
1966 from Wilkes Island. Some testes size and descriptive data are also included with the
specimen (R. Banks, pers. comm.).

Great Frigatebird ( Fregata minor)

The Tanager Expedition found 2,000 or more frigatebirds on Wake Atoll during
late July 1923. “A few have partly grown young in stick nests placed 8 or 10 feet from
the ground. The majority however are not nesting... Rather wild and difficult to approach.
Many were killed by the Japanese poachers.” (Olson, 1996). A rare 1939 photo of a
frigatebird nest on Wilkes Island is in the Torrey Lyons collection at UC Berkeley (Fig.

19

15). POBSP researchers found a
maximum of nine nests in April
1964 and a high count of 350 in
Sept. 1968. Breeding (one nest) was
reported in March 1968 (Schreiber &
Kleen, 1968).

Since we began observations
in 1996, between 100-500
frigatebirds have roosted every
night on Wilkes Island especially
on old power lines over the tide
channel. In the summer 2004, the
use of the power line roost declined
and birds moved into the booby
colony in the Tournefortia forest.
Great Frigatebirds were reported to
have bred again on Wilkes Island
in 2005 and 2008 when a juvenile
with rusty head coloring was photographed (A. Hebsi, pers. comm). It may been that
cat disturbance prevented them from roosting or nesting in Tournefortia since the 1960’s
and that frigatebirds were never common breeders. Most individuals we observed were
immatures or females, with very few adult males present. From 1998 to 2007, we have
observed 1 1 birds with a patigtal wing tag bearing an alpha-numeric code. Fhese birds
were all tagged at Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii. See Appendix 1 for band
summary section.

Red-footed Booby (Su/a sula)

Wetmore (1923) considered this species the second-most abundant bird on the
atoll. Numbering at least 5,000 individuals, they were distributed throughout the atoll
but were most common around the shores of the lagoon. Nests were under construction
during his summer survey. After the war, few boobies were reported. In the 1960’s,
POBSP estimated 40 breeding pairs, with a total population of 400-500 birds. They also
found band returns from Wake (85%) and one each from Taysan, Midway and Kure.

In 1996, breeding was confined to a relatively small patch of Tournfortia on
Wilkes Island where 30 active nests were counted in December 1996; eight in July 1998;
50 in February 1999; 76 in January 2004, and eight in August 2004. Tike Wetmore
(1923), we found the birds “so scattered through the trees that it is difficult to get a true
idea of their number.” Nest surveys are disruptive and it is very difficult to locate nests
in the dense canopy, and under-represent the number nesting. In addition to the small
observed breeding population, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 comprised a growing roosting
population. Birds staged about 2 km off the S W tip of Wilkes Island before coming to
roost a half hour before sunset. We counted them as they came ashore in small flocks,
trying to avoid the frigatebirds. White phase birds predominate with about 80% of the
roosting population; the remaining 20% had brown backs and/or tails of the equatorial

Figure 15. Great Frigatebird female incubating on Wilkes
Island in 1939 (Photo by T. Lyons).

races.

20

We found evidence of feral cats climbing into Tournefortia trees and killing adult
boobies and nestlings. Cats also ate regurgitated squid and flying fish harassed from birds.
The control and eventual eradication of cats may have aided booby population increases
for the nesting and roosting areas now covers the width of Wilkes Island Tournefortia
forest including the ironwood trees. With colony maturation, larger numbers may nest in
the future.

Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra)

The Masked Booby population has been historically low. In 1923, Wetmore
reported three birds: he shot two young and one adult on the windward side of Wake
(Olson, 1996). McFarlane saw one in December 1964. His notes state: “the first I have
seen here...Kuku Point, Wilkes Island, is overrun with rats. Saw three cats.” Residents
showed McFarlane a photograph of a pair that nested in the winter of 1962-63. Casey
(1966) reported they were rarely seen. On 29-30 March 1983, a pair with a chick was
observed (Fefer and Harrison, 1982).

Masked Boobies have increased dramatically on Wilkes Islands since cat control
began in 1996. Ten adults were seen on Wilkes Island in December 1996 and by January
2004, the number increased to 75 roosting birds and 19 nesting pairs (See Table 3). In
June 2007, we counted 60 adults and juveniles with nesting just beginning. Six of the
nesting boobies had been banded on Johnston Atoll (Appendix 2). Immigration combined
with increased breeding success since feral cat eradication may account for the recent
population increase.

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster )

In 1923, Wetmore reported: “There are fully five hundred here, mainly found on
the windward side of the large island. On the western end of the north half of Wake a few
pairs have young.” (Olson 1996). During POBSP surveys, McFarlane counted 21 nests
in 1964 with the highest estimate 110 birds in early 1965. Brown Boobies have increased
since December 1996, when we found about 73 nests with eggs on the leeward side of
Wilkes Island. (See Table 3). In July 1998, there were total of 107 nests. In addition, 220
more Brown Boobies roosted on rocks offshore at night, so as many as 500 were present
in the population, reaching Wetmore’s initial estimate. Brown Boobies appear to nest
year-round on Wake but nesting peaks in summer. On 2 July 2003, we counted 162 nests
with about 15% eggs, 60% large young, 20 % pre-fledglings, and 5% fledglings. In 29
May 2007, 164 nests were counted with breeding stages ranging from courtship to large
fledglings (Table 3).

In the 1960s, POBSP found 15 of 16 band returns were from Wake; the last one
was from Pearl and Hermes Atoll. In 2007, six Brown Boobies found were originally
banded on Johnston Atoll, suggesting that immigration combined with cat eradication is
resulting in increased numbers. Individuals (or a single bird) of S. I brewsteri , the white-
headed race indigenous to the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, have been seen at Wilkes
Island on 19 July 1998, 25 August 2004 and 28 May 2007.

21

Table 3: Brown and Masked Booby Nesting Counts

Brown

Booby

1996

1998

2003

2004

2007

2007

2008

2008

Date

12/7/96

7/22/98

7/20/03

7/29/04

2/22/07

5/28/07

1/13/08

7/29/08

Nest/egg

72

17

37

29

53

Naked Chick

0

1

2

Downy Back

0

2

1

6

Downy Body

0

3

12

‘ mostly ’

Vi Adult Size

8

13

9

Adult Size

26

46

10

Wing & Tail Fea

1

33

29

7

1

Fully Feathered

23

31

4

Total Nests

73

107

162

76

53

164

60

-200

Masked

Booby

1996

1998

2000

2003

2004

2004

2007

2007

2008

2008

Date

12/7/96

7/22/98

9/30/00

7/20/03

1/5/04

7/29/04

2/22/07

5/28/07

1/13/08

7/29/08

Nest/egg

2

7

4

1

0

5

12

Naked Chick

0

4

0

7

0

Downy Back

0

0

0

6

1

10

Downy Body

0

0

0

0

0

Zi Adult Size

0

0

1

0

0

7

Adult Size

0

0

1

6

7

Wing & Tail
Feathers

1

3

4

0

0

2

Fully Feathered

0

0

0

0

5

-20

All birds=
no nests

Total Nests

3

10

4

7

19

18

30

-30

31

+20

Red-tailed Tropicbird ( Phaethon rubricauda)

Tropicbirds have been reported by many observers because the white birds are
conspicuous in mid-day flight and primarily nest on Wake Island (Jones, 1995). Wetmore
reported about 30 in 1923 and collected one incubating a fresh egg on 29 July 1923.
About 10 were counted by POBSP in 1963. Jones (1995) reported a few tropicbirds
nesting on Peale Island at Flipper Point and near the bridge to Wake Island. Tropicbirds
were not breeding on Peale during our visits. In July 1998, we estimated 25 birds for
the atoll. In February-March 1999, we estimated over 100 birds were present, with 20
nesting pairs in various stages, in the sand flat vegetation near the water catchment area
and in the fuel farm on Wake. In July 2003 we counted about 40 nests containing large
young in the sand flats. In December 2003 eight nests were found in this colony and two
nests on Wilkes Island. In February 2004, a winter storm surge washed through the flats
destroying several nests. In July 2004, the colony at the fuel farm held about 10 nests,
with two chicks seen fledging on August 12 th , but there were few nesting in the flats
colony and none on Wilkes. In June 2007, we estimated 100 were present in the atoll,
largely on Wake Island but several pairs were seen prospecting new areas on Wilkes
Island, both in designated refuge area and along the shore near the POW memorial.

22

White-tailed Tropicbird ( Phaethon lepturus )

Only a few pairs of this resident have ever been reported. Individuals are often
seen flying at various points around the atoll and there may be as many as five pairs on
Wake. (Table 2). POBSP counted <10 on each survey in the 1960s. In 1998 and 1999,
two pairs were seen near the windward coast, evidently prospecting breeding sites under
ironwood tree roots, where nests have been previously located (L Hitchcock, pers.
comm.). We found an abandoned egg in 1999 under an ironwood tree across from the
dispensary. In 2000, a nest was located in a concrete WWII “pillbox.” In July 2004, three
nests were in shallow underground burrows under ironwood tree roots. One egg was
subsequently abandoned and old carcasses were seen that may have been killed by cats.

In June 2007, three individuals were seen flying and two were observed courting over the
ironwood forest near the Wake Island where military personnel reside. These flying birds
were the most counted at one time. The ironwood forest is used for tropicbird nesting and
this population is expected to slowly increase with the removal of cats, but habitat may
also have been lost to Typhoon Ioke.

Black Noddy ( Anous minutus)

Black Noddies were first reported nesting along the beach of Wake Island on 27
July 1923 (Wetmore 1923). In 1939, two colonies in Tournefortia trees behind the Pan
American hotel on Peale Island held about 6 nests each. On 4 June 1940, there were 20
nests behind the hotel (Tyons 1940). The species was evidently extirpated during the
war. In 1963, McFarlane saw only two and did not considered them a breeding species,
and no specimens were collected by POBSP. Pyle and Engbring (1985) considered
Black Noddies (as well as White Terns) as having no recent breeding records. They were
considered rare in 1993, when only two were observed (Jones, 1995).

Tong-time island personnel suggested that the maturation of the ironwood trees
prompted the noddy recolonization in the 1990s and also said the birds colonized the
older trees in the golf course first (R. Wheeler, pers. comm). In 1996, we estimated
about 300 Black Noddies bred on Wake Island in the ironwood grove near the housing
area. In July 1998, we surveyed the ironwood grove near housing and found about 150
nests containing both Black and Brown Noddies, with a ratio of about 2/3 Black to 1/3
Brown Noddies. The nests held large chicks and fledglings, with no eggs evident. In
late February 1999, very few noddies were seen during the day in the ironwood grove.
However, on 1 March 1999, about one hour after sunset, with a rising full moon, over 715
noddies were observed returning for the night. Most appeared to be Black Noddies.

The combined noddy population may be over 3,000 birds and should increase
as ironwoods mature and spread. Immigration may also be a factor. Noddies may be
relocating from Midway Atoll where large ironwood removal has occurred. Feral cat
removal may also enhance noddy numbers since we found 30 pairs of black, brown and
white tern wings located in a cat lair. Now, without predation, noddies are spending more
time on the ground, sunbathing, resting and searching for nest material. We also noted rat
predation of chicks blown out of their nests and sightings of rats in ironwoods suggest
egg predation may occur. Several adult Black Noddies with orange feet characteristic
of the Hawaiian subspecies H. m. melanogenys were seen in 1996, 1998 and 2003/04,

23

suggesting connection to the main Hawaiian Islands. Wetmore (1923) also noted that the
feet and legs varied from blackish brown to dark orange.

Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)

In 1923, Wetmore estimated 6,000 Brown Noddies were present and evenly
distributed over the atoll. Nests were placed in Tournefortia or Pemphis trees from three
to fifteen feet above ground (Wetmore, 1923). Twenty-five years later, and after the war in
1952, Fosberg (1959) reported them nesting in very small numbers. In March 1968, there
were “50+ on the Kuku Point rocks. All birds were adult and none exhibited courtship
activity” (Schreiber and Kleen, 1968). McFarlane reports seeing 30 Brown Noddies on
offshore rocks but none appeared to nest on the mainland.

Clapp et al. (1993) reported in the 1980s that “2000+ pairs on Johnston and
Wake.” This seems a high count for Wake and most were likely from Johnston. In
December 1996, less than 10 were seen flying or perched on offshore rocks. In July
1998, Brown Noddies were the most widely distributed bird on the atoll, nesting on all
three islets. We estimated about 500 birds inhabited the atoll with about 100 nests in the
ironwoods, and a few with large chicks on cement blocks in the Wake Island lagoon. On
Wilkes Island, we found about 100 nests placed on the ground and one cat-killed noddy.
Several scattered pairs nested in ironwoods on Peale.

The Brown Noddy population had about doubled to 1,000 by July 2003. They
nested around the atoll, mostly in ironwoods but a few nests were placed on the ground
at Kuku Point, Peale Island, and at Told Point, Wilkes Island. We also discovered the
remains of about 10 Brown Noddies that were killed by cats. During winter 2003, this
species was largely absent from the atoll. In August 2004, noddies had large chicks and
were widely distributed in ironwood trees around the atoll. They did not nest on the
ground at Wilkes Island, perhaps due to the increase in Pacific Rats ( R . exulans ) after
cat eradication. But in June 2007, eight nested on the ground on Wilkes, and several pair
nested adjacent to the Gray-backed Tern colony on Wake Island. We estimate 600 birds
also nesting in ironwoods.

Wetmore found at least 2,500 on
all Wake islets in 1923. In 1935-39, this
species was reported breeding on Wake
and Peale Islands, but not Wilkes. After
the war, a few were seen by Fosberg “in
both 1952 and 1953, flying around the
Pisonia forest” on Peale Island (Bryan
1959). McFarlane saw four on 24 April
1964. Few were reported by other POBSP
observers and even as recently as 1993
they were not reported as breeders (Jones,
1995).

White Tern ( Gygis alba)

Figure 16. White Tern nesting on branch broken by
Typhoon Ioke.

24

In December 1996 we found a large fledgling and about 15 adults in the noddy
colony near Heel Point, and several other White Terns were seen flying over Peale and
Wake Islands. In 2003, we estimated about 200 were present on all islands, mainly on
Wake Island but with very few nesting on Peale, and none on Wilkes Island. We noted
feral cats up in Tournefortia trees at night that might explain why White Terns only
nest in ironwoods. In 2007, we estimated approximately 500 White Terns nesting in the
ironwoods on Wake and Peale, with Wilkes just being colonized. Typhoon Ioke snapped
many tree branches, providing a convenient shelf-like nesting substrate for this species
that lays a single egg directly on a branch. See Figure 16.

Sooty Tern ( Onychoprion fiuscatus)

Sooty Terns are the most persistent seabird on the atoll. Wetmore found about
300 terns nesting on Peale Island in July 1923, and reported: “This species suffered
heavily at the hands of the Japanese poachers as the bones of thousands he among the
trees near the shacks on Peale Island.” Before the war in early 1941, Sooty Terns nested
on the runway that was under construction until the colony was bulldozed. (A. Kahn,
pers. comm.). During the Japanese WWII occupation of Wake, soldiers guarded a nesting
colony to prevent egg poaching and insure the tern’s presence as a food source (Jughans
ms. undated).

POBSP estimated there were 1.7 million Sooty Terns in 1967 and banded more
than 60,000 on Wake from June 1963-January 1970. Robert W. McFarlane who studied
the terns for the POBSP estimated one million terns were at Wake on 24 August 1964,
and also reported four observations of sooty terns that had been red flagged on Johnston
Atoll. Band recoveries indicate the Sooty Terns at Wake have non-annual, non-seasonal
and non-predictive reproductive cycles. McFarlane (1967) wrote:

“The sooty tern is a pantropical pelagic sea bird whose reproductive periodicity varies in different

parts of its range, being annual and seasonal in most areas, but semi-annual and seasonal, or

predictably non-annual and non-seasonal (breeding every 9.7 months) at certain localities.

Individuals of a single cohort within a colony may renest at eight to twelve month intervals.

Nesting colonies may persist from five to eighteen months.”

In contrast to Wake, Ashmole (1963) writes: “The semi-annual reproduction at
Christmas Island is the result of adults who successfully rear a chick renesting in twelve
months, while those who fail make a new attempt in six month, frequently interrupting
their post-nuptial moult to do so. The almost total absence of interrupted moult at Wake
Island and lack of recaptures at six-month intervals indicate that they do not do this on
Wake (but apparently nest as they do in the Phoenix and Howland Islands).

The 1960s began a 20-year period of increasing cat predation on Sooty Terns, and
decreases in tern populations until cat control was implemented in 1996. In 1993, Jones
reported up to 25,000 terns were present on Wilkes and 300 young were on Peale Island
next to Flipper Point in late April. On 6 December 1996, about 10,000 terns were thought
to be present at Wilkes Island and over 100 were found killed by cats, with many left
headless and maimed. In July 1998, we estimated 11,250 terns were on the ground during
the day. About 50 fledglings were observed and about 25 eggs were present in late July as
breeding got underway. The breeding colony measured about 30 square meters, with 25

25

birds per square meter. Cat predation was also noted. In February 1999, we measured the
colony and determined it was 20,525 square meters (220,925 sq. ft.) and to contain about
175,000 breeding adults, with an unknown percentage of non-breeders. In 17 February
- 5 March 2007 census of terns yielded a total of 192,370 nests covering the Tribulus
held on Wilkes. At night the hock may double in size as more arrive to roost (A. Hebshi,
pers. comm.)

Sooty Terns nest periodically on Peale Island, but primarily nest on Wilkes Island
where a held was mowed annually to attract them there and not risk having the birds
moving to the mowed apron of the runway. Nevertheless, the colony is in the hight path
of landing aircraft. In 2005, the entire held was filled with nesting terns that may have
numbered over a million. (T. Tiley, pers. comm.). In 2006, the held went unmowed
because the road to Wilkes was damaged by Typhoon Ioke, but in 2008, the road was
repaired and mowing was resumed.

Release from predator pressure may change tern habitat and nesting behaviors.
Before cat control began, the terns nested as far from the trees as possible. By mid
2007, the colony of Sooty Terns was most active near the border of the Tournefortia
forests where feral cats used to lurk. Rats have been noted to eat Sooty Tern nestlings. In
February 2007, “We observed hordes of rats on Wilkes Island during a night-time survey
of the seabird colony, where rats were penetrating the colony to prey on newly-hatched
Sooty Tern chicks.” (A. Hebshi, pers. comm.). The phenomenon of an ‘exploding’ rat
population and their increased predation of Sooty Terns has previously been observed
following Typhoon Sarah on 15 September 1967: “All fresh eggs disappeared within
24 hours and on two occasions I actually saw rats dragging eggs away while the adult
bird stood “helplessly” watching. We watched several rats chewing on young birds.” (R.
Schreiber, POBSP unpubl. held notes). In 1967,

“residents of Wake reported that almost no rats were seen before typhoon Sarah struck
the island on 15 September 1967. Since that time the people have become aware of rats
not only in inhabited areas of the atoll but also in housing areas. Rat predation on Sooty
Tern nestlings was extremely high prior to and during our survey. Apparently the typhoon
disturbed normal activity of the rats and drove them from their burrows. (Schreiber and
Kleen, 1968).

In the May/June 2007 visit, mass mortality of multi-age chicks was apparent. At first
we thought that rats were to blame, but the range of ages suggest instead that local food
resources crashed and reduced tern reproductive success at Wake.

Gray-backed Tern ( Onychoprion lunata )

The 1923 Tanager Expedition found about 100 Gray-backed Terns in two colonies
on the north and south side of the Wake Island in the rough coral of the outer beaches
with some bushes (Olson, 1996). On 19 February 1939, about 400 were seen along Wake
Island beaches from Heel Point to Peacock Point (Tyons, 1940). There are several POBSP
references to Gray-backed Terns breeding on Wake. (Humphrey and Johnston, 1964;
McFarlane, 1964; 1965; Huber, 1964, 1965). Observers counted 250 gray-backs with at
least 100 nests on Told Point and Flipper Point, Peale Island on 8-23 May 1965. In June

26

1966, 65 were counted, and in March 1968, Schreiber and Kleen (1968) report seeing 21
on Wake, “the largest number recorded at one time. No courtship activity was observed.”

After cat predation began in the late 1960s, Owens reported Gray-backed Terns
occurred on Wake but did not breed in 1977. A high count of Gray-backed Terns was
200-300 pairs made in the 1980s but it is uncertain if they bred (Clapp et al., 1993). Jones
(1995) saw a few but did not record them breeding in 1990. No Gray-backed Terns were
seen on the 1996-1998 visits during the cat control efforts. On 23 February 1999, four
were seen near the causeway between Wilkes and Wake Island. This is the area where
Jones (1995) saw them in 1990. In July 2003, four adults and one juvenile were seen
briefly at Told Point, Peale Island. By July 2004 two colonies were re-established with
about 20 birds on Peale Island’s northern shore and 60 birds on a small beach at the end
of the runway on Wake, near where they were first seen. By 17 August 2004, at least two
fledged juveniles were present on Peale and up to six at the colony on Wake, where two
fresh eggs were also found. In 2007, there were no terns reported in February -March but
in May- June, about 75 birds were present in the colony at the end of the runway (see
Table 2). One nest was placed north of the colony along the runway perimeter. In 2008,
about 15 tern nests were placed here (A. Hebshi, pers. comm.) and the eggs had to be
destroyed for aviation safety’s sake.

It appears that increasing cat populations prevented nesting and the eradication
of cats from Wake Island has allowed this species to recolonize quickly. Clapp et al.
(1996) reports: “its extirpation there may typify its vulnerability to disturbance,” but it
is also balanced by its ability to quickly recolonize after the disturbance is alleviated.

For example, Typhoon Ioke destroyed the colony on Peale Islet but it reformed again in
October 2007.

Glaucous-winged Gull ( Lams glancescens )

In 1967, POBSP biologist Richard Chandler tentatively identified an immature
Glaucous-winged Gull. In the winter of 2002, a light colored gull was seen in the harbor
(R. Wheeler pers. comm.). Throughout the winter of 2002, a large dispersal of immature
Glaucous-winged Gulls occurred the central Pacific, including Hawaii and Christmas
Island, (Rauzon and Jones, 2005) and could easily have reached Wake, but its occurrence
remains hypothetical without better documentation.

Laughing Gull (. Larus atricilla )

The Laughing Gull is a somewhat regular
visitor (more than “casual”) throughout the Pacific,
but most records are from the Hawaiian Islands.
Elsewhere, it has occurred in the Phoenix Islands
(Pratt et al., 1987), Tine Islands (VanderWerf et
al., 2004), and Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands. Two
individuals, one bird molting from 1 st cycle to 2 nd
cycle, (Fig. 17) and an adult in basic plumage, were
seen together in the Wake Atoll lagoon for the month
of July 2003, but they were gone by November (Rauzon and Jones, 2005).

Figure 17. Laughing Gull. July 2003

27

Cattle Egret ( Bubulcus ibis )

Cattle Egrets are occasional visitors to
Wake Atoll. There is a photograph of one
taken on 16 October 1979 (L. Hitchcock
pers. comm.). Jones (1995) reported them
from the atoll in the 1980s. An immature
was photographed in 1996 on Wilkes
Island foraging in the Brown Booby
colony. See Figure 18. Individuals were
also reported from the winter of 1997
(B.R. Johnson, pers. comm.) and one in
breeding plumage was seen in June 2004
(R. Wheeler pers. comm.)

Aleutian Cackling Goose ( Branta hutchinsii leucopareia)

Two Cackling Geese, first seen on 16 November 2007, with one individual
remaining at Wake until at least June 2008, represent a new island record. The short neck
and small bill, and the combination of paler plumage and fairly distinct ring around the
neck fit Aleutian Cackling Goose subspecies leucopareia better than mimima , taverneri ,
and richardsonii , which are darker and/or don’t show as much of a neck ring (Figs. 19 &
20). Aleutian Cackling is the default subspecies/species in the Central Pacific, based on
sightings of two banded birds in the Marshall Islands (Wiles 2005), one seen on Midway
Island, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands was an Aleutian and one in Kiribati (P. Pyle, pers.
comm.).

Figure 19. Aleutian Cackling Goose on Wake flight Figure 20. Aleutian Cackling Goose on Wake,
line, 16 Nov. 2007, Photo by Kevin Nichols. Photo by Eric VanderWerf.

Figure 18. Cattle Egret and Brown Boobies, 1996.

Mallard (A. platyrhynchos, superciliosa, poecilorhyncha , or oustalia).

Four large Mallard -type ducks proved extremely wary and collecting efforts were
unsuccessful when McFarlane encountered them in 1964. Due to the possible confusion
between species, especially females, it is considered as a hypothetical occurrence.

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Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Pintails regularly occur in low numbers
on Wake (See Table 2). Three specimens are
known from Wake (USNM 494106-108)
collected McFarlane on 22 December 1964. A
moribund female was found in the surf in 1999
(See Figure 21). In December 1996, four were
observed; 3 females and one eclipse male, in
the pond at the runway junction. Three pairs
were counted on 22 February 1999. They
foraged widely around the atoll, but they spent
most of their time in the brackish runway ponds
that supported growths of algae and brine flies.
In early November 2003, two females were seen at Wake. A flock of 26 pintails were also
observed on 6 October 2007 (D. Vice, pers. comm.).

Common/Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)

Two females were seen in December 1996, representing a new record for the atoll,
but one anticipated by Bryan (1959). Six additional teal (two adult males, one immature
male and three females) were present from December 2003 until at least 10 January 2004.
Another one was reported in October 2007. Subspecies identification was not made.

Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

Three shovelers were seen at Wake Island in 1964, and with a female collected
on 14 April 1964, by R.W. McFarlane (USNM 493469). Some ovary size and descriptive
data are also included. The bird had very worn plumage for April and retained what
seemed to be some of its first feathers. Casey (1966) also reported a Northern Shoveler.
Our record is a drake seen on 22 February 1999.

Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)

Bryan (1959) predicted the species might occur but it was not until winter 1999
that two females were found on Wake Island. They were observed closely with a spotting
scope and identified on the basis of their grayish-buffy heads, white wing patches and
rounded tails. They segregated from the other ducks and frequented the freshwater/
brackish ponds near the lagoon edge. Another five female-plumaged Eurasian Wigeons
were seen in November 2003. Two more were reported from October 2007.

Garganey (Anas querquedula)

Two males known from specimens (USNM 493453-454) were collected by
R.W. McFarlane at Wake Island, on 23 December 1963. Two more escaped collection
(McFarlane 1963). Garganey were also reported by Casey (1966) and Johnston and
McFarlane (1967).

Figure 21. Pintail-female. Photo by B. Johnson

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Tufted Duck ( Aythya fuliguld)

On 21 December 1964, R.W. McFarlane tentatively identified a female Tufted
Duck, included here as a provisionally identified species based on the following
description:

“Smaller than pintail, larger than teal, uniform brown. Head and neck darker,
sides lighter than wings at rest. Large white wing stripes across primaries and
secondaries. Faint white blotch at base of bill on either side, not connected across
top. Bill dark blue-black iris orange, head somewhat glossy.”

Common Goldeneye ( Bucephala clangula )

Two immature goldeneye ducks were
seen from November 2003 until January 2004
but could not be positively identified. One
individual remained in July/August 2004, and
had molted into a male plumaged Common
Goldeneye (Fig. 22). This is a new island record,
and only one of about five recent records for the
Pacific Ocean region (R. Pyle pers. comm.) and
does not appear in the standard bird field guide
for the tropical Pacific (Pratt et al., 1985.)

Chicken ( Gallus gallus)

These conspicuous birds went unreported in the literature before Jones (1995).

The hock was introduced sometime in 1970s and had grown to near 200 by 2004. They
are found around the recreational beach houses on Wake and Peale Islands where they
were provided with feed. Some are feral on Peale but they do not occur on Wilkes Island
or on Wake Island away from housing areas.

Rock Pigeons ( Columba liva)

These birds were evidently introduced in the 1960s when Huber (1965) reported
25 pigeons seen during May 1965. In 1998, 13 pigeons roosted at a coop kept at a beach
house near the golf course on Wake Island. There were about 13 in November 2003 and
the hock had doubled by August 2004. They are only seen on Wake Island, often by the
runway apron seeking grit and seed, where they are sometimes shot. After Typhoon Iolce,
the hock size was about 10 birds.

Pacific Golden Plover (. Pluvialis dominica )

An estimated 250-500 Pacific Golden Plovers winter at Wake every year, with a
small number of first year birds remaining throughout the summer. “In 1963-64, more
than 500 plovers were seen” (Johnston and McFarlane, 1967). A photograph taken in
1979 contained 148 plovers in the water catchment area on Wake Island, presumably
gathering to migrate (Jones 1995). In July 1998, 31 were counted with two molting out of
alternate plumage, suggesting most were young of the previous year summering on Wake.

A*-

Figure 22. Common Goldeneye

30

We estimated about 200 occurred on the atoll in March 1999 (Table 2). Many more move
through during migration. Wake Atoll, with extensive sand flats and mowed grasslands,
is probably an important staging area for plovers migrating from further south to Alaska.
Johnston and McFarlane (1967) calculated a flight from the Aleutians to Hawaii would
require about 35 hours and 252,000 wing beats with a flight speed of 58 miles per hour.

Lesser Sand Plover ( Charadrius mongolus)

One individual was well studied and
sketched (See Figure 23) on the flats of the
Wake lagoon in December 1996. Formerly
called Mongolian Dotterel or Plover, this is a
new record for the atoll, but predicted by Bryan
(1959) for it has occurred in the Marshall Islands
to the south (Baker, 1951; VanderWerf, 2006)
and has occurred in the Northwestern Hawaiian
Islands.

Figure 23. Field documentation made of
Lesser Sand Plover at Wake lagoon.

Wandering Tattler ( Heteroscelus incanus )

A common winter resident present in low numbers. A comprehensive island
survey in March 1999 found approximately 75 birds scattered around the island on rocky
reefs and in small wetland ponds that are primarily located on Wake Island.

Gray-tailed Tattler {Heteroscelus brevipes)

This species is a rare visitor to Wake. Also known as Siberian Tattler, this species
is wary and very difficult to separate from the Wandering Tattler. Single individuals were
distinguished by their calls, and heard in the runway ponds and sand flats of Wake Island
in December 1996, July 1998, February 1999 and August 2004, and June 2007.

Bristle-thighed Curlew {Numenius tahitiensis )

An uncommon winter visitor, Wetmore (1923) collected three during his stay on
Wake. Lyons (1939) reports small numbers of them from Wake Island. R. W. McFarlane
saw one curlew in 1963 and 1965, and five in 1968. Island personnel, familiar with this
species from their experience on Midway, reported up to six curlews at the golf-course
ponds in September 1998 and four in 1999. We photographed one in November 2003 on
Wake and saw it again on Wilkes. Curlews were also reported from November 2004 (T.
Tiley, pers. comm.). In October 2007, four curlews were seen at one time, flying overhead
and calling. This species becomes flightless during its winter molt and is subject to cat
predation, thus the elimination of cats makes Wake Atoll an important wintering site for
this increasingly rare shorebird.

31

Whimbrel ( Numenius phaeopus )

New record seen in October 2007, one Whimbrel was observed in poor light
and rain, but at close range, standing along the runway, immediately south of the infield
pond. When approached, it took flight, giving a 5-6 note alarm call. The unmarked
white stripe running down the middle of the lower back and rump was clearly visible,
identifying the bird as most likely the Eurasian race ( alboaxillaris ). (D. Vice, pers.
comm.).

Ruddy Turnstone ( Arenaria interpres )

Turnstones occur in low numbers at Wake. Wetmore reported up to 20 seen in
1923. Fosberg found one here in 1953. Jones (1995) reports one in 1990. Four were
on Wake Island in December 1996. Two were seen at the edge of the lagoon on 27 July
1998. One was observed at Flipper Point, Peale I. in February 1999. Two were seen in
July 2003, five in August 2004, and three in June 2007 on Wilkes Island.

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

A new record for Wake observed in October 2007. One was observed in the
infield pond, along the northern shoreline, moving with distinctive bobbing of the tail. Its
flight showed distinctive pump-glide pattern when flushed. Both bill and legs appeared
dull grey, consistent with separation between Spotted Sandpiper {Actitis macularis)
and Common Sandpiper. Its bill did not show any graduated color change from base to
tip and the tail appeared substantially longer than the tips of wings. Plumage appeared
consistent with a first year bird (D. Vice, pers. comm.).

Sanderling ( Calidris alba )

An uncommon migrant at Wake; singles were seen in December 1963, 1964, 1965
(McFarlane ms.). We also saw single individuals in December 1996, November 2003 and
January 2004 and June 2007 in and around the runway pond.

Dunlin ( Calidris alpina)

A rare visitor to Wake (Casey 1966), McFarlane writes: “adverse weather
frequently accompanied the arrival of uncommon species such as dunlin, sanderling,
greater yellowlegs, snipe, pintail, garganey and shoveler.” He saw one in December 1963.
We saw two individuals in the runway pond in December 1996. These were also seen
foraging on the exposed sand flats of the lagoon. Two were again seen on 23 February
1999 in a small brackish pond near the fuel farm on Wake Island.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper ( Calidris acuminata)

Regular migrant at Wake, reported by many observers, and collected by Fyons
(1940) and POBSP. See Figure 24. Previously reported in Jones (1995) as a visitor to the
atoll, we saw two individuals at the runway ponds in December 1996. As many as 10

32

were seen in November 2003 but were gone by mid-December. At least 24 birds were
present at one time in an ephemeral pond on the airfield on 4 October 2007 (D. Vice,
pers. comm.).

Figure 24. Long-billed Dowitcher, center, flanked by Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.

Greater Yellowlegs ( Tringa melanoleuca)

Mentioned as a possible species to be found here by Bryan (1959), one was
reported by McFarlane (1963). He states in a personal letter that it arrived during a storm
and remained for 11 days but he was not able to collect it. McFarlane’s sighting is listed
without detail by Johnston and McFarlane (1967). Pyle and Engbring (1985) treated it as
a hypothetical occurrence because it is the only record for Wake and only one of two for
Micronesia. It was reported from Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands (Baker 1951).

Pectoral Sandpiper ( Calidris melanotos )

Figure 25. Pectoral and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers Wake I.
Photo by J. Gilardi

Pectoral Sandpipers are
rare migrants through much
of the tropical Pacihic and
seven have been previously
recorded in the Marshall
Islands (VanderWerf 2006).
Two Pectoral sandpipers were
photographed with the Sharp-
tailed Sandpipers in October
2007 for a new Wake Island
record. (See Figure 25).

Ruff ( Philomachus pugnax)

Two Ruffs seen in October 2007 are a new island record. The birds were observed
along the shoreline of the infield pond, loafing on exposed mud. Both birds showed the
characteristic upright posture, slightly pigeon shaped head structure with a relatively long
black bill, buffy chest and flanks, and distinct scalloping of feathers along the back of the

33

bird. Both birds were substantially larger than tattlers, turnstones, and sandpipers located
nearby. Leg color for both birds was dull grey plumage that is consistent with juvenile
birds (D. Vice, pers. comm.).

Long-billed Do witcher ( Limnodromus scolopaceus )

This new island record was seen and photographed at the runway ponds from
November 2003 to January 2004. It was distinguished from Short-billed Dowitcher ( L .
griseus ) by its call. Another single Long-billed Dowitcher was viewed and photographed
in the wetlands area north of the airfield on 6 October 2007. See Figure 24.

Common Snipe ( Gallinago gallinago)

McFarlane collected a male specimen (USNM
494111) on 6 January 1965 on Wake Island. Another
snipe was photographed on 13 January 2008 and
identified as the Eurasian subspecies, Gallinago g.
gallinago. Snipe are notoriously difficult to identify in
the held. This individual showed an under wing with
fairly broad white barring, which agrees more with
Common Snipe than Wilson’s Snipe. See Figure 26. (E.
VanderWerf, pers. comm).

Figure 26. Common Snipe-Oct. 2007. Wake I.

Photo by E. VanderWerf.

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus )

First reported in the literature by Jones (1995), several were seen by long-time
resident Lou Hitchcock at night. We also observed another individual on Wake Island on
28 November 2003.

Sea-Eagle ( Haliaeetus spp.)

A raptor with a huge beak, fan-shaped tail, reddish brown, long rectangular wings
with white spots underneath and extending primaries was described by island personnel
in the winter of 1997 (P. Fusco, R. Wheeler pers. comm.). Steller’s Sea-Eagle fits the
description and could occur at Wake as it has twice reached the Northwestern Hawaiian
Islands, in 1978 and 1983 (Pratt et al. 1987), but this record remains hypothetical without
documentation.

Black Kite ( Milvus migrans )

Long-time island resident Lou Hitchcock provided photographic evidence of
a Black Kite from 1980 that stayed around for about five years (Jones ,1995). Another
Black Kite was photographed on Wake Island in the winter of 2004 and indentihed by the

34

swept-back appearance of the primaries.
See Figure 27. It remained until the end of
2005, preying on rats around the runway
area, inadvertently benefiting from cat
eradication (T. Tiley, pers. comm).

Figure 27. Black Kite from Wake I. (T. Tiley photo).

Long-tailed Cuckoo ( Eudynamis taitensis )

This species is considered a regular but rare migrant in the Marshall Islands
(Amerson, 1969). An adult male was collected by T. Lyons on 28 November 1939 from
Peale Island. This specimen (MVZ#79443 Acct. 6339) was an unknown museum skin at
U.C. Berkeley’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology until discovered by our research. A living
individual was seen briefly flying across a road on Wilkes Island on 6 January 2004 by
David Boyle.

Java Sparrow ( Padda oryzivora)

First reported and identified by Fosberg (1959): “A cage of the attractive
small finches with large conical bills, commonly called Java Sparrows, was seen
on Wake Island in a house on April 15, 1952.” The species was seen again by
McFarlane in April 1964: “Two sparrows commonly seen believed introduced,”
and Casey (1966) reported there was “singly a lone wild sparrow.”

Common Canary ( Serinus canaria)

The record of a failed introduction is based on this note about Captain Sullivan,
pilot of the inaugural Clipper flight in August 1935. “In the course of a second three-day
rest period [at Midway], he picked up a case of canaries, yet another thoughtful diversion
to brighten the lonely hours of the gang stranded at Wake.” (Urwin, 1997).

CONCLUSIONS

The current avifaunal diversity (15 species breeding, or attempting to breed) and
population size has returned to the conditions mentioned in Wetmore’s account of the
avifauna of 1923. Of the species found in 1923, only Christmas Shearwaters are not yet
confirmed breeding species. Albatross, noddies, terns, shearwaters, tropicbirds, ducks
and shorebirds now at their pre-World-War Two densities on Wake Island. Noddies and
White Terns have recolonized and spread as the ironwood forest has matured. Albatross
are visiting Wake Atoll and attempting to breed, albeit with little success. Red-tailed
Tropicbirds appear to be increasing and colonizing other parts of Wake.

35

The seabirds of Wake Atoll began to increase as feral cat control efforts
commenced in 1996, especially on Wake Island, the largest landmass in the atoll.

White Terns, Gray-backed Terns, noddies, tropicbirds and albatross primarily nest
here. Ironwood tree maturation have enhanced breeding habitat for arboreal terns and
shearwaters. However, monotypic sites of ironwoods cover large portions of Wake Island
and are invading the last patches of native beach plants, especially beach heliotrope
forests. Tree management will limit noddy populations but is needed to maintain the
native vegetation bird habitat.

The designated Bird Refuge on Wilkes Island is primarily used by Sooty Terns,
shearwaters, boobies and frigatebirds. With diminished human disturbance, frigatebirds
appear to have recently bred. Only Peale Island remains under-utilized by seabirds. Until
recently, a few Brown Noddies and White Terns bred in the late 1990s. In 2002-2003,
Sooty Terns nested and a Gray-backed Tern colony became established in 2004.

Population increases are also enhanced due to immigration from the eastern part
of the Pacific. Brown and Masked Boobies banded at Johnston Atoll and immigrated
to Wake demonstrate Wake is part of the Hawaiian/Johnston Island seabird population.
Recoveries of marked frigatebirds and banded shearwaters and tropicbirds from Tern
Island, French Frigate Shoals, and sighting of orange-footed Black Noddies from the
island of Hawaii demonstrate the Hawaiian connection. Observations at Wake help
define the extra-limital range of color-morph races of birds. Partial and complete dark
morphs Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Red-footed Boobies show a mixing of northern
and southern forms. The furtherest extent of range is demonstrated by the white-headed
subspecies of Brown Boobies (S. /. brewsteri ) whose nearest breeding areas are off Costa
Rica were seen and a banded Masked Booby, not from US-owned colonies or Australia
was also recorded, but band recovery data could not be confirmed.

With the eradication of feral cats, Wake Atoll is one of the best seabird colonies
in the Western Pacific. Few atolls in the Marshall Islands support as diverse an avifauna
as Wake. The super typhoon of 2006 damaged seabird habitat and the release of rodents
from cat predation pressure has relatively insignificant impacts on colony distribution
and success. With the planned eradication of rodents in 2010 (A. Hebshi. pers. comm.),
Wake Atoll will become the premier seabird colony in Micronesia. It will also provide a
unique opportunity to recover the full avian diversity of Wake by ecologically replacing
the extinct Wake Rail. The endangered (and virtually ecologically extinct) Guam Rail
(Gallir alius owstoni) is an excellent candidate as a surrogate species and the introduction
of an experimental population, freed from legal restrictions of the Endangered Species
Act, and freed from invasive predators, can reestablish the unique Pacific Island bird
reserve that once Wake was.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are especially grateful for the DoD Legacy Project: Conservation of
Indigenous Birds at Wake Atoll, # DACA87-00-H-0016 and for 2006 funding for
Legacy Resource Management Program: Natural Resource Assessment of Wake Island
After Leral Cat Eradication and Super Typhoon Ioke, # W912DY-07-2-0016. We are
especially grateful to P. Morales who administered these projects. We thank USLWS

36

biologists E. Flint, C. Rowland and K. Swift supported our effort in Honolulu. We are
grateful to the many Thai workers and Chugach Native Corporation management for
outstanding on-island support and for those who helped us at Wake including J. Hanna,

M. Henz, L. Hitchcock, T. Tiley, R. Wheeler and the many military and civilian personnel
at Anderson and Hickam Air Force Bases who helped us, especially Civil Engineering
Dept. A. Buckman, and A. Hebshi, Natural Resources Program contract support for
15 th Air Fift Wing of Pacific Air Force. Special thanks to the S. Olson for reviewing
this paper and assisting with a short-term visitors grant to the NMNH, Smithsonian
Institution. Also thanks to R. C. Banks, and R. B. Clapp for specimen information. D.

Vice kindly provided details on several new species seen in October 2007. G. Wiles and
E. VanderWerf assisted with Micronesian bird records for which we are grateful. Historic
photos of Wake Rails and other birds were generously offered by C. Nickerson, D. Roller,
and especially Tara Darsi Fyons, daughter of Torrey Fyons. Also thanks to E. VanderWerf
for use of his photographs. Our held assistant, F. Bell, helped make the island safe for
birds, and we appreciate her company and efforts.

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40

APPENDIX 1- Recent Sightings of Great Frigatebirds at Wake Atoll.

These birds were tagged at Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii by Dr. D. C. Dearborn, Bucknell
University. (USFWS pers. comm.).

1- Great Frigatebird (GRFR)-July 24, 1998- male marked on the wing with a yellow patigial tag bearing the
code BO 2. Seen again Mar. 4, 1999.

2- GRFR- tagged bird (C27) was observed in October, 1998 (C. Swenson USFWS, pers. comm.). Seen
again Mar. 4, 1999.

3- GRFR- on Feb. 24, 1999 male was seen on Wilkes Island with yellow patagial wing markers B75. Seen
again Mar. 4, ’99.

4- GRFR- On Feb. 28, 1999, female B43 recorded from Wilkes, Seen again Mar. 4, 1999.

5- GRFR- On March 4, 1999, female B96 was recorded from Wilkes I.

6- GRFR- On March 4, 1999, immature male C83 was recorded from Wilkes I.

7- GRFR- On March 4, 1999, male C94 was recorded from Wilkes I.

8- GRFR- On March 8, 1999, male D-51 was recorded from Wilkes I.

9- GRFR- On Jan. 6 ’04 E-19 white tags both wings. This bird was tagged as an adult female on Tern
Island, FFS, on March 2, 1999 (at which time the patagial tag was yellow-now faded to white).

10- GRFR- On February 2007 - L-92 seen in reported by A. Hebsi.

11- GRFR- On May 25, 2007, male M-24 was recorded from Wilkes I. Bird was banded July 3, 2005 at
French Frigate Shoals, HI

41

APPENDIX 2- Summary of banded boobies recorded on Wilkes Island.

1. Masked Booby (MABO)- July 9, 2003- female on egg.

1307-70382- reported to Patuxent- banded as immature at Hikina I. Johnston Atoll on 4/27/96. Seen again
on 27 July 2004- female on an egg.

2. Brown Booby (BRBO)- seen 5 November 2003 - male w/ chick.

1307-70267. Banded as chick on East Island, Johnston Atoll on 5 April 1996.

3. MABO- Nov. 5, 2003- male on egg on Wilkes Is.

1307-70303. Banded as chick on East Island, Johnston Atoll on 5 April 1996.

4. MABO- Nov 7, 2003 female on egg on Wilkes Is.

1307-30131. Banded as young Mar. 13, 1991 at Hikina Is. Johnston Atoll.

5. BRBO- Jan. 6, 2004 male incubating two eggs on Wilkes Is.

1307-90458. Banded as immature on Sand Is. Johnston Atoll in June 1, 1996.

6. Red-footed Booby (RFBO)- Jan. 6, ’04 brown phase on Wilkes Is.
xxxx-24713- incomplete read. Probably banded on Johnston I.

7. RFBO- Nov. 18, ’03 brown phase

1304-xx443? incomplete read. Probably banded on Johnston I.

8. BRBO- female- from Wilkes Is. Seen July 27, 2004.

1307-70488. Banded at Sand I. Johnston Atoll as immature on 4/27/96.

9. MABO- female with large chick from Wilkes Is, seen July 29, 2004.

1517-03783. Banded as immature at Hikina I. Johnston Atoll on 4/19/99.

10. MABO- female with medium-sized chick, from Wilkes Is.: seen Aug. 3, 2004
1517-07687. Banded as immature on 7/31/2000 at Sand I. Johnston Atoll.

1 1 . BRBO- male with large downy chick, seen Aug. 3, 2004 from Wilkes Is
1307-90514. Banded 3/28/97 as immature at Sand I. Johnston Atoll.

12. BRBO- male with fully feathered chick, seen Aug. 11, 2004 from Wilkes Is.

1307-70260. Banded as immature on Sand I. Johnston Atoll 3/09/96.

13. BRBO- female on egg; seen Aug. 11, 2004 from Wilkes Is.

1307- 70 — incomplete read, Banded 1996?

14. MABO - female seen on Wilkes Is. July 27. 2004. 3D1 31- odd band number.

15. BRBO - female on egg; seen Aug. 26, 2004 from Wilkes Is. 1307-03625.

16. Wedge-tailed Shearwater-found old cat-kill on July 7, 2003 from Wilkes Is.

794-47872- Banded in 1995 on Tem I. French Frigate Shoals, HI.

17. Red-tailed Tropicbird- Found Apr. 30, 2004. Wake Island, with broken wing, band collected by island
personnel. 1025-00921. Banded at Sand I. Johnston Island, in 2002.

18. Gray-backed Tern- one seen in August 2004 wearing a band.