Pacific

Seabird

Group

BULLETIN

Volume 17 Number 1

PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP

BULLETIN

Volume 17 1990 Number 1

The Chair's Page

Pacific Seabird Group News

Proposed Minutes of the Executive Council Meeting

The Treasurer's Report

PSG Colony Committee

Fifteenth Annual Meeting

The Program Chair's Comments

Abstracts

Regional Reports

Central California

Northern California/Oregon

Southeast

Southern California

Reports of Soviet PSG members

Seabird News

Conservation News

New Publ ications

Bulletin Board

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11

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THE CHAIR'S PAGE

Greetings! I would like to report on the recent activities of the
Pacific Seabird Group and some future directions our Group can proceed.
First, if you were unable to attend the Annual Meeting in Victoria, B.C., you
missed a god one. We were very fortunate in having the Royal British
Columbia Provincial Museum as our meeting site -- the work by the local
committee and the museum staff made it a very enjoyable experience.

As you know, 1989 proved to be a quite important period for seabird
conservation and biology. Probably the most notorious was the oilspill caused
by the Exxon Valdez on March 24. As in so many environmental disasters, the
causes are usually easy to identify but understanding the consequences is
difficult. The Pacific Seabird Group is fortunate in that many of our
members have the skills and opportunities to research the effects of this
calamity and begin study on how to begin to set things right. Stan Senner
organized a symposium directed at these topics and five groups presented
papers at the Annual Meeting discussing the progress to date.

There is considerable interest in understanding the biology of Marbled
Murrelets and the rel ationships of these furtive birds to old growth timber
stands. The PSG's Marbled Murrelet study group, chaired by Lora Leschner
organized a well -attended symposium on current research on Marbled Murrelets.
It is becoming a little easier to identify potential nesting areas and some
very keen-eyed people have discovered two more nests. This year's wok by
murrelet biologists have increased our understanding of their behavior at the
nest, the diet of chicks and adults, and other aspects of their biology.
This research is increasing our knowledge of how these small seabirds related
to habitats and areas coming under increasingly greater threat by development
and logging.

The Museum helped us organize an evening program of speakers open to the
public (and very well attended) who addressed various issues concerning
environmental protection, past and current threats to seabirds and how the
informed public can help. It was a very effective forum for discussing these
complex issues, and I am proud that the Pacific Seabird Group was
instrumental in its presentation. I would like to see more of these programs
at subsequent annual meetings -- and other occasions.

The International scope of the Pacific Seabird Group was represented by
the comprehensive symposium on seabirds of the North Pacific which was
organized by Kees Vermeer, Ken Briggs, Stu Fefer, and myself. Talks on
seabirds and habitats were presented by seabird biologists from many of the
countries on the Pacific Rim, including Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Korea,
Mexico, New Zealand, Soviet Union, and the U.S. The response by seabird
biologists from these and other countries indicates to me the international
appeal of seabird biology and the pivotal role that the Pacific Seabird Group
plays in promoting conservation and basic research of these species. It is
easy to predict that these types of international collaboration will only
increase in the future and I invite members so interested in being involved
in similar ventures to contact me. Someone among the international
membership of the Pacific Seabird Group is waiting to hear from you!

Our discussions with the Colonial Waterbird Society concerning the
possibilities of a jointly published journal continue. It is clear to me

3

that the membership wants to support publication of a journal devoted to

seabirds and we are fortunate in having several choices. Such an undertaking
must demand considerable investment from the Pacific Seabird Group, both
financial and effort, so the Executive Council is proceeding in a very
deliberate manner. I invite any of you who have opinions -- positive or

negative -- to write me and express them. They will help us to decide now to
proceed further. One of the most telling things to come from the rather

laborious effort in discussing the issues of publication was the repeated
concern among the membership that the Pacific Seabird Group continue its

strong advocacy in conservation.

The Pacific Seabird Group was founded as a group of amateurs and
professionals interested in promoting research and conservation of seabirds.
This dual nature has helped PSG to acquire and retain a distinctiveness that
all of us want to nurture and intensify. Unlike scientific presentations,
which fill up most of the printed part of the program and which have taken up
much of my letter, conservation issues are discussed and acted upon among
members, in person and throughout the activities of the Conservation
Committee. In recognition of the increasing importance of seabird
conservation, we plan to make this committee one of the few Permanent
Committees in our group.

I wish you all a productive and profitable summer.

Douglas Siegel -Causey

4

PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP NEWS

PROPOSED MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

The meeting convened 21 February 1990, Victoria, B.C., Canada

Mike Fry called the meeting to order at 1515. A quorum was present
consisting of Mike Fry, Kim Nelson, Harry Carter, Beth Flint, Dan Anderson,
Doug Forsell, Dough Siegel -Causey, Lora Leschner, Mark Tasker, C.J. Ralph,
Kees Vermeer, Ken Brigs, Art Sowls, Scot Hatch, Joel Hubbard, George Divoky,
Vivian Mendenhall, and Enriqueta Velarde.

1. Mike Fry read the minutes of the 1988 Executive Council meeting held
in Washington, D.C. The minutes were APPROVED unanimously by the Council.

2. Art Sowls reported on the activities of the Conservation Committee.
A brochure targeting information on Seabird Disturbance has been finished and
an artist has been commissioned by the USFWS. The brochure will be sent out
son for criticism and later printed.

An Oilspill Symposium has been organized and papers will read at this
Annual Meeting. The Committee suggests that PSG inform interested parties
about possible uses of any award money from the oilspill litigation. Such
uses might include purchase of critical habitat, support of removal of
introduced predators, and other related issues. Sowls introduced the
question whether the Conservation Committee should be made an official
Standing Committee. A motion was made to form an ad hoc committee composed
of the PSG Chair, Chair-Elect, and Conservation Committee Chairman to write
the necessary changes to the By-laws and to formalize the structure and
activities of the Conservation Committee. The motion was SECONDED and PASSED

3. Mike Fry read the report from Judith Hand concerning the activities
of the Fundraising Committee. Sale of T-shirts continues to increase the
Endowment, but other activities should be organized to bring in more money.
Judith regrets that she is resigning Chairmanship of the committee. The
Council expressed gratitude for Judith's efforts and energy. A motion
nominating Mike Fry as Chairman of the Fundraising Committee was SECONDED and
PASSED.

4. Mike Fry reported that the Nomination Committee did not operate
normally last year because a replacement for Palmer Sekora had not been found
yet. A motion nominating Doug Forsell as Chairman of the Election Committee
was later SECONDED and PASSED.

5. Lora Leschner reported that the Marbled Murrelet Technical Group had
completed their stated activities culminating in a symposium held at this
Annual Meeting. She proposed that further activities concerning this species
should be transferred to the Conservation Committee. This motion was
SECONDED and PASSED.

6. George Divoky reported on the activities of the Historian. He noted
that the program cover of the Annual Meeting differed from previous years in
that the PSG logo was missing. Otherwise, there was a small amount of
history last year. The Historian's report was APPROVED by the Council.

5

7; Mike Fry proposed that journals
bulletin be deposited at the Western
Angeles, in return for their help in
motion supporting this was SECONDED and PASSED

sent to PSG en exchange for the
Foundation o Vertebrate Zoology, Los
processing sales of back issues. A

formed to^evahfate student ^ ^ d E * oc student Award Committee be

.oS »\° s SECONDED - SUsED " ' h “ * SUl,aMe " Wa "' b » f °“ d - Tte

9 .

Council

Ellen

[The

Chu gave
treasurer'

the treasurer's report which
s Report is presented below.]

was APPROVED by the

nf thi°'R,!ii l l e f Fry re3d th n e Ed 1 itor ' s report from Malcolm Coulter. Volume 16
of the Bulletin was completed and mailed to the membershiD Numhnr 1

mailed in early June and Number 2 was mailed in Sec ember. P ' This was later

Ste ^MaVrn'in, h h e main .P roblem in the dela > has been in receiving material

deldl^nes but nnlv'a^^" t0 K the Re 9 ional Representatives before the
ln t e k s ! but only a few have been getting this to him on time. Malcolm

notes that he is nearing the end of a five-year term and feels that it is

iQcnn t0 h P + SS ^ r ? s ponsibilities on to someone else. He will do the next

Number 2^ The fh ‘V k ® the ne ? Editor to take responsibility for Volume 17*
Number 2. The Editor's .report was APPROVED by the Council. ’

npnir^ * ^ rea d the ICBP report from Malcolm Coulter Tn iqqq + u q

USFWS prepared a draft document on its Nongame Bird Strategy It S’vp™
rough and they requested comments At thp lact dcc ^ was Y er y

responsibility to ’cent STEs*

Council for advice and individual comments, and later compiled a consensus nf

srws d ;irr r t p *r;,? n to , t K -*• toners t."

Acc„o S ,Sn«S” r &s «“ r * ne

OTBOVED bj' 'the'^undV

issuel 2 of Th ioint?v U m,hi- C h- nCil e " tered into extensive debate concerning the
j r w. *. ,n9 a J0Urnal with the Colonial Waterbird Society

Herb Kale presented motions of the Executive Council of the CWBS that

Zdi tinnc h r t0 b : 9in negotiations with PSG and that laid out necessarl

The CounM 1 f °felf VhaVVl 3 j ° int Edito 1 ria1 B ^rd for Colonial Waterbirds
I ne council telt that there were several collateral iccnoc that +. u

resolved before formal negotiations could proceed ^ t0 be

Ellen Chu moved that a Committee be
the PSG Bulletin and to
moved that the Committee be
C. J. Ralph. The motion was

formed to examine the publication of
suggest possible changes to format. She further

SS l t fA S S , E 'D e * S “ rer ' »" d

The

to desirabnn^nf^nilt con h s 1 ens, i s . informal ly on the several issues relating
to desirability of joint publication with the CWBS. As a result Mike Frv

moved that a Negotiating committee be formed to deal with four issues- ( a {
possible name change of the journal; (b) editorial ^responsibility c
capital outlay by PSG to CWBS (or the Editorial Board of the journal^’- (dl
possible change in logo for the journal. He further moved that the Committee
be composed of the Treasurer, the Chair-elect, Beth Flint, Ken Brigs
Hatch, and C. J. Ralph. The motion was SECONDED and PASSED.

Scot

6

The Council directed the Negotiation Committee to discuss these issues
and prepare an agenda of issues to discuss with the CWBS Editorial Board at
their next Annual Meeting. Mike Fry moved that PSG send the current Chair to
that Annual Meeting to present the considerations of the committee. The
motion was SECONDED and PASSED.

13. Several locations were suggested for the site of the next Annual
Meeting, dough Siegel -Causey suggested that possible sites for future Annual
Meetings be found at this meeting to provide for easier planning. the
Council directed him to compile a list of possible sites. Ken Briggs noted
that the Convention Bureau of Monterey, California was well -equipped to
undertake planning for our Annual Meeting. Mike Fry moved that the next
Annual Meeting be held in the Monterey area, that it be in early January, and
that Ken Briggs, or his designate, be in charge of a Local Committee to begin
planning, the motion was SECONDED and PASSED.

The Council adjourned at 2200 and reconvened at 1020, 24 February.

14. there was further discussion concerning the joint publication and
the mandate of the Negotiating Committee. The Council was concerned about
the yet unknown costs to PSG in terms of capital outlay, dues increase, and
continuing financial support of publication. After considerable discussion,
the Council gave the Committee the following directives: (a) arrive at three
possible names for the jointly published journal; (b) decide upon acceptable
limits for prorated costs and financial support of the journal; (c) devise a
possible composition of the joint Editorial Board; (d) present all findings
to the Council for approval prior to submission to CWBS. The directives were
considered to be more explicit findings of the previously passed motion.

15. the chairman of the Nominations Committee reported that Mike Fry and
George Divoky had agreed to serve and that nominations would be presented to
the membership for election as soon as possible.

16. Mike Fry welcomed Doug Siegel -Causey as the incoming Chair of the
Pacific Seabird Group. He moved that the Council meeting be adjourned; it
was SECONDED and PASSED. The meeting was adjourned at 1145.

7

TREASURER'S REPORT, 1989

CARRYOVER FROM 1988
Treasurer's checking acct.

Bulletin checking acct.

UK account
Savings

Endowment (as of 12/31/88)

Total carryover

1989 INCOME
Dues $6,700.00
Donations

Interest on savings
Interest on endowment
Misc. income (incl. interest on chkg)
Total income

1989 EXPENSES

Bulletin and related costs
Officers' (supplies, postage, etc.)
ICBP dues
Total expenses

1989 INCOME OVER EXPENSES

ACCOUNT BALANCES
Main checking (as of 12/31/89)
Bulletin acct. (as of 12/31/89)

UK acct. (@ 1 pound = $1.50)

Savings (as of 12/31/89)

Endowment (as of 12/31/89)

Total assets

$576.39

$1,542.47

$193.00

$3,329.25

$17,813.22

$115.00

$634.31

$1,900.19

$62.94

$799.34

$340.18

$ 200.00

$23,454.33

$9,412.44

($1,339.52)

$8,072.92

$1,362.04

$806.07

$330.00 (£ 220)
$10,463.56
$21,977.61

$34,939.28

Income

As usual, the bulk of our income in 1989 came from membership dues, including
life memberships. Unlike regular memberships, which become part of PSG's
yearly cash flow, life membership dues are deposited directly into the
Endowment Fund, which cannot be touched until 1991. In 1989 PSG received
$4,230.00 in regular memberships and $2,470.00 in life memberships. All
donations received in 1989 were unsolicited; there was no income from T-shirt
sales or other fund-raising activities.

Expenses

PSG incurred few expenses in 1989, particularly since we did not hold an
annual meeting this year. Officers expenses were about half of what they
were in 1 988 in part, unfortunately, because elections were never held
(reducing postage). The figure for Bulletin costs is low because the
Savannah River Ecology Lab has effectively been covering some of our basic
costs. In its current form, the Bulletin costs a little more than $3,000.00
per annual volume to print and mail.

8

Endowment Fund

The endowment fund is in the form of US Government Securities, brokered
through Dean-Witter Reynolds. At the end of 1989, PSG owned 2,311 shares at
a market value of $9.51 per share (compared with 1,891 shares at $9.42 per
share in December 1988). Donations, as well as life memberships, are
deposited directly into this fund.

Membership

As of 1989, "current members" are defined as those who have paid their dues
for a given year before the first issue of that year's Bulletin has been
mailed. Forgetful members can rejoin at any time, but only current members
will receive the Bulletin. At the end of 1989, PSG had 230 members who were
paid through 1990 or later (compared with about 290 current members in 1988)
and another 94 members who were paid through 1989, In addition, 60
institutions worldwide receive the PSG Bulletin, of which 26 are paid
subscriptions and the rest are journal exchanges or goodwill gifts. (As this
issue went to press, we had 278 current members of whom about 30 were new,
including some who joined at the February meeting in Victoria.)

PSG SEABIRD COLONY COMMITTEE

Several major oil spills since 1984 have emphasized the need for updated
and comprehensive information on the numbers of birds breeding a seabird
colonies. Periodic colony censuses have played an important role in
management decisions relating to restrictions on gillnetting in California.
Seabird colony censusing was a principal part of research programs in the
1970's and resulted in the identification of all the major seabird colonies
on the west cost and that least a preliminary count or estimate of the number
of individuals present. However, during the last ten years colony censusing
has received less attention as the emphasis in seabird research has shifted
from studies of distribution and abundance to breeding biology and trophies.

The recent Exxon Valdez and southern California oil spills underscored
the necessity for up-to-date and accurate colony censusing, both for
anticipating and assessing the impacts of major pollution events.
Unfortunately for many areas colony censuses are historic in nature and/or
of questionable accuracy. The last published colony information for Alaska
is from 1977 based on a single estimate. Although the Catalogue of
Washington Seabird Colonies (Speich and Wahl, 1989) was recently published,
all information presented was gathered before 1983.

At the PSG meeting in Victoria the need for government agencies
maintaining, regularly updating, and distributing information from seabird
colony databases was discussed at the Executive Council meeting and a
separate meeting on seabird colonies. A PSG Seabird Colony Committee was
formed to examine ways in which the Pacific Seabird Group can notify both
government agencies and conservation groups of the paucity of recent and
accurate seabird colony censuses and urge the initiation of programs t keep
colony databases current through a continuing censusing effort. Persons
wishing to join this committee should contact harry Carter, USFWS, 6924
Tremont Rd., Dixon, CS 95620

9

Sowl s,A. L. , S.M. Hatch, and C.J. Lensink.
C °^°pp eS * ^ Dept. Interior, USFWS,

153

1978.

Biol.

Catalog of Alaskan Seabird
Serv. Prog. FWS/OBS-78-78,

Speich, S.M. , and T.R. Wahl. 1989
U.S. Fish and Wild!. Serv. Biol.

Catalog of Washington
Rept. 88(6). 510 pp.

seabird colonies.

10

THE PROGRAM CHAIR'S COMMENTS
SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING

Royal British Columbia Provincial Museum
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
D. Siegel -Causey

The 1989 PSG Annual Meeting was held in the superlative facilities of
the RBCPM. The meetings organized by the Local Committee chaired by Alan
Burger and all activities were hosted by the Museum through the daily efforts
of Elaine Gibb. I am sure all of the persons who attended appreciate very
much the effort of everyone who helped make this a memorable gathering.

About half of the papers given at the Annual Meeting were associated
with the symposium on North Pacific Seabirds organized by Kees Vermeer, Ken
Briggs, Stewart Fefer and myself. The talks in the symposium were organized
around three main themes: biological accounts of the species, distribution of
birds at sea, and historical and conservation issues. Stan Senner organized
a short workshop based on the examining the effects of oil spills on seabirds,
and Lora Leschner chaired a comprehensive workshop devoted to Marbled
Murrelets . The remaining papers in the general section covered a broad range
of subjects including improved techniques for attaching radiotransmitters,
the effects o several types of predators on seabirds, interactions f seabirds
with the physical environment, discussions on new behavioral observations,
and reports on new breeding colonies discovered in the USSR.

The quality and diversity of papers was among the highest I have
experienced and although everyone was a bit groggy by the end, it was a great
experience. I hope to see you in Monterey next year.

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ABSTRACTS

THE BIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF ENSO: EL NINO, LA NINA, AND EL VIEJO

Ainley, D. G., W. J. Sydeman, S. D. Emslie, and P. Pyle (Point Reyes Bird
Observatory, 4990 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, CA 94970)

A 19-year record of breeding success and chick fledging weights for 7
seabird species (cormorants, gulls, and alcids) at Southeast Farallon Island,
California, reveal a cycle of extraordinarily productive and unproductive
years. The cycle coincides with that of the EL Nino - Southern Oscillation
(ENSO). Among Farallon seabirds anomalously productive years compensate the
poor "El Nino" years. The pattern is most evident in species having clutch
sizes >1. The oceanographic mechanisms by which the pattern comes about will
be discussed.

UNDERSTANDING SUBTLE AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF BIOLOGICAL FIELD ACTIVITIES AND
OTHER DISTURBANCES ON PACIFIC SEABIRDS

Anderson, D. W. (Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, Univ. California,
Davis, CA 95616), J. Burger (Dept. Biological Sciences, Rutgers University,
New Brunswick, NJ 08903), D. L. Jaques (Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries Bioloqy
Univ. California, Davis, CA 95616)

Many field biologists (both researchers and mangers) are slow to
recognize or admit that their own field activities may have an adverse impact
on their seabird study subjects or the data they gather. Curiosity-seekers
and others who cause more overt disturbances are either ignorant of their
effects or simply do not care. In other instances, some species of seabirds
seem tolerant to or adaptive toward many types of di sturbances. The results
vary in magnitude and from species to species, but they often result in
detrimental, effects to the study subjects or to nearby, associated flora and
fauna. Minimizing the adverse effects of research or management activities
often rely on the integrity of the person in the field, but more overt types
of nonconsumptive uses need to be managed more directly. All disturbances are
subject to logical management and control. There is a developing field of
data suggesting that disturbance thresholds and habituation levels can be
used to better control undesired effects of disturbances to grouped seabirds.

IMPACTS OF INTRODUCED PREDATORS ON NESTING SEABIRDS IN THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC

Bailey, F. P. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Homer, AK 99603, USA), G. W
Kaiser (Canadian Wildlife Service, Delta, BC, Canada, V4K 3Y3).

Mammalian predators were once absent from most of the islands in the
northeastern Pacific Ocean except those close to the mainland or connected by
ice. in winter. Throughout the area, introduced mammals continue to modify the
habitat and affect nesting productivity but those impacts do not compare to
the callous exploitation of seabirds as fox food. Foxes devastated seabird
colonies throughout the southwestern Alaska and left only a remnant
population of Aleutian Canada Geese on three small sites. Introductions have
been recorded since 1750 when arctic fox were placed on the westernmost
Aleutians. Red and arctic foxes as well as rats, ground squirrels, and other
rodents were released on Alaskan islands throughout the 1800's and early

12

1900's. Roughly 450 islands had been stocked by 1930 when the first
government surveys raised concerns about disappearing seabirds voiced by the
Aleuts as early as 1811. Raccoons, mink, and other fur-bearers have been
introduced to islands in British Columbia in this century. Rats are causing
current problems but raccoons released on the Queen Charlotte Islands may
soon start to exploit seabird colonies. Further south, agricultural animals
and lost pets have caused more problems than introduced fur-bearers. Most
colonies are protected and wherever intensive efforts have been made to
relieve problems, the populations of colonial seabirds have responded
quickly.

STORM-PETREL ABUNDANCE, DISTRIBUTION, BREEDING BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Boersma, P. D. (Institute for Environmental Studies and Dept, of Zoology,
Univ. Washington, Seattle, WA 98195), M. J. Groom (Dept, of Zoology, Univ.
Washington, Seattle, WA 98195)

Although estimation of population sizes and distributions are
problematic in storm-petrels, it is probably that few species which nest in
the north Pacific are in danger of extinction. Leach's and Fork-tailed storm-
petrels are the most abundant and widely distributed species, with
populations of over 15 million each. Madeiran and Tristram's storm-petrels
are the next most abundant, with probable population sizes greater than
20,000 individuals. Black, Matsudaira' s, Swinhoe's, and Ashy storm-petrels
are the rarest having both restricted ranges and small population sizes
(fewer than 20,000). All species have a similar breeding biology, with
variation in the substrate used for burrows being the most critical
difference for their conservation. Mammals, such as otters, are notably
efficient and devastating predators in storm-petrel colonies, despite storm-
petrels avoidance of nest visits during daylight and well -illuminated nights.
Increasing populations of various gull species and raptors which consume
storm-petrel adults may pose a progressive threat to storm-petrel
populations. Predation (particularly on adults), pollution, and to a lesser
extent, habitat modification, may be of concern in the conservation of the
rarest species of storm-petrels. With increased environmental degradation, we
expect that ingestion of petroleum and toxic chemicals, and especially of
plastics may pose greater problems for some populations.

STATUS, ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF TERNS OF THE TEMPERATE NORTH PACIFIC

Buckley, P. A. Buckley (NPS Coastal Research Ctr., Graduate School of
Oceanography, Univ. Rhode Island, RI 02882), R. B. Clapp (Natl. Fish &
Wildlife Laboratory, Natl. Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20560),
and F. G. Buckley (Ctr. for Coastal & Environmental Studies, Rutgers Univ.,
New Brunswick, NJ 08903).

Twenty-one species of terns breed in the Temperate North Pacific (i.e.
between 22.5 and 66.5 N latitude). They fall into three major groups, those
with origins and distribution mainly (1) offshore/tropical (4 species, plus 4
shared with coastal Asia); (2) Asiatic (4 species plus 4 shared with the
Pacific Ocean); and (3) North American (4 species plus 4 shared with the
Pacific Ocean). Chinese Crested, Elegant (both "crested" terns), and Aleutian
are the only breeding endemic terns. Most or all of the tropical terns reach
their worldwide northern limits of distribution in the TNP, although limiting
factors are not clear. In some species (Blue-grey Noddy) it may be food, in

13

others (Black Noddy) it may be habitat. In still others, seasonal-
temperature, wind, or food variation, or exotic quadrupeds may also play
pivotal roles. Competitive exclusion seem to be undemonstrated. Few
comparative ecological data on diets and feeding ranges of these animals in
the TNP exist, but some suggest that oceanic (thus, essentially tropical)
species are food generalists, while continental (thus, temperate) species are
food specialists, factors that may also relate in undemonstrated ways to
their colonizing histories and abilities. Scant data are at hand confirming
population hazards to breeding species from oil pollution, plastics or gill-
netting. However, disturbance and exotic quadrupeds may be more important
threats on some (but paradoxically not other) oceanic island, while
development/habitat loss, disturbance, and local pollution may be more
important on continents. Two endemic taxa, Chinese Crested and Elegant terns,
merit attention: no breeding locations (let alone population estimates) are
known for the former, while the latter is all but restricted to a handful of
Sea of Cortez islands. Both should be designated Endangered. Aside from the
North American coast and Hawaiian islands, recent data on breeding population
sizes for almost all TNP terns are spotty or missing, as they are for their
island distributions and there are virtually no published data on at-
sea/winter tern populations or their biological importance. Indeed, the
entire winter range of one of the three endemics, Aleutian Tern, is also
unknown. Ecological and conservation priorities become obvious in the light
of this dearth of data.

STATUS AND ECOLOGY OF OFFSHORE FISH-FEEDING ALCIDS (MURRES AND PUFFINS) IN
THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN

Byrd, G. V. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Box 5251, Adak, AK 98791), E. C.
Murphy (Inst. Arctic Biology, Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775), G. W.
Kaiser (Canadian. Wildlife Service, Box 340, Delta, British Columbia, V4K
3Y3) , A. Kondratiev (Inst. Biological Sciences of the North, Karl Marx Str
24, 685010 Magadan, USSR)

Five species of alcids in the genera Uria , Cerorhinca, and Fratercula
comprise a guild of diving, offshore fish-eaters which nest in colonies on
offshore islets and coastal headlands between 34 - 70 N on the Asian and
North American sides of the Pacific offshore fish-feeding alcids are
susceptible to decimation by exotic predators, gill nets, oil spills, and
reduction of food stocks by commercial fishing and natural environmental
perturbations. Standard monitoring methods have been implemented for tracking
trends in murre breeding populations in Alaska within the past decade, and
declines are suggested at several sites in the Bering Sea. Furthermore, gill
nets have caused the decline of murres in northern California. Puffins have
not been closely monitored except in a few isolated instances, so trends are
generally unknown. Food habits studies of fish-feeding seabirds are
increasing our understanding of processes which cause fluctuations in
reproductive performance and population levels, and they are providing
valuable information on the distribution and relative seasonal abundance of
young fish.

14

SEABIRD BREEDING POPULATION TRENDS IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA: 1979
TO 1989

Carter, H. R., D. L. Jaques, C. S. Strong, G. J. McChesney, M. W. Parker
(USFWS, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 6924 Tremont Road, Dixon
CA 95620)

In 1989, we surveyed 302 (including 54 newly-discovered) nesting areas
of 14 nesting seabird species between the Oregon border and Point Conception,
California, under an inter-agency agreement with Mineral Management Service.
Major trends in population size were identified by direct comparison of 1989
estimates with those derived from 1979-1980 USFWS surveys and other
historical estimates listed in the Catalog of California seabird colonies
(Sowls et al . 1980). Marked declines were found for Leach's Storm-petrels and
Common Murres while marked increases were found for Double-crested
Cormorants, Western Gulls, and Rhinoceros Auklets. Population estimates for
seven other species require further analyses and/or field work before
reliable trends can be established. Reasons for declines include mortality
from gill-net fishing, oil spills, the 1982-1983 El Nino-Southern Oscillation
event, and alteration of nesting habitat. Reasons for increases include
species' range-wide phenomena and local changes in prey resources and nestinq
habitat use.

BREEDING PHENOLOGY OF BLUE-FOOTED BOOBIES IN THE GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO,
ECUADOR, 1981-1989

Coulter, M. C. (Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802)

Blue-footed Boobies in the Galapagos breed throughout the year. The
factors that determine phenology are poorly understood. A quick method of
determining timing of breeding was developed so that the phenology of a
colony could be determined during a short visit to a colony. A complex of
ocean currents run through the archipelago and the available food varies
significantly both temporally and among areas. In the Western Archipelago,
where the waters are most productive, colonies are large. These colonies
include birds breeding at all stages of reproduction, but within the
colonies, subcolonies are synchronous. Among the central islands, colonies
are smaller, and phenology is similar among adjacent colonies but different
between more distant colonies. On North Seymour Island, an important colony
in the central islands, there was little synchrony during the early 1980's.
However, during the last two years, colony size has increased substantially
and the colony has become very synchronous. While there has definitely been
immigration, reasons for the increase in synchrony are obscure.

EGG RECOGNITION IN THICK-BILLED MURRES

de Forest, L. N. (Univ. Ottawa, Ottawa KIN 6N5, Canada), A. J. Gaston
(Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa K1A 0H3, Canada)

Tschanz (1959) found that the Common Murre can identify and retrieve its
own egg displaced 50 cm from the nest site and reject a foreign egg placed at
its site. We repeated Tschanz's experiment for a sample of Thick-billed
Murres on Coats Islands, N. W. T. in 1989. The egg was displaced 20 cm from
the nest site, and a foreign egg placed on the site. The majority of birds
preferred to sit on the foreign egg rather than retrieve their own. In a

15

second experiment, the eggs of two nearby birds were placed together 20 cm
away from their own sites and switched so that the closest egg to a bird was
not its own. Eighty percent of the birds retrieved their own egg. It appears
that unlike Common Murres, Thick-billed Murres can recognize and retrieve
their own egg if displaced, but will first accept any egg on their site.
Differences in behaviour and habitat between the two species as well as the
implications for accepting vs. rejecting an egg on its site will be
discussed.

A REVIEW OF SEABIRD MORTALITY IN GILLNET FISHERIES IN THE NORTH PACIFIC

DeGange, A. R., L. L. Jones, R. H. Day, J. E. Takekawa, and V. M. Mendenhall
(Alaska Fish and Wildlife Research Center, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK

Mortality of seabirds in coastal and high-seas gillnet fisheries in the
North Pacific is reviewed. Losses of seabirds in gill nets set in coastal
waters have been documented in Baja California, California, Oregon,
Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, and Japan but generally, data from

which to assess impacts are few. Coastal gillnet fisheries in central
California substantially depressed a population of Common Murres in the early
mid 1980s; legislative action has largely resolved that problem. Several
large high-seas fisheries that operate in the North Pacific are known to
affect or suspected to affect seabirds, including the Japanese land-based
salmon fishery, the Japanese mothership salmon fishery, the Japanese, Korean,
and Taiwanese squid fisheries, and the Japanese and Taiwanese large mesh

fishery for albacore and billfish. Approximately 56,000 seabirds are killed

annually in the land-based salmon fishery. Few data are available to assess
mortality from the large mesh or squid fisheries, although mortality of
seabirds in the squid fishery is potentially high. The Japanese mothership
salmon fishery, formerly responsible for up to 250,000 seabird deaths
annually in the early 1980s, was excluded from fishing in the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone in 1988 and was substantially reduced in size and effort.

ANNUAL VARIATION IN BLACK GUILLEMOT EGG PARAMETERS OVER AN ELEVEN YEAR

PERIOD

Divoky, G. J. (Inst. Arctic Biology, Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775)

Egg parameters were measured at a Black Guillemot colony during five
years of colony expansion (27 to 175 pairs) and six years of a stable
population, size with increasing average breeding experience. Egg volume
increased with annual increases in the average breeding experience for the
colony but decreased during a breeding season. No annual variation in egg
shape was discovered although in other species eggs became shorter and
broader with age of the female. Annual average clutch size ranged from 1.7 -
1.9 and was not related to the percentage of birds breeding for the first
time or the average breeding experience of the colony. Annual variability in
average date of clutch initiation was apparently related to environmental
factors and showed no relation to average breeding experience.

16

THE IMPORTANCE OF MATE FIDELITY AND EXPERIENCE ON BREEDING SUCCESS IN
CASSIN'S AUKLET

Emslie, S. D., W. J. Sydeman, P. Pyle (Point Reyes Bird Observatory, 4990
Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, CA 94970)

We monitored breeding success of individual Cassin's Auklets on
Southeast Farallon Island, California, 1982-1989. Data on mate fidelity and
experience were analyzed from 1985-1989 to reduce sampling biases from
earlier years. During this period, over 40% of the total breeding attempts
(n=178) were by newly mated pairs. Analyzed by year, a lower proportion of
newly mated pairs occurred in 1986 (29.4%) and 1989 (35.5%) compared to 1987
(53.1%), the year with the highest proportion. These results correlate with
annual variation in ocean productivity in the Gulf of the Farallones, The
number of years of breeding experience and mate fidelity by banded adults
were compared to hatching and fledging success and chick production using
ANOVA and logistic regression (pc. 05). Hatching success and chick production
significantly increased during the first 3 years that a pair remained
faithful, and with breeding experience; fledging success did not correlate
with these variables. After 3 years, chick production but not hatching
success may continue to increase with experience. Further data on older
Cassin's Auklets are needed to determine this relationship.

STATUS, ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF SHEARWATERS OF THE TEMPERATE NORTH
PACIFIC

Everett, W. T. (Dept, of Birds and Mammals, San Diego Natural History Museum,
P. 0. Box 1390, San Diego, CA 92112), R. L. Pitman (Southwest Fisheries
Center, P. 0. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038).

Of the shearwaters which breed in the North Pacific, the species
presently in the most peril is Townsend's Shearwater. Feral cats are a threat
on its breeding grounds at I si a Socorro, and pigs have been released on Isla
Clarion. More information is needed the current status of this species and
for the Black-vented Shearwater, which also has well-established feral cats,
populations at most of its nesting colonies. Efforts are being made to
protect Newell's Shearwater in the Hawaiian Islands. The single greatest
threat to migrant shearwaters is drift gill net fisheries, which kill hundreds
of thousands of birds annually. This ongoing destruction is probably far more
substantial than the potential mortality from oil spills.

THE STATUS AND ECOLOGY OF INSHORE FISH-FEEDING ALCIDS ( Cepphus GUILLEMOTS AND
Brachyramphus MURRELETS) IN THE NORTH PACIFIC

Ewins, P. J. (Nature Conservancy Council, 7 Eastcheap, Letchworth,
Hertfordshire, SG6 3DG, U.K.), H. R. Carter (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,
6924 Tremont Road, Dixon, CA 95620, USA), Y. Shibaev (Inst. Biology and Soil
Sciences, USSR Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690022, USSR)

Five species of inshore fish-feeding alcids occur in the North Pacific.
The Black Guillemot frequents the northern Bering Strait in small numbers but
is more numerous in arctic regions. The breeding range of Kittlitz's Murrelet
extends into the Chukohi Sea but the remaining three species (Pigeon
Guillemot, Spectacled Guillemot, and Marbled Murrelet are found only in the
North Pacific. These species are relatively sedentary. Guillemots usually

17

breed in cliff crevices or amongst boulders but regularly occupy man-made
cavities. Murrelets nest on rocky ground, often well inland, or on branches
in mature forests (Marbled only). Censusing is difficult for these five
species because they tend to breed in dispersed, relatively small colonies,
° r a ^- pairs > s P re ad over large areas. Consequently, status changes
are difficult to assess accurately. However, reliable survey techniques have
recently been developed. There are strong indications that populations have
declined in some areas due to factors such as: introduction of ground

predators (guillemots), destruction of old growth forests (Marbled Murrelet)
and oil pollution. Data from the few studies of breeding biology and feeding
ecology are summarized and recommendations made for future survey and
research priorities.

RADIO-TAG AND EPOXY GLUE TESTS APPLICABLE TO SEABIRD RESEARCH

Fleming, T. L . , D. H. Varoujean, S. M. Speich, B. C. Scheuch (7701 Zangle Rd
NE, Olympia, WA 98506)

A review of Marbled Murrelet and other seabird research showed a highly
variable rate of success for radio-tag projects. Tagged birds regularly
disappeared, often attributed to death or tag failure. Tags seldom appeared
to be chosen or custom-designed for optimal size, shape, and weight to
accommodate seabird aerodynamics or hydrodynamics and behavioral
considerations. Attaching tags to birds with epoxy seems to have been, by
far, the most successful method used, but also appeared to have excessive
failures or. limitations. "Worst-case 11 testing by hyperbarics, continuous
submersion in seawater, etc., of eight Hoi oh i 1 microminature radio-tags
yielded no premature tag failures and led to the conclusion that epoxy
attached . tags become detached and lost at sea. In most cases, an
inappropriate epoxy was used. Optimal epoxy and attachment methods are
discussed in context with appropriate radio-tag selection and testing.

INTER-COLONY COMPARISONS OF FIELD METABOLIC RATE AND REPRODUCTIVE ENERGETICS
IN THICK-BILLED MURRES

Flint, E. N., G. L. Hunt, Jr. (Dept. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Univ
of California, Irvine, CA 92717)

We compared measures of reproductive effort of Thick-billed Murres
nesting on St. P a uJ and St. George islands, colonies of different size (2.3 x
10 and 2.7 x 10 murres respecti vely) , Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea.* In
contrast to findings from the 1970's, in 1987 and 1988 we found no

significant difference in growth rate of chicks on the two islands. Field

metabolic rates (FMR) of adults measured using doubly-labeled water during
the chick rearing period were not significantly different between islands. As
observed in other alcids, the FMR's were high, 1,5 the rate predicted for

seabirds and 1.9 times the rate for all nonpasserine birds. The ratio of FMR

to basal metabolic rate in these birds was 2.75. Chick food intake as
estimated from water turnover measured using isotopes did not differ between
colonies or years and averaged 58.3 g day. Foraging trip lengths did not
differ significantly between islands. Adult body mass, culmen, and tarsus did
vary significantly with birds on St. Paul averaging 10% larger than birds on
St. George. Despite differing colony sizes and hydrographic environments
Thick-billed Murres in the Pribilofs exhibited similar energetic responses in
all measures of reproductive effort that we measured.

18

POPULATION PARAMETERS FOR THE ANCIENT MURRELET

Gaston, A. J. (Canadian Wildlife Service, 100 Gamelin Blvd, Hull, Quebec,
Canada K1A 0H3)

The Canadian Wildlife Service has captured adult Ancient Murrelets over
six years and departing chicks for five years at Reef Island, in the Queen
Charlotte Islands, B.C. A few chicks return to the colony in their first
year, but the majority of prospectors are second and third year birds.
Reproduction begins at 2-4 years old, and pairs rear about 1.5 chicks/year.
Prebreeders visit several colonies before settling to breed and philopatry is
probably relatively low. Capture of breeding adults reduces the chances of
recapturing them the next year, giving an artificially low estimate of
survival if all recaptures are considered. Using only recaptures in the
second and subsequent years after banding, annual survival of breeders is
estimated to be 78%, unusually low for an alcid.

SEX-SPECIFIC FORAGING DIFFERENCES IN BROWN BOOBIES IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL
PACIFIC

Gilardi, J. D. (Graduate Group in Ecology, Department of Avian Sciences,
University of California, Davis, CA 95616)

The distribution of foraging Brown Boobies was noted in the vicinity of
Clipperton Island (Fr.) during a NOAA cruise on the R/V D.S. Jordan. A
significant difference in the distribution of the sexes was observed: females

predominated beyond 40 nm and males predominated within 20 nm of the colony.

There was also a strong indication that males return to the colony earlier in
the evening. The possibility that this foraging difference is related to
differential parental investment and reversed-size sexual dimorphism is
discussed.

DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF SEABIRDS IN THE CENTRAL NORTH PACIFIC

Gould, P. J., and J. F. Piatt (Alaska Fish and Wildlife Research Ctr., U.S.
Fish and Wildlife. Serv., 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503)

The Central North Pacific Ocean hosts a mixed assemblage of seabirds.
Species breeding in eastern and western extremes of the Pacific and from the
Antarctic to the Arctic occur there with regularity. The region is structured
oceanographically by a broad Transition Zone between Subtropical and

Subarctic waters that is bordered by a subarctic front at 40-45 N latitude

and a subtropical front at 30-32 N latitude. The avifauna is comprised of
species that generally occupy Subarctic (e.g., kittiwakes, puffins) or
Subtropical waters (e.g., tropicbirds, Sula spp.) but may penetrate into

Transitional waters, species that concentrate in the Transition Zone (e.g.,
Red Phalaropes, Solander's Petrels), and species that occupy all water types
about equally (e.g., Black-footed Albatross). These zoogeographic patterns
parallel those observed for some plankton, squid and fish species in the

region. On surveys conducted in October and November of 1989, we observed
large sea surface salinity and temperature gradients at both subarctic and
subtropical fronts. Birds and their potential prey (as determined by

hydroacoustics) did not appear to aggregate at the fronts, but rather the

fronts served as boundaries in some seabird distributions. Seabird densities
were markedly higher in Subarctic waters than in Transitional and Subtropical
waters.

19

INFLUENCE OF PYCNOCLINE TOPOGRAPHY ON MARINE DISTRIBUTIONS OF PLANKTIVOROUS
^LETS ( Aethia * Cydorrhynchus) IN ANADYR STRAIT, NORTHERN BERING SEA,

Haney, J. C. (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA)

Least, Crested, and Parakeet auklets each exhibited distinct preferences
for different water column characteristics in Anadyr Strait near St. Lawrence
Island. Least Auklets were more abundant in mixed water, but they also
occurred within stratified water where the pycnocline and upper-mixed layer
were shallow (< 8 m) and thin (< 10 m) . Low body mass (85 g), high buoyancy,
and relatively poor diving ability may have restricted Least Auklets to areas
where water column strata nearly intersected the surface, or to areas where
strata were absent altogether due to strong vertical mixing. Crested and
Parakeet auklets, larger-bodied (ca. 260 g) species with presumably greater
diving ability, were more abundant in stratified water, and both generally
exhibited less specific affinities for water column characteri sties at
intermediate and shallow levels. Crested Auklets foraged over relatively deep
(12-17 m) and non-compressed (6-23 m) pycnoclines. Parakeet Auklets showed
little discrimination for any shallow water column characteristic. Measured
by the strength of the pycnocline, all three auklets avoided areas with
strong (> 0.22 . units m ) subsurface flow fields in the water column.
Auklet distributions tended to correspond with: 1) strata accessibility as
estimated from relative diving ability, 2) avoidance of current shear at
depth, and 3) habits and distributions of plankton prey.

WATER COLUMN STRUCTURE, BATHYMETRY, AND COARSE-SCALE DISTRIBUTIONS OF LARGE
ALCIDS (Uria, Cepphus , Fratercula) NEAR ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND, ALASKA

Haney, J. C. (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA)

Ship-board CTD surveys resolved coarse-scale (5-10 km) horizontal and
fine-scale (1-10 m) vertical variation in water column structure and
bathymetry for the coastal zone around western St. Lawrence Island in the
northern Bering Sea, Alaska, during August and September 1987. Distributions
of murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Tufted and Horned puffins showed no consistent
relationships to water column strata at shallow and intermediate depths
(i.e., the pycnocline, upper- and lower-mixed layers). Each species was more
common in stratified than in vertically-mixed waters, but differences in
abundance between mixing regimes were small or non-significant. The only
variable to which all species responded was total water column depth: each
alcid preferentially used areas with shallow sea floors and avoided areas
with deeper sea floors. In contrast to small-bodied alcids feeding on
plankton, large alcids did not generally discriminate among foraging areas as
a function of pycnocline topography and strength. This can be attributed to:
1) greater reliance on large active, non-pycnocl ine-associ ated pelagic and
benthic prey, 2) higher body mass, lower buoyancy, and greater diving
ability, .or 3) foraging over a shallow continental shelf where all vertical
strata, including the sea floor, were potentially accessible from the ocean
surface.

20

A SUMMARY OF THE LAWS AND TREATIES OF CANADA, CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA, USA, AND
USSR THAT PROTECT SEABIRDS AT LAND AND SEA

Harrison, C. S. (Hunton & Williams, Washington, D.C.), Kyong-su Choe (Korea
University, Seoul), He Fen-qi (Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica,
Beijing), N. Litvinenko, Y. Shibaev (Institute of Biology and Soil Science,
USSR Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok)

The nations of the North Pacific have entered into several international
agreements and have enacted national legislation that protect seabirds on
their breeding colonies and fishing grounds. The intentional dumping of
plastics, oil, and other refuse in the ocean has been banned. Each nation has
established some parks or refuges which are used by breeding seabirds.
Enforcement of existing laws and regulations remains a problem. The longline
driftnet fishery for squid in the international waters of the North Pacific
remains a contentious issue. Taiwan, Korea, and Japan have agreed to monitor
the effects of this fishery on marine wildlife such as seabirds. The United
Nations General Assembly is expected to adopt a resolution introduced by New
Zealand by which concurring governments would agree to a worldwide moratorium
on longline driftnet fishing.

RACCOON-SEABIRD INTERACTIONS ON THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS: ASSESSING THE
RISK

Hartman, L. H. (Biology Dept., Univ. Victoria, Box 1700, Victoria B.C. V8W
2Y2, Canada)

The introduction and subsequent spread of raccoons (Procyon lotor ) on
the Queen Charlotte Islands has raised concern over their potential impact on
native, burrow-nesting seabirds. A comparative study examining raccoon
foraging ecology and habitat use patterns in the presence and absence of
raccoons in an area devoid of seabirds. Two male and two female raccoons were
radio-coil ard, and fifty to sixty locations per animal obtained in summer and
winter field sessions. Home ranges were <1 km sq., and were smaller and
better defined for the females. Study animals foraged primarily at night and
in the intertidal zone, and scats collected showed crab to be the predominant
food item. Movement onto and off of adjacent colony islands was documented
for one male, but occurred outside the seabird nesting season. The detailed
foraging and habitat use information gathered in the remainder of Phase One
will be used a) as a basis for comparison with observations made in the
presence of seabirds, b) to evaluate the potential of colony islands to
support resident raccoon populations.

STATUS AND ECOLOGY OF NORTHERN FULMARS IN THE NORTH PACIFIC

Hatch, S. A. (Alaska Fish and Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503)

The breeding distribution of Northern Fulmars in the Pacific consists of
a small number of very large colonies (50,000 - 500,000 individuals) and a
few minor ones (5 - 5,000 individuals). The almost complete separation of
light and dark color phases between adjacent colonies in the Bering Sea and
Sea of Okhotsk suggests there is little gene flow among the major population
centers. Annual productivity averaged 0.41 chicks per breeding pair in 9
years at one colony in the Gulf of Alaska; adult survival was 0.97 yr' 1 over

21

5 years in the same location. A simple life table analysis suggests the
Pacific population is capable of growth under present conditions, although
nothing comparable to the rapid expansion of fulmars in the North Atlantic is
evident. There is no clear indication of populations change at either of two
major colonies, but one small colony in the western Aleutians has increased
greatly since the mid-1970's. The history and status of other small colonies
are unknown. Fulmars appear to have low vulnerability to oil pollution and
gill nets, but they are relatively heavy consumers of plastic debris.
Introduced predators may have caused considerable damage to fulmar
populations in the past. It is recommended that population monitoring be
continued at one or two of the major Pacific colonies and several of the
smaller ones. The latter may provide the best indication of overall
population trend.

STATUS AND ECOLOGY OF KITTIWAKES IN THE NORTH PACIFIC

Hatch, S. A. (Alaska Fish and Wildlife Res. Ctr., U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503), G. V. Byrd, Jr. (Alaska
Maritime Natl. Wildife Refuge, Aleutian Islands Unit, Box 5251 NAS, Adak, AK,
FFO Seattle, WA 98791-0009), D. B. Irons (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503), G. L. Hunt, Jr. (Dept. Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, Univ. California, Irvine, CA 92717).

Black-legged Kittiwakes are widely distributed in the subarctic North
Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas, with a total breeding population of some 2.5
million individuals. Red-legged Kittiwakes are confined to breeding in 4
locations, and at least 95% of their estimated world population of 230,000
individuals occur on one island (St. George, Pribilof Islands). Compared to
Black-legged Kittiwakes in the North Atlantic Ocean, both species have
worsened during the 1980's, with recent (1986-1989) estimates of annual
productivity averaging 0.17 young/pair. The frequency of "colony-failures"
(<0.1 young/pair) has exceeded 50% in Alaska since 1980. Poor productivity
has involved to varying degrees the failure of many birds to lay eggs,
reduced clutch sizes, low hatching success, and poor chick survival. There is
evidence of population declines in some colonies, but others appear to be
stable or increasing. High adult survivorship (recent estimates averaging 95%
in one colony) may account for the relative stability, but widespread
declines are anticipated unless productivity improves. The evidence suggests
a natural decline in the abundance or surface availability of key prey
species, but the possible role of commercial fisheries, pollution, disease,
or other factors cannot be excluded at present.

A REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS OF MIXED-SPECIES FLOCK DYNAMICS IN SEABIRDS
Heinemann, D. (Manomet Bird Observatory, Manomet, MA 02345)

Mixed- speci es seabird flocks are a common component of many near-shore
or continental-shelf ecosystems in temperate and polar latitudes, and of
tropical pelagic communities. These aggregations form where physical or
biotic factors concentrate prey (e.g. tidal currents or predatory marine
mammals), and can exist over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.
Many authors have recognized that different species play different "roles" in
the formation, maintenance and, occasionally, suppression of mixed-species
flocks. I have found that no one role-classification scheme can be applied to
all situations, suggesting that different sets of processes are responsible

22

for flocking dynamics in different situations. I use existing studies to
suggest classifications of mixed-species flock types, the "roles" played by
the different species, and the processes affecting the dynamic behavior of
the flocks.

MARINE BIRD USE OF NEARSHORE HABITATS IN THE KREN1TZIN ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN
ISLANDS, DURING THE NON-BREEDING PERIOD

Herter, D. R. (LGL Alaska Research Associates, Inc., 505 W. Northern Lights
Blvd., Suite 201 , Anchorage AK 99553)

Very little data exists on the distribution, abundance, or habitat use
of marine birds occurring in the eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska during the
non-breeding period. The coastline of the Krenitzin Islands from Unimak Pass
to, and including, Unalga Island were surveyed by small boat during each of
three periods roughly corresponding to fall (21 Sept. - 1 Oct. 1986), winter
(21 Feb. - 6 Mar. 1987), and spring (29 April - 8 May 1987) seasons. All
marine birds observed in a 200-m band including the shoreline and nearshore
waters were enumerated and behavior and habitat use patterns noted. Loons and
grebes occurred in small numbers throughout the study period. Proportions of
Pelagic Cormorants in relation to identified individuals of other cormorant
species increased dramatically in winter, probably indicating immigration of
birds from more northerly ice-bound breeding sites. Red-faced Cormorants
decreased at this season and may have moved to offshore feeding areas.
Emperor Geese and seaducks showed highest densities in winter but overall
abundance in this island group was much lower than on the adjacent distal
portions of the Alaska Peninsula. Emperor geese exhibited a preference for
wave-washed rock terraces as winter habitat and seaducks preferred the
relatively shallow waters of small bays in winter. Glaucous-winged Gulls
decreased in abundance in winter, possibly indicating movement offshore,
while Mew Gulls reached their peak abundance in nearshore waters at this
season. Whiskered Auklets, while never straying far from tidally mixed waters
near the islands, were found in highest abundance close to shore in small
tide rips and generally in smaller groups in winter than at other seasons.

DRIFT-BLOCK EXPERIMENTS TO HELP THE ANALYSIS OF RECOVERY RATES OF OILED
SEABIRDS

Hlady, D. A. (Ministry of Environment, Planning, and Assessment Branch, 777
Broughton St., Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X5, Canada), A. E. Burger (Dept. Biology,
Univ. Victoria, Victoria V8W 2Y2, Canada)

A major problem in assessing the mortality of seabirds following oil
spills is to estimate the proportion of carcasses which are found on beaches.
On 23 June 1989, we released 300 bird-sized drift-blocks off the west coast
of Vancouver Island, to simulate an inshore oil spill, and searched beaches
to recover the blocks. Overall, 42% of the blocks were recovered, and 94%
were found within 16 days. Most blocks were found within 10 km of the release
site, but some travelled over 100 km. Recovery rates varied with different
beach substrates. Blocks released on incoming tides were found more
frequently than those released on outgoing tides (47% and 35%, respectively) .
Recovery rates were 50%, 44%, and 33% for blocks cut to the sizes of Common
Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, and Cassin's Auklets, respectively. Additional
experiments are in progress under winter conditions.

23

USE OF STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS IN SEABIRD DIETARY STUDIES
S^Wo/c'anlda) 0 ^- Bi ° l09y ’ University ° f Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask.

thr^ U a\fe U i\o S t h n°n Wed t th h hl9hest enrichment of both isotopes. The theory of

£455* sfUBUsissr *•

noL ECO pa°c G i Y fic STATUS ’ AND conservation of gadfly petrels in the temperate

(Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, Univ.

Hu, D. and J. A. Bartle
California, Davis, CA 95616)

temperate h North eV pari S fi e r Cie pr ° f w 9adfly t Petrels that occur abundantly in the

iiiippSfllMIl

ms-mwm-m wml

southern shearwaters ML) making similar migrations 9 th ° S6 ° f the
AUKLET DISTRIBUTION IN RELATION TO THAT OF ZOOPLANKTON PREY IN THE BERING

California 1 'fn/ine CA^Vziz^^m an u d E y o1ut . io, wry Biology, University of

Rubisla^Terrace^Aberdee^Abl XE% o™ ttuMV
Road, Anchorage, AK 99503) ana; ’ j. Hiatt (USFWS, 1011 E. Tudor

specializes in taking euphausi ids, and the Parakeet Auklet Shich Vakil 1

Least Am k ? e +- pr6y ’- 1 , n . cludin 9 gelatinous prey. The foraging ecology of the

B^r no Sea et Vh a / Pe h Cla J 1St ° n l ar9e c °P e P ods > is best known. 9 In tKortheJn
Bering Sea, these birds concentrate their foraging over stronolv

..ter .nd .ear fronts .hero „cnoclines .a, ’ppro.cl, the s„r/.ce In Ihe

24

Aleutian Islands, Least Auklets forage where oceanic, and tidal currents,
striking the shelf between the islands, rise toward the surface carrying
plankton with them. Least Auklets prefer to forage in, and may require,
situations where hydrographic structure causes the concentration of
zooplankton or moves zooplankton high in the upper water column.

PLUMAGE VARIABILITY FUNCTIONS FOR STATUS SIGNALLING IN LEAST AUKLETS

Jones, I. L. (Dept, of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
Canada)

l investigated whether the variable plumage of the Least Auklet, a small
seabird of the Bering Sea, functions for status signalling. Fieldwork was
conducted at St. Paul Island, Pribilof Is., Alaska. Adult least auklets
varied continuously in underpart colour from unmarked white to nearly black.
Plumage varied within age groups, but adults tended to lighten in plumage as
they aged. There were no differences in plumage between the sexes.
Observations of natural interactions among adult and immature birds of
different plumage indicated that lighter birds usually defeated darker birds
in agonistic interactions within each age group. Model presentation
experiments were performed to test whether plumage colour alone signals
social status. Auklet models presented in white plumage were approached less
closely and induced more responding adult and immature birds to flee compared
to the same models presented with dark plumage. Furthermore, lighter plumaged
birds approached the white model closer than did darker plumaged birds. The
results provide the first evidence for status signalling by plumage in a non-
passerine bird and document another species where status signalling works
within age categories.

DISTRIBUTIONAL RESPONSES OF CANVASBACKS TO WEATHER AND HABITAT CHANGE

Lovvorn, J. R. (Dept, of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming,
Laramie, WY 82071)

Loss of the plant-tuber foods of Canvasbacks wintering in upper
Chesapeake Bay has resulted in their eating mostly clams. To examine the
consequences of this habitat change, I investigated how seasonal availability
of tubers and clams affects their use by Canvasbacks in the U.S. mid-Atlantic
region, and how regional Canvasback distributions are influenced by food
availability and weather. Estimates of ice cover on Chesapeake Bay from 1956-
1987 suggest that tubers were often inaccessible for parts of January and
February, regardless of their abundance. In North Carolina where ice is
seldom an important factor, sequential use of tubers and then clams appears
to result from initially high foraging efficiency for tubers which declines
as tubers are depleted. Above evidence suggests that historically clams were
a principal food Or Canvasbacks throughout this region during many winters.
Despite dramatic distributional responses to weather later in winter,
Canvasback numbers in Maryland in early January have declined since the early
1970's independently of weather trends, apparently because of the loss of
tuber-producing plants there. Decreased Canvasback numbers in Maryland in
early January have corresponded to increases in Virginia and North Carolina,
but this shift is not related to greater availability of plant foods in the
latter two areas. The southward shift of Canvasbacks suggests that with loss
of tubers from Maryland, the food base there of clams alone is sometimes
inadequate. Because clam populations fluctuate widely among years and

25

different areas, effects of the loss of plant tubers on Canvasback
populations probably depend on the frequency and geographic extent of
shortages of alternative clam foods.

YELLOW-BILLED LOONS AND THE ALASKA OIL SPILL

McIntyre, J. W. (Utica College of Syracuse University, Utica, NY 12502)

Aerial surveys were conducted over three locations on the breeding
grounds where previous Yellow-billed Loon studies had been conducted, and a
fourth site was surveyed from the ground. No decline in number of summering
adults could be discerned, although this species was considered to have
suffered a high loss proportional to the size of its population. Yellow-
billed Loons were found on more lakes in 1989 than in 1972 in the region
considered to be the prime breeding grounds for Alaska's Yellow-billed Loons.
This raises questions of whether or not the wintering loons of Prince William
Sound represent Alaska's breeding population, or if they are individuals that
breed elsewhere. Maps of prospective alternative breeding sites will be
shown. Distribution analysis for the three loon species breeding on the North
Slope will be explained, and the data analysis completed to date will be
shared.

THE EFFECT OF EXPERIMENTALLY ALTERED
GUILLEMOT CHICKS

CLUTCH SIZE ON GROWTH IN PIGEON

McLaren, E. (Oregon Inst. Marine Biology, Univ. Oregon, Charleston, OR 97420)

The effect of experimentally altered clutch size on growth rates in
Pigeon Guillemot chicks was measured during the breeding season of 1989.
Pigeon Guillemots are capable of rearing two semi-precocial chicks, however
in some years, females lay only one egg. This strategy reduces the energy
demands placed on adults and may be utilized by inexperienced or unfit birds.
In order to determine whether adults which lay one egg are capable of rearing
two chicks, eggs from nests containing one egg were switched with eggs from
nests containing two eggs. To observe potential differences in the growth
rates of these chicks, measurements of weight, wing, culmen and tarsus
lengths were taken from hatching until fledging (31-39 days), and compared to
chicks from control nests. No significant differences in mortality or growth
rates of chicks originating from altered clutches were observed These
results suggest that the limiting factor in the clutch size of Pigeon
Guillemots is not a function of the energetic requirements of rearinq one
versus two chicks.

SEABIRD DISTRIBUTION IN THE KURIL ISLANDS, U.S.S.R.

Merrick, R. L. (National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science
Center, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA, USA 98115), M. K. Maminov
(TINRO, Shevchenko Alleye, 4, Vladivostok, USSR 107140)

Small boat surveys of seabird distribution and abundance were made (as
an adjunct to marine mammal surveys) throughout the Kuril Islands during June
and July 1989. We observed 22 different sea bird species during our surveys
of 13 of the islands. At least nine species were observed nesting. With the
exception of Slaty-backed Gulls and Japanese Cormorants, the composition of
the Kuril Island bird fauna was similar to that of the Aleutian Islands. The

26

most abundant seabird species were Northern Fulmars, Slaty-backed Gulls, and
Tufted Puffins. These were observed in large numbers at most islands. Raykoke
Island supports the largest Northern Fulmar colony in Soviet waters and also
had the largest Parakeet Auklet and Crested Auklet colonies observed by us
during the cruise. The second most common group of birds were those observed
in the kelp beds or immediately near shore and included Red-faced Cormorants,
Pigeon Guillemots, and Harlequin Ducks.

SURVEY OF MARBLED MURRELETS FROM SHORE IN NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA

Miller, S. L., C. J. Ralph, B. O'Donnell (U.S.F.S. Redwood Sciences
Laboratory, 1700 Bayview Drive, Areata, California 95521)

The objective of this study was to determine efficacy of land based
methods of counting Marbled Murrelets from shore. We established five
transects along the coast of northwestern California. Transects consisted of
between three and six fixed stations, with each station providing a clear
view of adjacent nearshore waters. We will discuss surveys between May and
August 1989, with each transect usually censused four times each month. A
station survey usually took 20-60 minutes, depending on area surveyed, sea
and weather conditions, and number of birds within the grid. We compared the
average number seen between 200 m increments out from shore. Overall density
was fairly constant at all stations counted. We found higher densities in
areas where sandy beaches met rocky coasts. Depending upon elevation of the
observers, they were able to accurately count out to about 600-800 m from
shore. This method holds promise for providing good coverage of areas where
boat access is difficult.

BEHAVIOR OF MARBLED MURRELETS AT TWO TREE NESTS IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

Naslund, N. L. (Inst. Marine Sciences, Santa Cruz, CA 95064), J. L. Schear
(Merrill College Box 771, Univ. California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064), D. P.
Costa (Inst. Marine Sciences, Univ. California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064)

Preliminary results of a behavioral study of Marbled Murrelets at two
tree nests will be presented. Daily activity patterns and associated
behaviors are based on over 400 hours of video recorded observations at one
nest and are supplemented with sampling of activity by observations through a
spotting scope at the other nest. This represents the first detailed study of
the nesting behavior of the Marbled Murrelet. Daily activity patterns and
associated behaviors will be described. These include incubation exchanges,
incubation and brooding behaviors, chick feeding behavior, chick activity,
and defence against predators. Variations in activity patterns associated
with weather conditions, changes in daylength, stage of the nesting cycle, as
well as individual variation between members of each pair were observed and
will be reported.

27

A PROPOSED GROUND SEARCH TECHNIQUE FOR FINDING TREE NESTS OF THE MARBLED

MURRELET IN OPEN CANOPY FORESTS

Naslund, N. L. (Inst. Marine Sciences, Univ. California, Santa Cruz, CA

95064), S. W. Singer (City Museum of Natural History, 1305 E. Cliff Dr.,
Santa Cruz, CA 95062), S. Singer (218 Nevada Street., Santa Cruz, CA 95060)

Two tree nests of the Marbled Murrelet were found while developing a
ground search technique for locating such nests. The technique used and
improvements to the technique based on data taken at the nests will be

presented. Important factors regarding the identification of trees
potentially suitable for nesting and delineation of areas where murrelets
display the flight and vocalization patterns associated with nest trees will
be addressed. The results of intensive observations on the peak activity

period at dawn, incubation exchange and food delivery behavior, and key daily
activity patterns that may influence the likelihood of finding a nest will be
discussed. Though the proposed ground search technique is best suited for
relatively open canopy old-growth forests, derivations of it may also prove
useful in other forest conditions.

ARE RATS THE CAUSE OF THE MURRELET AND FALCON DECLINES AT LANGARA ISLAND?
Nelson, R. W. (4218 - 63 Street, Camrose, AB T4V 2W2, Canada)

The very large numbers of Ancient Murrelets and over 20 pairs of
Peregrine Falcons nesting on Langara Island, B.C., declined drastically in
the late 1950s-early-mid-1960s. In 1968-1989 the island held 5-7 pairs of
falcons, 7 pairs recently, with normal adult survival and productivity.
Murrelet estimates were: 1950s - "astronomical," 1971 - 80-90,000 pairs; 1981
and 1988 - 20-25,000 pairs. Rat predation on murrelets may have caused the
declines. Rats may have invaded during the early sea otter fur trade or
during lightstation (beginning in 1911), commercial fishing and packing, and
military training (WWII) activities. The initial major murrelet decline and
the falcon decline followed a period of ocean warming (1957-1958), and
occurred when substantial levels of biocides were present in the NE Pacific
and when the local decline of salmon caused the commercial fishery to be
severely tightened. These three oceanic factors, plus the less well
documented histories of nearby seabird and falcon populations are shown to
suggest that rat-caused mortalities may be relatively incidental to the
Langara murrelet and falcon declines. A proposed rat control program will be
a most valuable experiment.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE MARBLED MURRELET IN WESTERN OREGON

Nelson, S. K. (Oregon Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Oregon State
University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331)

Surveys for Marbled Murrelets were conducted between 15 May and 15
August 1989 to determine the species' distribution in inland coniferous
forests of the Oregon Coast Ranges. Road transects were established in three
habitat types (tree size classes: 25-45 cm, 46-81 cm, >82 cm), and were
distributed as evenly as possible from north to south and east to west (up to
60 km inland) within the study area. Murrelets were detected along 77 of 137
(56%) transects. Most (>60%) transects with murrelets occurred within 35 km
of the ocean and adjacent to the larger tree size classes. No detections were

28

recorded in areas that were highly fragmented, including the northern coast
and areas >40 km inland in the central Coast Range. Sixteen forest stands
were identified as potential nest sites through the observation of murrelets
landing or flying into trees.. Habitat characteristics of these areas will be
summarized.

BEHAVIOUR OF PROSPECTING THICK-BILLED MURRES: EFFECTS OF AGE AND CONDITION

Noble, D. G. (Dept. Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6,
Canada)

Factors affecting the process of recruitment in Thick-billed Murres were
studied on Coats Island, Northwest Territories. I looked for correlations
among behavioural and morphological traits of known-age birds, particularly
with respect to age, experience and condition. During the breeding season,
weight and condition, but not linear measurements, were significantly
influenced by age. Among pre-breeders, attendance at the site increased with
age and weight, but these effects were confounded by the greater site-
attachment of older birds. There was a tendency for older birds to initiate
interactions, and for those interactions to escalate to fights, more often.
Birds of all ages were observed copulating. However, females appeared to
become receptive to copul atory advances at a younger age than males were able
to achieve cloacal contact. A small number of three and four year olds laid
eggs, but almost all of them failed to fledge a chick. These results are
discussed with respect to hypotheses for deferred breeding in seabirds.

MARBLED HURRELET BEHAVIOR DURING THE BREEDING SEASON AT INLAND SITES IN
NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA

O'Donnell, B. P., C. J. Ralph, S. L. Miller (U.S.F.S. Redwood Sciences
Laboratory, 1700 Bayview Drive, Areata, California 95521)

We determined the behavior of Marbled Murrelet at inland breeding groves
at eleven locations in the coastal, old-growth redwood ( Sequoia sempervi rens)
forests of northwestern California. Four-point grids or single-point stations
were established at the sites and surveyed once weekly between May and August
1989. Surveys began 45 minutes before official sunrise, continuing for 75
minutes after sunrise or until 15 minutes beyond the last detection,
whichever came last. We will discuss daily and seasonal variations in
behavior and use of the forest stands and factors influencing the activity
levels and detectability. We found that behavior changed markedly during the
breeding season and that this was correlated with apparent changes in the
breeding cycle of the species.

MARINE BIRDS AND TOXIC CHEMICALS IN THE TEMPERATE NORTH PACIFIC

Ohlendorf, H. M. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, c/o Dept, of Wildlife and
Fisheries Biology, Univ. California, Davis, CA 95616), D. M. Fry (Dept. Avian
Sciences, Univ. California, Davis, CA 95616), D. W. Anderson (Dept. Wildlife
and Fisheries Biology, Univ. California, Davis, CA 95616)

Marine birds are exposed to a wide variety of natural and synthetic
chemicals such as oil, organochl ori nes , and trace elements that are
potentially toxic. Oil spills at sea present high risk to marine birds,
particularly alcids. Recent research has attempted to determine 1) risk

29

factors for different species and geographic populations and 2) physiological
effects of oil exposure, including studies of stress, thermoregul ation,
hemolytic anemia and adverse effects on reproduction. However, the adverse
physiological effects of oil exposure are not well understood. Because of
their persistence and widespread occurrence, organochl orine compounds such as
DDE, PCBs, and some of the more recently used pesticides remain a continuing
concern from some marine birds. This is especially true for birds high in the
trophic web and those feeding near point sources of contamination. Among the
trace elements, cadmium, mercury, and selenium have been found in tissues of
marine birds at concentrations that cause adverse effects in other species.
Unlike many other carnivorous marine animals, birds typically do not have
equimolar concentrations of mercury and selenium in their livers.
Interactions among various trace elements (and other factors also) can
influence toxicity.

HABITAT USE PATTERNS OF MARBLED MURRELETS AT INLAND SITES IN CALIFORNIA

Paton, P. W. C., C. J. Ralph (U.S.F.S. Redwood Sciences Laboratory, 1700
Bayview Drive, Areata, California 95521)

We conducted transect surveys at 170 sites during 1988 and 1989 to
determine the habitat use patterns of Marbled Murrelets in California. A
total of 3,697 10-min stations were surveyed, with murrelets detected on 74
of 170 (44%) transects. Murrelet distribution was patch in the state with
concentrations in Del Norte, Humboldt, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties.
State and National parks had the highest activity levels, 1.0

detection/station. Transects in forested areas dominated by old-growth had
the relatively high activity levels, 1.07 detections/station, while transects
in second-growth forests had 0.03 detections/station.

NEW CAPTURE TECHNIQUES FOR MARBLED MURRELETS

Paton, P. W. C. Paton, J. Seay, AND C. J. Ralph (U.S.F.S. Redwood Sciences
Laboratory, 1700 Bayview Drive. Areata, California)

Researchers have primarily used cannon-net guns from high-speed
inflatable boats to capture Marbled Murrelets for radio telemetry work.
During the 1989 field season, we placed a mist net 45 m high in the canopy
along a stream corridor in an area with constant murrelet activity. The net
measured 20 by 10 m and could easily be raised or lowered. A total of 3
murrelets were captured using this net and equipped with radio transmitters.
In addition, we captured one murrelet at night on the ocean with a fish net
on the end of 4 m long pole, using a hand-held spotlight from a 20' Boston
Whaler. These two techniques offer researchers two new methods to capture
this elusive seabird for further studies.

REPRODUCTIVE PRODUCTIVITY OF GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS ON EGG ISLAND, 20 KM SOUTH
OF CORDOVA, ALASKA, FOLLOWING THE EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL OF MARCH 24, 1989

Patten, S. M. (Div. of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, P.0. Box 90, Bethel, Alaska 99559)

Glaucous-winged Gulls are among the most numerous species of birds in
Prince William Sound. Approximately 50,000 Glaucous-winged Gulls use Prince
William Sound in the summer, and lesser numbers are present the year round.

They survive primarily by scavenging and foraging in the intertidal and
littoral areas. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, a high percentage of
Glaucous-winged Gulls observed had been oiled. Existing literature indicates
that small amounts of injested crude oil inhibit gull chick growth and affect
osmoregulation, hepatic, and adrenal gland activity. Existing literature also
demonstrates that minute quantities of North Slope Crude oil are toxic to
gull embryos. Transfer of oil from adult gull breast feathers to eggs will
likely cause embryo mortality. Previous research has verified that most of
the Glaucous-winged Gulls frequenting Prince William Sound come fram Egg
Island and smaller colonies such as Perry Island within the Sound. The Egg
Island colony, located about 25 km from Prince William Sound, is the largest
Glaucous-winged Gull colony in the world. This project is replicating prior
studies of Glaucous-winged Gulls on Egg Island to determine if the Exxon
spill injured the population or its long-term reproductive
viability. The Principal Investigator has collected data on numbers of
breeding pairs, nest density, clutch size, hatching success, and fledging
success, using identical methods as in prior studies on Egg Island and other
sites in southern Alaska. Results are compared directly to other previous
data sets from Egg Island and other sites in southern Alaska from gas and oil
baseline studies conducted well before the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

WASHINGTON BEACHED BIRD CENSUSES

Peabody, B. (Adopt-A-Beach, 710 2nd Ave, Suite 730, Seattle, WA 98104)

Beached bird censuses were conducted in California over a period of
fourteen years during the 70s and early 80s in response to a series of major
oil spills. Census data provided baseline information for damage assessment
studies in the wake of these spills, and led directly to legislation banning
gill net fishing in the gulf of the Farallones. Adopt-a-Beach has since
initiated a similar volunteer beached bird census program at 23 beaches on
the outer coast, along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and in Puget Sound. A
network of statewide and regional coordinators assures volunteer coverage and
quality control. A committee of agency staff and researches reviews project
design and data records and/or assists with training. Dedicated coordination
is the key to maintaining and developing the interest and involvement of
volunteer monitors. Initial funding for coordination is provided by the
Department of Ecology through a Coastal Zone Management grant. To date, over
100 volunteers are involved in the project statewide. Plans for the future
include: obtaining support from resource agencies to analyze data and

integrate data processing into ongoing resource management studies, assisting
resource agencies in assessing the damage of future oil spills through
careful and systematic surveys before, during, and after spills, involving
industry groups in conducting surveys in designated areas, and securing
enough support to continue coordinating the program for no less than 15
years.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF THE "EXXON VALDEZ" OIL SPILL ON MARINE BIRDS

Piatt, J. F., C.J. Lensink, W. Butler, M. Kendziorek , D.R. Nysewander (U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 E, Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503; Alaska
Department of Environmental Conservation, P.0. Box "0", Juneau, AK 99811).

On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker "Exxon Valdez" spilled 260,000 barrels
of crude oil in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Oil eventually drifted over

31

p

30.000 knr of coastal and offshore waters occupied by about a million marine
birds. More than 30,000 dead birds comprising 90 species were retrieved from
polluted areas by 1 August, 1989. Of those identified, murres (74%), other
alcids (7.0%) and seaducks (5.3%) suffered the highest mortality from oil and
most (88%) birds were killed outside of Prince William Sound. A colony of

129.000 murres at the Barren Islands was probably devastated. Between 1
August and 13 October, another 7000 birds were retrieved but most of those
birds appeared to have died from natural causes and were comprised largely of
shearwaters and other procellarids (51%), gulls (22%), and puffins (14%).
Based on aerial and ship-based surveys for populations at risk, and
extrapolating from the number of dead birds recovered, we tentatively
estimate that the total kill from oil pollution was in the order of 100,000 -

300.000 birds.

AT-SEA SURVEYS OF MARBLED MURRELETS FROM BOATS IN NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA

Ralph, C. J., $. L. Miller, And B. O'Donnell (U.S.F.S. Redwood Sciences
Laboratory, 1700 Bayview Drive, Areata, California 95521)

Our objective was to census from a boat to determine observer censusing
efficiency and population sizes and trends. During 1989, at three study sites
that paralleled from-shore transect areas, we conducted four surveys per
month, using 17-20' Boston Whalers. Surveys began as soon after sunrise as
sea and fog conditions allowed, and involved a series of 2-km transects
parallel to shore for 6-8 km at distances of 400 m, 800 m, 1400 m, 2000 m,
and 3000 m from the surf line. Speed was 8-12 knots, adjusting for sea
conditions. Observer's ability to view murrelets declined rapidly at
distances greater than about 100 m. The peak of murrelet abundance during the
breeding season lay somewhat outside of the shore-based observer's view at
about 1000 m. While we detected the majority of birds on transects less than
2000 m offshore, birds were still seen at 3000 meters. This fall birds
apparently began to move further offshore as the weather became cooler. These
aspects will be considered the coming winter of 1989-90.

THE PERUVIAN DIVING PETREL Pel ecanoides garnotii IN PERU

Riveros-Salcedo, J. C., J. Jahncke Aparicio (APECO, Parque Jose de Acosta
187, Lima 17, Peru)

A survey of the Peruvian Diving Petrel populations, one of the most
endangered seabird species in Peru, was conducted during 1988 in some islands
off the coast of the Paracas Peninsula. Additionally, a preliminary study of
the breeding biology of the species was performed in 1989 at Isla San Gallan,
Paracas. The current population of Peruvian Diving Petrels in Peru, based on
the counting of active nest sites, is estimated at 1500 individuals. The last
colonies are located at Isla San Gallan (13.50'S 76.28'W) and Isla La Vieja
(14.17'S 76.12' W) . These birds nest all year-round and most of the pairs nest
twice a year. The single egg is incubated during approximately 9 - 10 weeks.
The rearing period ranges from 60 to 70 days. Brooding lasts around two weeks
and both of the parents feed the chicks each night until it fledges. Flight
activity around nests occurs early in the morning before sunrise and at dusk
to avoid diurnal predators as Peregrine Falcons and Kelp Gulls. Growth rate
of the chicks fits a logistic curve with the following parameters: K = 0.104,
asymptote = 250 g, and t^gg = 42.1 days. Breeding success, calculated
independently as hatching success (45.4%) and fledging success (73.7%), was

32

33.4%. Chick mortality was higher during the two first weeks of life. The
main threat to the Peruvian Diving Petrel populations in Peru is human
disturbance due to poaching by guano harvesters and eventually, fishermen. It
is necessary to improve enforcement around the last breeding colonies to
ensure the future of the species.

MARINE BIRD DISTRIBUTION IN THE BERING SEA AS DETERMINED BY PHYSICAL AND
BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES

Schneider, D. C. (Ocean Science Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland,
ST. John's, Nfld A1B 3X7, Canada)

Current knowledge of seabird distribution in relation to biological and
physical processes in the Bering Sea is reviewed within a dimensionally
consistent framework. This review updates those of Hunt et al . (1981) and
Gould et al . (1982), with emphasis placed on recent quantitative results.
Part 1 lists range, seasonal movements, foraging style, diet, and estimates
of population size of regularly occurring species. Part 2 describes physical
and biological processes affecting distribution. The importance of spatial
scale is evaluated relative to two dimensionless ratios, one expressing the
importance of locally density dependent processes, the second expressing the
relative importance of fluid and locomotory motions of marine birds and their
prey. Part 3 contrasts the importance of tidal processes (eastern Bering Sea)
and advective processes (western Bering Sea), based on research in the Anadyr
Current and in the vicinity of tidal fronts. Part 4 lists recommendations for
future work.

MARBLED MURRELETS: DO THEY GROUND NEST IN THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWEST
WASHINGTON?

Sharpe, F. A. (Olympic National Park, Natural Sciences Division, 600 E. Park
Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362)

The Olympic Mountains include the lowest and most southerly alpine
habitats along the Pacific coast within the southern portion of the Marbled
Murrelet's range. In the northeast Olympics, alpine habitats range from 4,500
- 6,500 feet in elevation and occur frequently within 12 miles of tidewater.
The objective of this study was to determine if there is any evidence of
murrelets ground nesting in timberless areas or following flight corridors
across sub-ranges of the Olympic Mountains to access interior forest stands.
Searches for murrelets in high country areas was initiated by: 1) the need to
inventory potential murrelet habitat on both National Park and National
Forest lands; 2) Dawson's (1923) unconfirmed report of murrelets "nesting in
burrows on some of the higher slopes of the Olympic Mountains;" 3) previous
detections of murrelets at interior habitats on the Olympic Peninsula; and 4)
assertions that the species' ability to ground nest will always ensure
adequate murrelet habitat on the Olympic Peninsula. Four fixed survey
stations were selected: each was monitored on three different mornings and
evenings from June - August in 1988 and 1989. Morning censuses began 30
minutes before official sunrise and stopped 90 minutes after sunrise; evening
censuses were conducted for three hours beginning at sunset. Fifty-four hours
of ground searches were also conducted. During this study, there were no
detections of Marbled Murrelet associated with, or crossing alpine areas.
Movements of Marbled Murrelet on the Olympic Peninsula appears to be
generally below 2,500 feet and restricted primarily to valley bottoms and

33

river corridors. All lowland sites where Marbled Murrelet were detected
possessed forested areas further up valley.

OCTOPUS PREDATION ON SEABIRDS

Sharpe, F.
Ave, Port
Enterprises,

A. (Olympic National Park, Div. of Natural Sciences, 600 E. Park

WA 98362 )> M - A - Kyte, W. A. Kyte, M. Kyte (Ardea
11025 4th Street SE, Snohoomish, WA 98290)

Octopus are the most intelligent of the invertebrates . They exhibit
individuality and engage in complex behaviors including defense of mates,
guarding of food sources, and development of prey preferences. The diet of
the Giant Pacific Octopus ( Octopus dofleini martini) includes crabs
bivalves, and to a lesser extent, fish, snails, and echinoderms. Seabird
remains are occasionally found in octopus middens, but it is not known if
these are the result of predation or scavenging. Observations of direct
Potion on seabirds was observed at Whidbey Island, Washington during June
1988. At this location an octopus denning below the end of a submerqed
concrete boat ramp was observed capturing a Glaucous-winged Gull and a Piqeon
Guillemot on separate occasions. Both birds were located at the surface near
the entrance of the den and were observed struggling frantically as they were
pulled under by the arms of an octopus. Predation on seabirds by wild octopus
is apparently a rare event which may be aided by human modification of
shorelines. The presence of jetties, boat ramps, and discarded materials
apparently has created additional denning opportunities for octopus in
shallow water environments, and perhaps has made seabirds more accessible to
this predatory cephalopod.

HOLOCENE DISTRIBUTIONS OF ALEUTIAN SHAGS AND CORMORANTS .

(Museum of Natural History, Univ. Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Recent excavation of Aleut kitchen middens on Amchitka Island allowed me
the opportunity to assess the population history of shags and cormorants in
the Rat Islands. The midden material dates from 2600 ybp to colonial times
and comprises about 3000 phal acrocoracid bones. The most numerous species in
this species are the Pelagic and Red-faced shags; the relative proportion of
these two remain the same throughout the Holocene. Double-crested Cormorants
r^ re J 3 +t sen ^ throughout this time period, but never were greater than about
5/ 0 of the total. I found an associated synsacrum and femur of the Japanese
Cormorant, and a carpometacarpus of the Spectacled Cormorant (now extinct)
both dating from about 2250 ybp. In addition, throughout the entire midden
material T fcjiind 109 elements belonging to a very small shag closely related
to the Red faced Shag. I discuss the systematic and biogeographic relevance
of this material .

34

DISTRIBUTION, STATUS, AND ECOLOGY OF CORMORANTS AND SHAGS OF THE NORTH

Siegel -Causey, D. (Museum of Natural History, Univ. Kansas, Lawrence, KS
66045-2454), N. M. Litvinenko (Inst. Biology, Far-East Science Center,
Vladivostok, USSR)

Cormorants and shags of the North Temperate Pacific are a diverse group
of moderate-sized seabirds restricted to neritic and littoral waters. Seven
species are represented in this region and comprise four broad ecological
groups. Mesocormorants (Double-crested, Olivaceous) feed in marine and
aquatic littorals throughout the New World, but only the first is common in
the region. Double-crested Cormorants extend from Southern California to
Southeast Alaska with the predominant marine populations found adjacent to
the California Current. Macrocormorants (Great and Japanese) are restricted
to the temperate western shores of the Pacific basin and only the Japanese
Cormorant is abundant in marine environments. Brandt's Cormorants are
exclusively marine and are found most often near strong upwelled water. Its
greatest abundances are centered on the Farallon Islands. As a group,
cormorants feed on- and offshore, and prefer to feed at moderate depths and
near bottom close to land. In contrast, shags of the North Pacific (Red-
faced, Pelagic) feed in the upper water column and near land, and prefer to
nest on steep cliffs and inaccessible sites. Dispersal is greatest of all in
the latter species, which is found throughout the North Temperate Pacific.
Cormorant populations (and interactions with humans) are increasing, but for
reasons yet unknown. Management strategies differ widely among regions and
are inadequate or inappropriate.

CORRELATES OF PELAGIC DISTRIBUTION OF SEABIRDS IN THE SEA OF OKHOTSK

Siegel -Causey, D. (Museum of Natural History, Univ. Kansas, Lawrence, KS
66045-2454) and V. P. Shuntov (T. I. N. R. 0., Far-East Science Center,
Vladivostok, USSR)

The Okhotsk and Bering Seas have comparable levels of producti vi ty, but
the distribution patterns of seabirds differ greatly. Similar to the Bering
Sea, the greatest concentrations of seabirds in the Okhotsk Sea are found
over shelf waters, but unlike it these areas are coastal, over continental
slopes and island shelfs. Ninety percent of the Okhotsk Sea is oceanic and
strong upwelling is restricted to northern and eastern coastlines. Nutrient
injection of surface waters is further enhanced by high continental runoff
and gyral recirculation. Geographic features cause climatic conditions
similar to polar seas, and the only sections remaining ice-free are the
waters off the Kuril Islands and the western coast of Kamchatka. Winter
residents are primarily diving birds concentrated along the southern ice edge
and the southwestern coast of Kamchatka. Summer distributions at sea are
associated with gyral concentrations of high productivity offshore near
breeding colonies. A large resident population never breeds and aggregate
instead near oceanic fronts, orographic upwelling, and in the south,
continental plumes. Seasonal change in abundance and diversity seem more
related to large-scale ecological processes than to specific features of the
region.

35

THE EFFECT OF PLASTIC INGESTION ON GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF ALBATROSS CHICKS

Sievert, P. R. (National Wildlife Health Research Ctr., U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, WI 53711, USA), L. Sileo
(Dept. Biology, Univ. Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA).

The effect of ingested plastic on the growth and survival of chicks of
Laysan albatrosses and Black-footed albatrosses on Midway Atoll was studies
during the nesting seasons of 1986 and 1987. The weight and proventricul ar
content of the chicks was determined periodically through the nesting cycle.
Large (>22 cc) volumes of plastic were present in the proventricul i of 27% of
the Laysan and 16% of the Black-footed chicks regurgitated pellets composed
of plastic and other indigestible material from their proventricul i . Laysan
chicks with large volumes of proventricul ar plastic had asymptotic fledging
weights significantly lower (122 g) than chicks with low amounts of plastic.
The effect of depressed fledging weights on post-fledging survival was not
determined. Plastic had no detectable effect on the growth of Black-footed
chicks. All chicks from the study which died were examined by necropsy.
Ingested plastic was the cause of death of one of 45 Laysan chicks examined
in 1986, but was not involved in the cause of death of 93 individuals
examined in 1987. Dehydration was the most common cause of death. In general
ingested plastic did not seem to be an important cause of death in nestlings
in either year during this study, but the bulk of the data were collected in
1987, when the average volume of plastic in the chicks was lower than earlier
years.

DISCOVERY OF TWO TREE NESTS OF THE MARBLED MURRELET

Singer, S. W. (Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History, 130S East Cliff
Drive, Santa Cruz, CA. 95062), N. L. Naslund (Institute of Marine Sciences,
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA. 95064), S. A. Singer (218 Nevada
Street, Santa Cruz, CA. 95060), C. J. Ralph (U.S.F.S. Redwood Sciences
Laboratory, Areata, CA)

Two nests of the Marbled Murrelet were found in old growth Douglas-fir
trees in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County, California. The
third and fourth known North American tree nests, these were the first to be
found by ground searching without radio telemetry. Both nests were in the
incubation stage when found. Each was observed from a distant, non-di srupti ve
location for 14 days and 33 days, respectively. Twenty-four hour incubation
shifts were confirmed with the adults exchanging duties at dawn. Flight
access corridors and flight behavior to and from the nests were determined.
After corvid predation caused both nests to fail, each tree was climbed and
data collected. Both nests were located in the inner canopy, mid-crown
portion of the trees. One nest was a previously undescribed type of
constructed nest made up of small Douglas-fir twigs and foliose lichens. The
other nest was a natural depression in a moss-covered limb. Eggshell
fragments are similar to previously described eggs. Almost all droppings were
confined to the one nest that had progressed to the chick stage. Nest site
characteristics are compared to characteristics of the other known North
American tree nests.

36

DISCOVERY OF TWO TREE NESTS OF THE MARBLED MURRELET

Singer, S. W. (Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History, 130S East Cliff
Drive, Santa Cruz, CA. 95062), N. L. Naslund (Institute of Marine Sciences,
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA. 95064), S. A. Singer (218 Nevada
Street, Santa Cruz, CA. 95060), C. J. Ralph (U.S.F.S. Redwood Sciences
Laboratory, Areata, CA)

Two nests of the Marbled Murrelet were found in old growth Douglas-fir
trees in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County, California. The
third and fourth known North American tree nests, these were the first to be
found by ground searching without radio telemetry. Both nests were in the
incubation stage when found. Each was observed from a distant, non-disrupti ve
location for 14 days and 33 days, respectively. Twenty-four hour incubation
shifts were confirmed with the adults exchanging duties at dawn. Flight
access corridors and flight behavior to and from the nests were determined.
After corvid predation caused both nests to fail, each tree was climbed and
data collected. Both nests were located in the inner canopy, mid-crown
portion of the trees. One nest was a previously undescribed type of
constructed nest made up of small Douglas-fir twigs and foliose lichens. The
other nest was a natural depression in a moss-covered limb. Eggshell
fragments are similar to previously described eggs. Almost all droppings were
confined to the one nest that had progressed to the chick stage. Nest site
characteristics are compared to characteristics of the other known North
American tree nests.

WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA SEABIRD COLONY CATALOG - A DESKTOP ANALYSIS AND
RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

Sowls, A. (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 202 Pioneer, Homer, AK 99603), G.
Divoky (Inst, of Arctic Biology, Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99701), E.
Archer, T. La Pointe (N0AA, 11400 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MY 20852), G.
Kaiser (Canadian Wildlife Service, PO Box 340, Delta, B.C., Canada Z4K 3Y3)

While most seabird colonies on the west coast of North America have been
censused, little attempt has been made to compile this information over state
and national boundaries. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is gathering the
most recent information from all colonies along the west coast states.
Cooperation with the Canadian Wildlife Service provides coverage for British
Columbia. A desktop data retrieval and analysis system, developed by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, provides the ability to
obtain information on specific colonies or to examine large scale patterns.
Distribution of data files will allow faster use of updated colony data.
Files containing species information on breeding chronology, success,
foraging ranges, and prey allow anticipation of impacts of pollution etc.,
near colonies. A prototype system is available during the meeting and
suggestions for improvements are requested

37

THE STATUS AND ECOLOGY OF PLANKTIVOROUS ALCIDS OF THE TEMPERATE NORTH PACIFIC
OCEAN

Springer, A. M. Springer*, A. Y. Kondratiev 3 , H. Ogland*, Y. Shibaev 3 , and G.
B. Van Vliet* (*In$t. Marine Sciences, Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775;
2 Inst. Biological Sciences of the North, Karl Marx Str 24, 685010 Magadan,
USSR; 3 Inst. Biology and Soil Sciences, USSR Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok
690022, USSR)

The group "planktivorous alcids" includes the Ancient and Japanese
murrelets, Cassin's, Parakeet, Crested, Whiskered, and Least auklets. None of
these species is strictly planktivorous, but only the murrelets and Parakeet
Auklet feed on a large quantity of fish in addition to zooplankton. As a
group, these species breed around the North Pacific rim and its marginal seas
wherever suitable nesting habitat and sufficient prey are found. They consume
primarily euphausiids and large species of calanoid copepods that are most
abundant in oceanic and deeper shelf regions, and only the Parakeet Auklet
nests in shallow shelf environments without access to such prey. Although the
ranges of all but the Japanese Murrelet overlap broadly, geographic patterns
of species distribution are still clear. The overall distribution of the
planktivorous alcids probably has changed little in the past two centuries,
but numbers at many specific locations have changed greatly. Expanding
populations at some colonies and declines and extinctions at others point to
several factors that are important to the population dynamics of these birds,
such as predation by introduced mammals, loss of nesting habitat, and a
changing prey base.

TRANSIENT KILLER WHALE {Orcinus orca) HARRASMENT, PREDATION, AND "SURPLUS
KILLING" OF MARINE BIRDS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Stacey*, P. J., R. Baird 3,3 , A. B. Hubbard-Morton^ (*Ihe Whale Museum,
Friday Harbor, WA; 2 Box 6244, Victoria, B.C. V8P 5L5; 3 Dept. Biological
Sciences, Simon Fraser Univ., Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6; ^Raincoast Research,
Simoom Sound, B.C. VOP ISO)

Observations of transient killer whale attacks on marine birds around
Vancouver Island are presented. All the attacks appear to have been on birds
which were molting and unable to fly. Attacks include killer whales tail-
lobbing, chasing and jumping on the birds. Attack outcomes include the bird
being left alone after the encounter either unharmed, wounded or dead, or
disappearing and presumably being eaten. One positive observation of
consumption was recorded. Birds react to the attacks by swimming at the
surface; they have not been seen to dive. All attacks were on birds at the
surface, although it is possible that attacks may occur on birds below the
surface but were not observed. Attacks on marine birds have been previously
reported in the literature and their remains have also been reported from
stomach contents of transient killer whales. These interactions appear to be
energetically inefficient for the killer whales, compared to observations of
predation on marine mammals. We have observed transient killer whales
interact with the Common Loon, Eared Grebe, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot,
and Rhinoceros Auklet. We discuss possible reasons for interactions,
including "play" and "surplus killing," and the potential for impacts on
marine bird popul ations.

38

KLEPTOPARASITISM BY HEERMANN'S GULLS ON BROWN PELICANS AND TERNS

Tershy, B. R. (Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, Mudd Hall, Cornell
Univ., Ithaca, NY 14853), D. Breese (Environmental Field Program, Unw.
California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064), G. M. Meyer (Field Studies Group, 1903 N.
Coolidge Ave., Altadena, CA 91001)

Three aspects of Heermann' s Gull kleptoparasitism of Brown Pelicans and
terns (Sterna elegans and S. maxima) were examined in the Gulf of California,
Mexico between April 1985 and April 1986: 1) the frequency of attempted
kleptoparasitism by immature vs. adult Heermann's Gulls; 2) the frequency of
attempted kleptoparasitism by adults, from immature vs. adult Brown Pelicans
(in relation to the relative foraging success and availability of these two
aqe classes); and 3) the frequency of attempted kleptoparasitism by adults
from Brown Pelicans vs. terns. 1) No significant difference was found in the
frequency of kleptoparasi tic attempts by immature vs. adult Heermann s Gulls.
2) Immature Brown Pelicans dived more frequently and had lower foraging
success than did adults and adult Heermann's Gulls made more kleptoparasitic
attempts on adult Brown Pelicans. 3) Adult Heermann 's Gulls made more
kleptoparasitic attempts on terns than on Brown Pelicans. We conclude that
immature and adult Heermann' s Gulls attempt kleptoparasitism with equal
frequency and that adults are sensitive to differences in the foraging
success of potential victims.

SEABIRD DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE IN RELATION TO OCEANOGRAPHIC PROCESSES IN
THE CALIFORNIA CURRENT

Tyler W. B., D. B. Lewis (Long Marine Lab, Univ. California, Santa Cruz, CA
95064), K. T. Briggs (School of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. California, Davis,
CA 95616) j G. Ford (ECL Corp., Portland, OR)

The broad, slow, cool, southward-fl owing California Current dominates
hydrography along the west coast of North America from the United States-
Canada border to the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, out to 500 or 1000
km offshore. This current system supports about 70 species of seabirds. The
predominant faunal elements are the local breeders, migrants and winter
visitors from more northerly colonies, and summer visitors from the Southern
Hemisphere. The California Current system covers several sub-regions. The
central sub-region (Cape Blanco to Pt. Conception) features strong year-round
upwelling and very large populations of nesters (especially alcids) and
summer visiting shearwaters. Farther south, upwelling is seasonal and
localized, and seasonal elevation of sea surface temperatures coincides with
increased numbers of tropical species. North of Cape Blanco, upwelling is
less intense and colonies are smaller (except near the Olympic Peninsula);
the offshore fauna is transitional between those of the central sub-region
and the Gulf of Alaska. In this paper, we identify and discuss oceanographic
features of fine through macro scales, both spatial and temporal, that attect
the pelagic distribution and abundance of seabirds within each sub-region.
Features include seasonal patterns of current flow and nutrient/prey
distribution, topography, evolution and orientation of upwelling filaments,
effects of optical clarity and thermocline depth on diving birds, and
reliance on thermohaline fronts by surface feeders.

39

STATUS, CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF NESTING Larus GULLS IN THE NORTH
PACIFIC OCEAN

Vermeer, K. (Canadian Wildlife Service, c/o Inst. Ocean Sciences, P. 0. Box
6000, Sidney, B. C. Canada V8L 4B2), D. G. Irons (U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99504), E. Velarde (Inst, de

Biologia, Dept, de Zoologia, Apartado Postal 70-153, Mexico 04510 D. F.
Mexico), Y. Watanuki (Natl. Inst. Polar Research, 19-10, Kaga 1-Chome,
Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo 173, Japan).

The population status of seven Larus species in the North Pacific Ocean,
and that of five other gull species, which only maginally nest near
saltwater, have been briefly reviewed. The breeding range, nesting habitat,
reproductive success and the effects of human disturbance on gulls have also
been described. Conservation measures are urged for three species. Heermann's
and Yellow-footed gulls, both of which nest in the Gulf of California,
Mexico, are seriously threatened by human disturbance, which includes a
sardine fishery. Saunder's Gull, which has the smallest population of any
gull species in the North Pacific, could become endangered by the
construction of a seawall around its coastal nesting marsh in China.

Management of a potential problem species, the Glaucous-winged Gull, may

become necessary, since the species represents a potential threat to the
American Black Oystercatcher ( Haematopus ostralegus bachmani) by the
usurption of the latter's nesting habitat. The Glaucous-winged Gull also has
become a nuisance in coastal towns and cities of British Columbia, in which
its nesting in roofs of buildings has been rapidly increasing. It is
recommended that an international census of all gull species in the North

Pacific be conducted every 10 years to monitor changes in their populations,
and that the behavioural and ecological interactions of the members of the
Herring Gull species group be investigated to clarify interspecific
relationships of group members.

SEABIRD DISTRIBUTION IN RELATION TO THAT OF FISH PREY

Varoujean, D. H. (Ecological Consulting, Inc., 2735 NE Weidler, Portland, OR
97232 and Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, P0 Box 5398, Charleston, OR
97420)

The at-sea distribution of piscivorous seabirds in the North Pacific is
described in relation to that of their prey at various oceanographic scales.
At mega- to mesoscales (100 - 3000 km) the distribution of surface feeding,
plunge diving and pursuit diving seabirds can be attributed to the seasonal
distribution of those pelagic and benthic/demersal fishes that make up the
principal component of the diet of these seabirds. At these scales fish
distributional patterns can be related to seasonally persistent sea-surface
thermal and current boundaries, and larger scale convergences and
divergences. Coarse-scale (1 - 100 km) distributional patterns of fish are
less well understood, but can be attributed, in part, to localized changes in
prey abundance, and changes in patterns of dispersion (e.g., diel vertical
migration patterns, onshore-offshore movements for feeding and spawning, and
current transport of larval and postlarval juveniles). Although the physical
processes that determine these patterns are, at this scale, largely chaotic,
they are so within definable bounds. Hence, coarse-scale fish spatial
variability can be described quantitatively, and a few examples are provided.
Based on a limited amount of information about the ability of seabirds to

40

track fish spatial variability, several testable hypotheses pertaining to the
at-sea distribution of piscivorous seabirds at the coarse-scale are
presented .

SEABIRD DISTRIBUTION OFF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND WASHINGTON RELATIVE TO PHYSICAL
AND BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES

Wahl, T. R. (3041 Eldridge, Bellingham, WA 98225), K. H. Morgan, K. Vermeer
(Canadian Wildlife Service, P.O.B. 6000, Sidney, B.C. V8L 4B2).

Surveys of British Columbia and Washington offshore seabirds have been
limited seasonally and geographical ly . No direct analysis of distribution and
abundance relative to processes have been done, though data suggest
associations. Birds appear to concentrate at fronts and outflows, areas of
upwelling and seasonal prey concentrati ons . Overall numbers generally
decrease with depth, presumably reflecting productivity and food
availability. Numbers appear to vary greatly from year to year, with
differences especially noticeable during abnormal oceanographic "events."

EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF SEABIRDS OF THE TEMPERATE NORTH PACIFIC

Warheit, K. I. (Dept. Integrative Biology, 3 Earth Sciences Bldg., Univ.
California, Berkeley, CA 94720).

The fossil record of seabirds from the temperate North Pacific is
chiefly a record of middle to late Miocene and Pliocene (16.5 _o 1.0 mybp)
faunas of southern California. Nevertheless, additional fossil specimens have
been discovered from deposits as old as the late Eocene (38 - 42 mybp) of
Oregon and the late Oligocene (25 - 30 mybp) of Japan. Pre-middle Miocene
faunas consisted primarily of extinct flightless and giant Pel ecani formes
(Plotopteridae. and Pelagornithidae, respectively). From the middle Miocene
through the Pliocene the faunas closely resembled that of present-day species
distributions, but with several exceptions: (1) the absence of any marine
Laridae or Pelecanidae until the late Pliocene or Pleistocene, respecti vely ;
(2) the comparatively low abundance and diversity of cormorants
(Phalacrocoracidae) until the late Pliocene; and (3) the extreme diversity
and abundance, but subsequent extinction of gannets (Morus) and flightless
alcids (Mancal 1 i nae) . Changes in local sea level and temperature, and the
evolution and radiation of marine mammals may have been responsible for these
patterns.

41

REGIONAL REPORTS

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, JEAN E. TAKEKAWA
University of California, Davis

studv D on 1 t h’ involved in the California Department of Fish and Game
study on pel can disease interactions and prevalence. He is continuing lonq-
term monitoring studies on the seabirds of the Gulf of California

Deborah Jaques is
Brown Pelican commun
nonbreeding period.

finishing her Master's research with Dan Anderson on
al roosting behavior and habitat use during the

Darcy Hu is conducting her Master's research
related reproduction in Red-footed Boobies.

with Dan Anderson on age-

Pollo Moreno
white pelicans on
grounds in Mexico.

is conducting his Master's research with Dan Anderson on
the breeding grounds in northern California and wintering

disner^nt PffLt? condu t ct ?"9 a toxicity study to examine petroleum and

anemtl of lsol ^ te . d red blood cells, as a model for hemolytic

anemia of seabirds exposed to oil. He investigated different ways of

th^Valde^oll r n g 1 hemo J yt . lc anemia at rescue centers in Alaska, following

toxic iffLtc of h- 1 '- u S als ° beginnin 9 a study on bioaccumulation and
toxic effects of dioxin in herons and ospreys, using poultry as model birds.

mitochln^i D omI iS cond “ ctin 9 her Master's research with Michael Fry on
mitochondrial DNA sequencing in Marbled Murrelets and auklets, comparing
California and Alaskan populations. p a

University of California , Santa Cruz

R „ctoo Nan c C o y f NaSlUnd ’J te , Ve Sin9er ’ Ste P hanie Singer, Gary Strachan, and Robert
Burton continue marbled murrelet research in the Santa Cruz Mountains, usinq
ground search techniques to monitor breeding birds. ’ 9

California State University, Hayward

Sarah Griffin is beginning her Master's research on shorebird ecoloqy in
the salt ponds of south San Francisco Bay with Chris Kitting.

Point Reyes Bird Observatory

A Farallon Islands and Gulf of the Farallones. Bill Sydeman, Steve Emslie,
Peter Pyle, and David Ainley continue to monitor breeding seabirds and
conduct demographic studies on Western Gulls, Brandt's Cormorants, Cassin's
Auklets, and Common Murres on Farallon NWR. They collaborated on the 1989
USFWS survey of seabirds in central and northern California. They are also
conducting a study on diet, foraging behavior, and reproductive success in
Pigeon Guillemots and Rhinoceros Auklets. New studies are being developed to
determine whether Western Gull interference or predation prohibits colony
formation by Cassin s Auklets and to attempt to induce Ashy Storm-petrels to

43

colonize artificial nest sites (boxes) by presenting prospecting birds with
vocalizations of conspecifics . Winter attendance by Common Murres and

Western Gulls is being investigated. A book by David Ainley and Bob
Boekelheide summarizing 13 years of breeding ecology of Farallon seabirds
will be published in July 1990. David Ainley and Larry Spear continue to
investigate pelagic distribution of seabirds in relation to prey in central
California, in conjunction with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

B. Coast and Estuaries. Gary Page, Lynne Stenzel , Dave Shuford, and Janet
Kjelmyr continue a shorebird ecology project, coordinating spring and fall
shorebird surveys in wetlands in several coastal and interior western states.
Staff and research associates continue to monitor breeding success and
juvenile dispersal of snowy plovers along Monterey Bay. They are also
conducting winter population surveys along the west coast, including Baja
California (note: any snowy plover sightings from Baja would be gratefully
received) .

C. San Francisco Bay. Gary Page, Lynne Stenzel, Dave Shuford, and Janet
Kjelmyr are investigating habitat use by shorebirds. Phil Henderson and
other staff are investigating breeding success and population levels of
Double-crested Cormorants on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge and Farallon NWR.

D. Mono Lake. Jan Dierks, Gary Page, and Dave Shuford continue studying
breeding success and population size of California Gulls.

E. Antarctica and Other Regions. David Ainley and Bill Fraser are
conducting studies of penguins as indicator species to monitor krill
abundance in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Wayne Trivelpiece and Susan
Trivelpiece continue demographic studies of penguins at King George Island.
David Ainley, Larry Spear, and Bill Fraser continue studies of pelagic
seabird communities in the equatorial Pacific and Weddell Sea. Wayne
Trivelpiece is investigating the breeding strategy of the Magnificent
Frigatebird at Barbuda. David Ainley and Bill Fraser are assessing the
impacts of the oil spill resulting from the sinking of the Bahia Paraiso at
Palmer Station, Antarctica.

San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory

SFBBO continues to monitor colonial nesting birds in south San Francisco
Bay. Jan Dierks is nearing completion of her Master's thesis on chick diet
of California Gulls.

USFWS/Horthern Prairie Field Research Station - Dixon

Field work was completed in September for a survey of seabird breeding
colonies in central and northern California, led by primary investigator
Harry Carter. The field team included Deborah Jaques, Craig Strong, Gerry
McChesney, and Mike Parker. This is an update of the survey conducted in
1979-1980 by Sowls et al . (1980). Results are currently being summarized.
The study was conducted under an interagency agreement with the Minerals
Management Service.

44

USFHS/Pacific Coast Field Station

Oh . 1 ® ndo . rf continues investigating contaminants and bioloqical
rlnHnrt ' ln !" n '?? :enn 9 waterfowl in San Francisco Bay. Roger Hothem is
conducting studies on contaminants and reproductive success in Snowy Eqrets

Sknr,m a aC r' n C ^ Wned N J gh * Herons in two co1onies in San Francisco Bay. 9 Joe
wat!rfnwi C0 t i l1Ue if t °. 1 "' /es . tl 9 ate reproductive success in many species of
waterfow! and shorebirds in the Tulare Basin in agricultural drainwater

USFMS/San Francisco Bay NWR

, nH ah?mH Se Accu ,T S0 . ! s conducting her Master's research on the distribution

^to b nn d - + ° f w l" t . ering waterfow1 ^ San Francisco Bay through Humboldt
ate University. This project is led by John Takekawa of the FWS Northern
airie Field Research Station in Dixon. Refuge biologists continue

Faral^ 1 wt/R aeria i S i, With P !! B0 °u f Common Murre breeding populations at

arallon NWR. Jean Takekawa and other staff assisted on the 1989 USFWS

rental SUt 7 ey b + k flyi !J 9 , ?? ri a l surv eys of murre and cormorant colonies in
central and northern California. Refuge biologists continue contaminant
monitoring studies in the Bay and Salinas River NWR.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA/OREGON, ROY W. LOWE
Oregon State University

s. Kim Nelson is continuing her work with Marbled Murrelets in the
regon coastal region. Kim is working out of the Oregon Cooperative Wildlife

t Uni V nd h3S hired 3 crew t0 assist her with the research In 988
and 1989 twenty areas were identified as potential nest sites through surveys

mnrH?nH 9 H m / t[ire 3nd old-growth forests. Eight to ten of these areas will be
monitored for nests during the spring and summer of 1990 using an intensive
ground inventory technique. Birds will be observed in an attempt to discover
unique behavioral patterns. Murrelet vocalizations will also be recorded in
cooperation with research in northern and central California.

University of Oregon

win “li!" H ° d + de J and students at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology

CO Lv »7n nns^" 9 " est \ n 9 success of Pelagic Cormorants at the OIMB
colony (CC# 270-008) in Sunset Bay. this will be the 18th
that this colony has been studied.

consecutive year

Eliziibeth McLaren. OIMB student, has completed fieldwork for her thesis
rese a rch on Pigeon Guillemots. The research, conducted in Cool Bay, studied

the effects of experimentally altered clutch size on growth, hatching and
fledging success. a a,lu

Humboldt State University

M ,. 1 °!/ » Rudo1 A W - Beck . in 9 is continuing to focus his research efforts on
Marbled Murrelets. Primary objectives are to discover nesting trees and
document nest habitats. Detailed habitat information will be collected on
forest stand structure and tree inventories. Information on nest discoveries

45

and fledglings will be collated in a data base. Studies of vocalization,
plumage and behavior will continue on a limited basis.

Dr. Paul Springer is contenting the long term population, distribution,
and ecology study of the endangered Aleutian Canada Goose on their migration
and wintering grounds in the Pacific Flyway. Data from over 3,700 banded
birds and 70,000 resightings and recoveries are now being analyzed. Even
with such a huge data base there are still many gaps in the knowledge of the
distribution of the geese after they leave the Aleutian Islands. The
Aleutian Canada Goose is slightly larger but somewhat lighter in color than a
Cackling Canada goose, weighs about 5 pounds, and has a white neck ring as an
adult. Marked birds have blue, yellow, green, or red leg bands with numbers
and letters or a combination of both, and some individuals have gray neck
collars that are 3/4 inch high with a letter and two numerals. Persons
observing Aleutian Canada Geese are urged to contact Paul Springer, Wildlife
Field Studies, Humboldt State University, Areata, CA 95521.

U.S. Forest Service

C. John Ralph working out of the Redwood Sciences Laboratory in Areata,
California is conducting a variety of research on Marbled Murrelets.
Associates of this work include Brain O'Donnell, Sherri Miller, Nancy Naslund
(forest surveys and nest searches in Santa Cruz County), and Gray Strachan
(Shore-based surveys off Ano Nuevo Island).

During the spring and summer of 1990 they will be conducting extensive
field tests of methods to census offshore populations, and investigate the
behavior of the birds both while in nesting groves and while foraging
offshore. During the 1989 season they augmented the 1988 state-wide survey,
doing work in more second-growth forests. No murrelets were found over
extensive areas of Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties on 43 surveys, with
some minor exceptions. Old-growth forests are essentially lacking from these
areas.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Roy W. Lowe of the Western Oregon Refuges Complex is continuing seabird
monitoring projects in Oregon. Activities in 1990 will include the
following. (1) Aerial photographic surveys of all Common Murre, Brandt's
Cormorants and Double-crested Cormorant colonies on the Oregon coast. (2)
Continue beached bird mortality transects near Newport and co-author a paper
on this subject with Range Bayer and Robert Loeffel . (3) Document the
departure of Common Murre jumplings from the Three Arch Rocks colonies. (4)
Conduct the fourth annual aerial survey of Brown Pelicans in Oregon and
Washington and co-author a paper on this subject with Deborah Jaques and Dan
Anderson. (5) Conduct nearshore transects of Marbled Murrelets on an
opportunistic basis. (6) Conduct colony censuses at various locations along
the Oregon coast. (7) Continue spring and fall aerial surveys of Aleutian
Canada Goose use of costal rocks in Oregon. (8) Continue working on
production of the Oregon Seabird Colony Catalog. Kim Thounhurst will be
assisting with fieldwork again this summer.

Intensive monitoring of northern sea lion pupping sites in Oregon will
be conducted this year to document harassment of sea lions by commercial
urchin divers and substantiate declining numbers of adults and reduced pup

46

production on Orford and Rogue Reefs, many Goff will be participating in the
Rnu 06 ^ c °’? duct . ln9 shore-based monitoring of the rogue Reef at Gold Beach.
Roy and Kim will be conducting observations from small boasts and will

through Sejteibe^ 09 ™ 15 ^ SUrVeys three times /day, every two weeks from May
Others

Frnln r h " 6 " 1 ? 1 Co \ ° f Bellvue ’ Washington in conjunction with
u^lh* 1 t° nS M tlng, M InC -l 1S conduct ing a 3-year study entitled "Oregon
and Washington Marine Mammal and Seabird Surveys" off the coasts of Oreqon

^l 0 W A Sh T n9 R° n ‘ K r y perso P nel of this stud V delude John J. Brueggman,
Kenneth T. Briggs, Gregory A. Green, Michael L. Bonnell , “ -

Daniel Varoujean. The study has involved developing a

covering the eastern North Pacific, of all available

marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles which are known

and Washington. This study has also completed to date,

R. Glen Ford, and
synthesis database
information on the
to occur off Oregon
one shipboard and

eight aerial surveys for both marine mammals and seabirds alonq 32
systematic tracklines extending 100 NM offshore. Another four aerial surveys
are planned with completion expected in late summer.. Photographic surveys
of seabird colonies and pinniped haulout and rookeries have also been
conducted during the late spring through summer periods and will be repeated
this year. This project is funded through summer period and will be repeated
this year. This project is funded by the Minerals Management Service (MMS).

hiniJ??, ber P t , L- P j, tma " is ^tinuing a long term study of the reproductive

5 ° B V e#Ch t S Bt ° rm ' Pe . trel 1 s on Saddle rock, Oregon Island National

R fh 96- w T0 a ^ 6 a u t0tal of 1>979 adults and 2 ’ 048 chic l<s have been

banded. there have also been 65 recaptures of birds banded

years. Information is also being collected on food habitats.

in previous

nnrth R !f 9 M Baye r is continuing his long term beached bird mortality transects
north of Newport, Oregon and is co-authoring a paper on this subject.

Robert Loeffel
transects south of
subject, bob is new

is continuing his long term beached
Newport, Oregon and is co-authoring a
in the 13th year of data collection.

bird mortality
paper on this

Thomas R. Howell will be presenting a paper at the IOC mppfinn in
December entitled "Egg Size and Clutch Size In Some Charadri i formes" that
deals Urgely wifh Pacific area terns. Thomas Howell is also collaborating
with Hermann Rahn and Causey Whittow on a paper (in prep) that deals with the
’^between body size, egg size, clutch size, yolk size, incubation
periods and fledging period in gulls and terns. They will be including all
species for which they can obtain data. 9

SOUTHEAST, ROGER CLAPP

Robin Bjork and George Powell (National Audubon Society) are studyinq
the effects of water-management activities in mangroves of the South Florida
mainland which are the primary feeding grounds for Roseate Spoonbills
breeding in Florida Bay. They are monitoring reproductive success and
foraging distribution and are measuring physical factors such as salinity and
water levels. They are also using radio-telemetry to study post-breeding

47

dispersal by both adults and juveniles. Their radio-telemetry studies also
include investigations of habitat use, migration and re-nesting attempts by
adult Great White Herons. One of their associates, Marilyn Spalding, is
doing pathological analyses to determine causes of mortality in adult and
juvenile wading birds.

Keith Bildstein (Winthrop College) is continuing long-term is continuing
long-term studies of the reproductive success of White Ibises breeding on
Pumpkinseed Island in coastal South Carolina. His present focus is examining
the role of salt as a physiological constraint on the breeding ecology of
this and other wading birds. He is also studying the effect that ibis
predation has on fiddler crab populations in coastal salt marshes.

Brian Chapman has moved to the Department of Zoology, University of
Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 (phone: (405) 325 - 5990) where he foresees little
involvement with colonial waterbirds in the near future. He hopes to find
time to publish the results of earlier work including surveys of Alacran Reef
and a summary of ten years data on nesting by Sooty Terns along the Texas
Coast.

Malcolm Coulter (Savannah River Ecology Laboratory of the University of
Georgia) continues to study the breeding biology and foraging ecology of
American Wood Storks of the Birdsville colony in east-central Georgia. He
also continues his studies of breeding phenology of Blue-footed Boobies in
the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Julian Dusi is working on heron colony distribution and activity in
Alabama. He is examining the effects of drought on Cattle Egret nesting and
is trying to determine whether these egrets renest and what proportion of the
population such birds may represent.

Michael Erwin (USFWS) is starting up an Earthwatch project on the
Virginia barrier islands. This is part of the long-term ecological reserve
program (NSF) conducted by the University of Virginia. It is a cooperative
effort among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife SErvice, the Nature Conservancy, and
the University of Virginia. The study is to investigate wetland habitat use
by shorebirds and wading birds. Both boat and aerial surveys will be
conducted to document variations in habitat use from May to August.

Cameron and Kay Kepler (USFWS) are about to depart on a several -month
long tour of the central Pacific islands aboard a relatively tiny yacht.
They plan to make birds and plant surveys on many islands within the Phoenix
and Line Islands including Flint Island, an island that has never received a
thorough ornithological survey.

Kirke King (USFWS) is studying the levels and effects of environmental
contaminants on egrets and herons in San Francisco Bay. He is also
investigating the effects of contaminants associated with oil field waste
water discharges. Such waste waters contain much metal and petroleum
contaminants and are discharged directly into Texas estuaries. Wintering
shorebirds in these coastal areas accumulate petroleum contaminants in their
tissues to a level more than 24 times greater than arriving migrants.

48

i Q „J in, i KUSh i an 1 ( J Univ r sit r.. 1 (,f Mississippi) is currently working on short-
legged, long-tailed submersible waders - i.e. alligators and crocodiles. He
has recently written papers on population ecology and conservation of the
American species and is completing a paper on the effects of hydrology on
alligator reproductive success. For those who fear he has lost touch with
birds completely he is also working with James Hancock and Philip Kahl on a
book of storks, ibises and spoonbills of the world.

Jim Parnell (University of North Carolina, Wilmington) is continuing
colony surveys on the North Carolina coast and is in the final stages of
editing on a North Carol ina Sea Grant publication on the most recent surveys.
He intends to begin some new research on growth and development of Brown
Peiicans and will be continuing work on a colonial waterbird data base for
North Carolina. Jim is also developing a microcomputer system for handlinq
such survey data that should have wider applications. People interested in
this system are invited to contact Parnell for details.

Tom Murphy and Philip Wilkenson (South Carolina Wildlife and Marine
Resources Department), in conjunction with the Sea Grant Consortium, are
conducting a survey of nesting seabirds and shorebirds in coastal South
Carolina. They have just completed two years of survey and are currently
writing up the results. Because of Hurricane Hugo they will do a follow-up

survey in 1990 that will concentrate on the areas worst affected by the
storm. J

William Post (Charleston Museum) is continuing to census Double-crested
Cormorant colonies inland in South Carolina. He is monitoring breedinq

success in one colony where some 80 nests ;were followed during 1989 Will
is also conducting studies of the food fed the young to determine if

cormorant food habits have an effect on local aquaculture. Preliminary
results suggest they pose no threat.

4 Bill and Betty Robertson (Everglades National Park) . Bill has just

returned from the Virgin Islands where he was looking at the effects of
Hurricane Hugo on the avifauna. He and Betty continue their long-term
project on sooty Terns on the Dry Tortugas. They have been following
individually marked birds over many seasons and have found that these terns
tend to not form long-term pair bonds as many birds do not breed in
successive years. Bird do, however, tend to pair with near neighbors of

preceding seasons.

Jim Rodgers (Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission) continues his
studies of heavy metal and pesticide concentrations in Florida wading birds
and the determination of buffer-zones necessary for protection of colonial
waterbird colonies. 1990 will be the last season for data collection with a
final report due in the fall.

Jeff Spendelow (USFWS) is coordinating a four-year study of the
northeastern U.S. breeding population of the Roseate Tern. The third year of
this cooperative study of population dynamics and habitat use at major
colonies in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York was completed in 1989.
Approximate! y 1,200 adults have now been color-banded for individual
identification and about 3,500 chicks have been banded and given a color band
indicating their natal colony. Fledglings from all the major colony sites
were seen at staging areas on Cape cod and some birds from colonies as far
south as Connecticut were seen at staging sites in Maine.

49

Analyses of data from Falkner Island, Connecticut show that about 15% of
the fledglings from that colony survive and return to nest there as breeding
adults. At least one-third of the recruits at this colony were birds hatched
elsewhere.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BETH FLINT FOR ZOE EPPLEY

San Diego Natural History Museum, Department of Birds and Mammals

William T. Everett is starting the second year of a study of Black
Storm-petrel breeding biology on Los Islas Coronados, Baja California,
Mexico. He is finishing a review (with Dan Anderson) of the status and
conservation of Baja California and Gulf of California seabirds for the ICBP
and working with the Mexican government to protect the breeding grounds of
Townsend's Shearwaters.

University of California , San Diego - Scripps Institute of Oceanography

Gerald Kooyman recently returned from the Antarctic where he has been
working on Emperor Penguins at Cape Washington. He is studying the feeding
requirements and general natural history of this exceptionally large colony.

Don Croll is in the Antarctic working on Chinstrap Penguins at Seal
Island. He is almost finished with his doctoral dissertation and will be
taking a new job with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle to
continue working with John Bengston on habitat requirements of the penguins.

Southwest Fisheries Center , National Marine Fisheries Service

Bob Pitman and Steve Reilly, in collaboration with Lia Ballance of UCLA
are studying flock composition and distribution of seabirds that forage over
tuna-dolphin schools in the eastern tropical Pacific.

ERC Environmental , San Diego

Pat Mock has completed his doctoral defense and is continuing work on
the energetics of growth in Thick-billed Murres. He and John Konecny are
also studying the foraging behavior of Least Terns in Mission Bay and the
effects of sand grain size on shorebirds foraging.

Camp Pendleton

Slader Buck is working with the California Least Tern management program
on the base. This includes protection of nesting and feeding areas and
monitoring of population and production as well as a banding project. In
1991 work is scheduled to begin on a project designed to enhance the wildlife
value of the Santa Margarita River estuary.

Salton Sea

Robert McKernan is currently conducting long-term studies of waterbirds
at the Salton Sea including overwintering biology of Podicipedi formes.
Pel ecani formes , Ci coni i formes , Anseri formes , and Charadri i formes . His
collaborators in this work are Joe Jehl , Jr. and Michael McCrary. His is

50

also studying toxic loading in certain waterbird species through time series
assessment at Salton Sea and staging and migratory waterbird use of the
Sal ton Sea and the management and conservation of this resource.

University of California , Irvine

Zoe Eppley continues her research on ecological and phylogenetic
variation in the development of Charadri iform birds. She is currently doing
a second season of field work at Palmer Station, Antarctica on behavioral and
developmental adaptations to cold in Kelp Gulls, skuas, and sheathbills.

Margaret Rubega is continuing her research on the biomechanics of
feeding in Wilson's and Red-necked Phalaropes. She is preparing for a second
field season at Mono Lake this summer.

George Hunt, Beth Flint, Mary Beth Decker, and Michele Miller are
analyzing data gathered on reproductive energetics and foraging distributions
of Pribilof Island seabirds. They have observed a decline in reproductive
performance of St. Paul birds compared to that in the 1970's and are finding
evidence of marked increases in foraging Short-tailed Shearwaters and baleen
whales near the islands.

Dick Veit, with the help of Bob Russell, Peter Pyle, Oriane Williams,
Dave Sibley, and Mike Lippsmeyer, is continuing a long-term study of
variation in abundance of pelagic birds in the California Current system via
the CALCOFI cruises.

David Irons has been deeply involved in studies assessing damages to
seabirds done by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound. He is
also continuing his normal monitoring of Kittiwakes in Prince William Sound
and his work on a PH.D. at UC Irvine.

Chris Elphick, visiting UC Irvine from the University of East Anglia, is
doing an analysis of seabird feeding distributions in the Chirikof Basin of
the northern Bering Sea during the 1984-1986 breeding season.

California State University , Long Beach

Charlie Collins plans to complete a summary of 20 years of Least Tern
banding data and 10 years of Least Tern growth results this spring. He is
also continuing work on a project studying adult survival of Least Terns at
Camp Pendleton colonies.

Barbara Massey continues her long-term research on the California Least
Tern with emphasis on the colonies at Camp Pendleton where she is working
with Pat Baird, Charlie Collines, and Bill Schew. On the conservation front
she continues to work as Co-chair of Pro Esteros, now collecting data to
justify the creation of reserves at Estero de Punta Banda and Bahia de San
Quintin.

Pat Herron Baird just finished a chapter on birds in "The Ecology of the
Southern California Bight", a reference text to be published next spring,
she is also continuing her research on population ecology of California Least
Terns.

51

Kathy Keane continues monitoring the Least Terns at Terminal Island.
Projects there include crow control and work with decoys to relocate the
colony.

Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.

Betty Anne Schreiber is continuing her work in the Central Pacific on
Christmas and Johnston Islands studying populations, growth rates, longevity,
pair bonds, and general breeding biology of the seabirds nesting there. She
is doing a study of morphological variation in Pelecaniforms throughout the
Pacific for which she needs skeletons. If anyone is collecting for other
reasons, the museum would appreciate having the specimens.

University of California , Los Angeles

Bryan Obst continues his research concerning the energetics and
digestive physiology of seabirds in Antarctica, Baja California, Northern
Chile, and at Mono Lake.

Lise Ballance is studying seabirds in the eastern tropical Pacific for
her Ph.D. dissertation at UCLA. Her research, in conjunction with Bob Pitman
and Steve Reilly of Southwest Fisheries Center, involves studies of community
structure and flight energetics of seabirds which forage in flocks above
schools of yellowfin and skipjack tuna and spotted and spinner dolphins.

California Status University - Fullerton

Bayard Brattstrom is continuing his studies in the Islas Revill agigedos,
including an investigation of the repopulation of San Benedicto Island after
Barcena Volcano erupted in 1952.

Channel Islands National Park - Ventura

Trudy Ingram is now working as the biologist in charge of seabird
monitoring in the park.

Scu>ls

52

REPORTS OF SOVIET PSG MEMBERS

Nikolai B. Konyukhov (USSR Ornithological Society, 1st Kotelnicheski i Per.
10, Moscow, 109240, USSR)

After surveying the coastlines of the Chukotsk Peninsula in 1985 and 1987,
the seabird colonies located around Cape Ulyakhen were selected as sites for
studies on alcid biology. During May to September 1988, I studied the
nesting biology of Horned and Tufted Puffins, Crested and Parakeet Auklets.
My research was centered on the relative activity of birds in relation to
weather conditions and time of day, social behavior of birds in colonies,
growth and development of chicks, diet, relation of activities to weather
conditions, and study of the interactions between Tufted and Horned Puffins
during nesting, this work will continue for the next few years.

Viktor A. Zubakin (USSR Ornithological Society, 1st Kotelnicheskii Per.,

10, Moscow, 109240, USSR)

I have been conducting studies on the behavior, social organization, and
nesting biology of Crested and Parakeet Auklets, Horned and Tufted Puffins,
and Ancient Murrelets on Talan Island, Sea of Okhotsk. In 1988 and 1989, A.
V. Kondratiev, S. V. Tarkhov, S. P. Kharitonov, I. A. Kharitonova, and I
conducted censuses of seabird colonies on Matykil Island, Yamskii Islands,
and along the continental shores of Pyagina Peninsula, southwestern part of
the Shelikhora Gulf, Sea of Okhotsk. In addition, I am continuing work on
gull and tern colony behavior in the Sea of Azov.

S. P. Kharitonov (USSR Ornithological Society, 1st Kotelnicheskii Per.,

10, Moscow, 109240, USSR)

I continue to work on the breeding of seabirds of Talan Island along with V.
A. Zubakin and others. My interests are chiefly in understanding the role of
signaling and courtship behavior and the development of colony structure. I
have worked for the last two years on Wrangel Island on Snow Geese and have
begun collaboration with USFWS biologists on several projects on these
colonies.

m

53

SEABIRD NEWS

Atlas of the Breeding birds of Arabia

The Atlas of the Breeding irds of Arabia project commenced in 1985, with
the aim of determining the status and distribution of over 200 bird species
which breed within the Arabian Peninsula. Data gathering methods closely
follow the widely used breeding evidence critetia of the European
Ornithological Atlas Committee. There is no limit on the age of acceptable
records. A periodic newsletter The Phoenix is provided free of charge to all
contributors. As this newsletter is of general interest to all concerned
with the birds of Arabia and the Middle East, non-contributors to the atlas
may with to subscribe. Write to: Michael C. Jennings, Coordinator, Atlas of
the breeding birds of Arabia, 1, Eastcourt, Burbage, Wiltshire, SN8 3AG,
England.

News from Medmarvis

The Mediterranean Marine Bird Association has obtained funding from the
EEC (subject t certain budget approvals) to compile and edit a manual
entitled Management techniques for island and coastal ecosystems in the
Mediterranean: a practical manual for local and regional authorities and for
park and reserve managers. The Medmarvis secretariat is acting as a co-
ordinating body for members of the group interested in obtaining funds from
the EEC - a good example of advantages of a multinational group. Also
reported is an approach to the World Bank to fund a Mediterranean Marine
Wildlife Data Bank to enable monitoring of World Bank developments in the
Mediterranean.

-- The Seabird Group Newsletter
SIBEN Expeditions to the Galapagos

In 1988, two expeditions from Guayaquil to the Galapagos Islands and
through archipelago primarily to look for cetaceans, but the seabirds were
also recorded. These expeditions were run from 1 - 18 October, 1988, and
from 5 to 29 November, 1988. They were sponsored by the Long Term Research
Institute based in Massachusetts, U.S.A. A list of the birds is available
from Ben Haase, Observer and Collaborator of the Museo Ecuatoriano de
Ciencias Naturales, Casilla 1440, Cuenca, Ecuador.

-- Malcolm C. Coulter

54

CONSERVATION NEWS

MONO LAKE

The struggle over water at California's Mono Lake has gone on for more
than a decade. The area supports many waterbirds, including more than
100,000 Wilson's Phalaropes and 750,000 Eared Grebes during migration. Since
1941, water has been piped to Los Angeles. The water level has gone down for

many years. At last there is good news concerning Mono Lake's water supply.

Rush Creek, one of the main tributaries, now has water flowing down it to the
lake. A court injunction ordered that the lake level be raised two feet from
a current level of 6,375 feet. In addition, a new law was passed this fall
that creates a $60 million Environmental Water Fund which has as a priority
the funding of water and energy conservation in Los Angeles to help the city

replace its Mono Basin water diversions. This will allow the city to save

energy as well as help in the long term protection of Mono Lake.

-- Network News

OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

A. In 1987 the Minerals Management Service began a five-year national OCS oil
and gas lease sale program for the Oregon and Washington PI ANN I NG AREA (LEASE
SALE #132). As currently proposed, this area would be offered for
exploration in April 1992. During the period of 1985-1987, Oregon Governors
Atiyeh and Goldschmidt provided comments to the Department of Interior during
the preparation of the 1987-1992 lease sale program. Among other issues, the
governors requested that a number of areas be deleted from lease sale
consideration including:

1. Areas deeper that 200 meters, which is the edge of the continental
shelf.

2. The Heceta-Stonewall Banks complex and Coquille Banks.

3. Six mile buffers around the rocks and islands of the Oregon Islands
National Wildlife Refuge, the mouth of the Salmon River and Cascade Head
Natural Research Area.

4. Six mile buffers around the mouths of coos Bay, Yaquina Bay, and the
Columbia River.

Only areas deeper than 900 meters were actually deferred by MMS. All
other requested deferral areas, which total about 900 square miles out of a
planning area of 70,000 square miles, were "highlighted" for "special pre-
sale considerations. "

In March, 1988, Oregon joined a lawsuit with Washington, other states
and environmental organizations to challenge the 1987-1992 OCS Lease Sale
Program, in particular the adequacy of the EIS. The plaintiffs argued that
the Secretary of Interior should have considered alternatives to offshore
leasing such as energy conservation measures, that there was no criteria for
determining which OCS areas were scheduled for leasing and which ones

55

weren't, that the leasing areas should have been based on geologic rationale,
and that the EIS contained a flawed cost-benefit analysis that undervalued
costs to many areas. The states lost almost every issue in federal court.

In January 1989, Secretary of the Interior Hodel agreed to establish the
Pacific Northwest OCS Task Force composed of representatives of the Governors
of Washington and Oregon, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, the
Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, and the Minerals Management
Service. As a priority, the Task Force, through its technical and scientific
committee, is coordinating development of a regional plan and strategy for
environmental studies. Although various studies funded by MMS are underway
it was obvious to the Task Force that results of some of these studies would
not be available until after the leasing date and that additional studies
were needed prior to the lease sale. In February 1990 the Task Force
recommended to the Secretary of Interior that Lease Sale #132 be canceled and
any leasing decision deferred until needed environmental studies are
completed and the results analyzed, this may take seven to ten years. The
Secretary has not yet announced his intentions.

B. Of great concern to researchers throughout the Pacific Northwest is the
continuing harvest of Old-growth coastal forests and the impacts this may
have on Marbled Murrelets and other resources dependent on this habitat. In
California, five other initiatives to ban logging and preserve the remaining
old-growth in private ownership have been introduced. These initiatives will
be on the November ballot. Flarvest of old-growth forest on public lands has
already been reduced due to the continuing concern for the Northern Spotted
Owl but some people feel that the harvest rate is still too high to provide
along term protection to species such as the Marbled Murrelet. The State of
California and the California State Legislature are moving cautiously toward
limiting timber harvest of old-growth under the THP permit system requiring
detailed wildlife inventories and mitigation in Northern California. There
is continued resistance by the State of California to recognize any
"endangered" status for the Marbled Murrelet even though recent reports
funded partially by the state clearly demonstrated the high dependency of the
murrelet upon old-growth redwood and mixed forests types in Northwest
Cal ifornia.

The Outlook in Oregon is also questionable as researchers work just
ahead of the chainsaws to document the life history and occurrence of Marbled
Murrelets. This concern is well illustrated by Kim Nelson's 1990 Marbled
murrelet study. Kim recently arrived at one of her study sites on the A! sea
Ranger District of the Siuslaw National Forest only to find that the area had
recently been clear-cut. Even without knowledge of specific nesting
requirements, an interim management plan for habitat protection is needed.
This is especially important since Northern Spotted Owl Conservation Areas do
not protect all forest stands important to Marbled Murrelets.

C. Commercial sea urchin harvesting in Oregon continues to be a problem for
breeding marine mammals and birds within Oregon Islands National Wildlife
Refuge. This fishery, which employs two divers working from each boat, began
in 1986 with a total harvest of 56,000 pounds. In 1989, the harvest exceeded
7.8 million pounds and the expected impacts to pinnipeds has not become
obvious. Oregon Islands NWR protects almost all rocks, reefs and islands
along the Oregon coast. The refuge includes only that area above mean high
tide and does not include any of the surrounding waters. Since the State of

56

Oregon did not restrict urchin harvesting anywhere other than waters
shallower than 10 feet, technically divers are legal when they anchor their
boats literally feet from refuge rocks that are important marine mammal and
bird breeding areas. This activity, close to northern sea lion pupping and
haulout sites, is now causing major impacts and these sensitive animals are
forced from their usual areas. Although the Fish and Wildlife Service
believes that these fishermen are violating the Marine Mammals Protection Act
and refuge regulations, enforcement is extremely difficult at the isolated
Orford and Rogue Reefs.

During the past two years, ! he number of adult animals at the Orford and
Rogue Reefs have declined, unusual haulout patterns have been observed, and
occasional complete abandonment of Orford Reef by sea lions has occurred. In
1989 one of the two traditional pupping rocks on Orford Reef was not used.

The Orford and Rogue Reefs constitute the largest breeding area for
northern sea lions in U.S. water south of Alaska. Up until two years ago the
Oregon population appeared to be stable while animals continued to decline in
a major portion of the species range in Alaska and the Soviet Union. Because
of the dramatic decline of the northern stocks, this species was declared a
"threatened" species, range-wide by the National Marine Fisheries Service by
emergency action on April 5, 1990. there is concern in Oregon that continued
human activities near breeding and haulout sites may lead to long term
declines here or abandonment of these important breeding areas. The Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently proposing seasonal urchin
fishery closings around the Orford and Rogue Reefs. If adopted, this should
help but does not eliminate other vessel traffic around the rocks. It is not
a long term solution and is expected to result in urchin boats moving to
other important marine mammal and bird sites along the coast resulting in
disturbance impacts there.

-- Roy Lowe

PRO ESTEROS

Pro Esteros, the joint Mexican-US Organization working for the
conservation of saltwater wetlands along the coast of the Sea of Cortez, has
recently achieved non-profit, tax-exempt status. The organization has spent
great effort over the last year to gather background information on Estero de
Punta Banda. A proposal for reserve status for the area will be submitted
shortly.

PUNTA SAN JUAN, PERU

Along the entire coast of Peru, the ocean is coldest and most productive
near near the southern coast. Within an area less than 55 ha on the Punta
San Juan, near the city of San Juan de Marcona over 50% of the Peruvian
populations of Humboldt Penguins and South American Fur Seals breed. We are
beginning to understand the importance of this peninsula from the work of
Dra. Patricia Majluf. Because of its importance, this area is in need of
protected status from the government. Dra. Majluf has requested that PSG
members urge the Peruvian government to urge continued protection of this
area. You may write to Sr. Juan Rebaza Carpio, Ministro de Pesqueria, Av.
Paseo de la Republica 3101, Lima 27, Peru.

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NEW PUBLICATIONS

Speich, S.M., and T.R. Wahl, 1989. Catalog of Washington Seabird Colonies .
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 88(6). 510 pp.

This is one of a series of publications describing seabird colonies of
the marine shorelines of the United States produced by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Many people contributed to the information which is a
thorough catalog. Copies may be obtained from Publications Unit, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 18th and C Streets, N.W., Mail Stop 1111, Arlington,
Square Building, Washington, D.C. 20240.

-- Malcolm C. Coulter

Birding, Volume 21, Number 1/2

The American Birding Association is 20 years old. The twenty-first
volume, number 1/2, contains many excellent articles on bird photography,
including a nice article on photographing pelagic seabirds. The issue also
includes technical information on bird photography. This volume may be
obtained for $6.50 plus $2.50 first class or $1.25 book rate from the
American Birder's Association Sales, P.0. Box 6599, Colorado Springs,
Colorado 80934-6599 or calling 1 - 800 - 634 - 7736.

-- Malcolm C. Coulter

Morrison, R. I. G., and R.K. Ross. 1989. Atlas of Nearctic shorebirds on the
coast of South America. Canadian Wildlife Service. Volumes 1 and 2.

These atlases are the result of five years (1982-1986) of surveys of
over 28,000 km of coastal wetlands in South America. It was a joint effort
involving representatives of most South American governments, many volunteers
as well as many North American government and non-government Organizations.
It contains a tremendous amount of information. The first volume deals with
the distribution of individual species; the second volume deals with the
coastal wetlands. These volumes are available from the Canadian Wildlife
Service, National Wildlife Research Centre, 100 Gamelin Boulevard, Hull,
Quebec, Canada K1A 0H3.

-- Malcolm C. Coulter

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BULLETIN BOARD

Books for Nature

Books for Nature is a grass roots organization which sends field guides,
technical literature, and basic field research equipment to libraries,
teachers and field biologists in developing countries. Our goal is to
encourage the growth of conservation biology as a science and an ethic by
increasing knowledge of the natural world.

We try to get our books and field equipment for free or at considerable
discounts and send them to where they are needed with visiting researchers,
or by post. If you would like to donate money, books, journals, or basic
field research equipment please send them to: Books for Nature, c/o Bernie
Tershy, Neurobiology and Behavior, Seeley G. Mud Hall, Cornell University,
Ithaca, N.Y. 14853 (please contact us by letter before sending more than one
box of materials). We would also like to hear from researchers who have
contacts with needy institutions and can deliver materials directly.

Two Seabird Positions Available

We are looking for two people to conduct seabird censuses during a
marine mammal survey cruise in the eastern and central tropical Pacific from
28 July - 6 December 1990. Experience with seabird census techniques,
computer literacy and biology background will be given preference. Long
hours, small pay, inports: depart San Diego, California; Hilo, Hawaii, Punta
Arenas, Costa Rica; Lima, Peru; San Diego. Contact: Lisa Ballance, Southwest
Fisheries Center, P.0. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038; Telephone (619) 546 -

59