Mark B Bartosik
Well-known member
Hi all,
Although I do not have doubts that LETE presented in photos is in pikei plumage (so can be aged as 1 year old individual) but I would like to hear from anybody who might see any valid reason to think that this bird can be an older than one year.
Atwood and Massey (1981) (The Pikei Plumage of the Least Tern http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v053n01/p0047-p0047.pdf) corrected their former notes ( Massey and Atwood (1978) Plumages of the Least Tern. http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v049n04/p0360-p0371.pdf))
‘’As a result of ongoing research on the endangered California population, we have now obtained a minimum of 11 recoveries of color-banded, known-aged Least Terns in pikei plumage, and all have been one year of age. Furthermore, of at least 40 known 2-year-olds which have now been recovered within the breeding range, all have acquired full definitive alternate (nuptial) plumage with no evident tendencies toward pikei characters.”
Also they ( Massey and Atwood, 1978) noted that:
“Such birds have often appeared later in the season, after nesting has begun. Although they have sometimes engaged in courtship behavior, these individuals have not been observed actually breeding.”
“We saw no evidence that any bird in portlandica or pikei plumage was actively engaged in breeding”
See those papers for more details.
Evident reason for my request is that I want to eliminate any possibility (if there is one) of misidentify age of this Least Tern that seems to be a first record (to my best knowledge) of 1 year old LETE breeding. I photographed the incubating pair on June 22. I presume that bird in pikei plumage was a female based on general behavior and a possibility that it look like it might still have another egg to be lay soon. Unfortunately the nest was destroyed during next few days, possible by car run over it, loose dogs running on the beach or people stepping on it, or even picking up the eggs. Yes, I do have documentation (photos) of people collecting LETE eggs in this area – I am sure they cannot even imagine how detailed photo can be taken with long lens from far away.
Here are a few photos of the nest and pikei LETE that was incubating eggs
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/145004241
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/145004253
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/145004251
Including photo that could suggests one more unlaid egg still inside tern’s body.
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/145004246
And few more can be found here:
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/first_record_of_pikei_least_tern_incubating__utc__june_21_2012
BTW below is a link to my photos taken 3 years ago when I documented first record of LETE pikei female courting and copulating but was unable to locate the nest, if there was one at that time. So it took me additional 3 years to find LETE pikei nesting. Both records are from June but I have records of 1 year old LETEs coming together with adults in first spring migration waves (both portlandica and pikei).
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/record_of_pikei_female_least_tern_copulating
Thanks in advance for sharing your opinions,
Best regards,
Mark
Although I do not have doubts that LETE presented in photos is in pikei plumage (so can be aged as 1 year old individual) but I would like to hear from anybody who might see any valid reason to think that this bird can be an older than one year.
Atwood and Massey (1981) (The Pikei Plumage of the Least Tern http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v053n01/p0047-p0047.pdf) corrected their former notes ( Massey and Atwood (1978) Plumages of the Least Tern. http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v049n04/p0360-p0371.pdf))
‘’As a result of ongoing research on the endangered California population, we have now obtained a minimum of 11 recoveries of color-banded, known-aged Least Terns in pikei plumage, and all have been one year of age. Furthermore, of at least 40 known 2-year-olds which have now been recovered within the breeding range, all have acquired full definitive alternate (nuptial) plumage with no evident tendencies toward pikei characters.”
Also they ( Massey and Atwood, 1978) noted that:
“Such birds have often appeared later in the season, after nesting has begun. Although they have sometimes engaged in courtship behavior, these individuals have not been observed actually breeding.”
“We saw no evidence that any bird in portlandica or pikei plumage was actively engaged in breeding”
See those papers for more details.
Evident reason for my request is that I want to eliminate any possibility (if there is one) of misidentify age of this Least Tern that seems to be a first record (to my best knowledge) of 1 year old LETE breeding. I photographed the incubating pair on June 22. I presume that bird in pikei plumage was a female based on general behavior and a possibility that it look like it might still have another egg to be lay soon. Unfortunately the nest was destroyed during next few days, possible by car run over it, loose dogs running on the beach or people stepping on it, or even picking up the eggs. Yes, I do have documentation (photos) of people collecting LETE eggs in this area – I am sure they cannot even imagine how detailed photo can be taken with long lens from far away.
Here are a few photos of the nest and pikei LETE that was incubating eggs
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/145004241
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/145004253
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/145004251
Including photo that could suggests one more unlaid egg still inside tern’s body.
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/145004246
And few more can be found here:
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/first_record_of_pikei_least_tern_incubating__utc__june_21_2012
BTW below is a link to my photos taken 3 years ago when I documented first record of LETE pikei female courting and copulating but was unable to locate the nest, if there was one at that time. So it took me additional 3 years to find LETE pikei nesting. Both records are from June but I have records of 1 year old LETEs coming together with adults in first spring migration waves (both portlandica and pikei).
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/record_of_pikei_female_least_tern_copulating
Thanks in advance for sharing your opinions,
Best regards,
Mark
