The Arctic tern was observed in FWS aerial surveys in Prince William Sound, and surveys in July and August 1972 provided an estimate of 45,000 terns in the Sound (Isleib and Kessel 1973). On the other hand, tern colonies were located only rarely in the FWS colony surveys before 1975. This is, however, a reflection of the equipment and methods used and not of the abundance of terns.
From the fragmentary data available, it is not possible to detect changes in Arctic tern status at the present time. We have to assume that the widespread introduction of fox had at least local impact. Although this tern uses a wide variety of nesting sites, it tends to nest on flat sites where access by mammalian predators is easy.
Aleutian Tern (Sterna aleutica)
No Aleutian tern colonies were discovered in the Gulf of Alaska area during FWS colony surveys in the early 1970's. This is again a reflection of the fact that surveys were not designed to locate tern colonies. Aleutian terns were encountered at least twice, once during late March 1972 in Hawkins Cutoff, Prince William Sound, and again when two birds were noted offshore from the Katmai National Monument on 30 May 1973 (L. W. Sowl, personal observations).
The type specimen of the Aleutian tern and a single egg were collected at Kodiak Island on 12 June 1868 by Bischoff (Coues 1874). Fisher (Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959) collected four more eggs in 1882. The bird was not found breeding there until Howell (1948) found a colony of 50 pairs at Bell's Flats in 1944. Walker (1923) found them nesting on the Situk River, Yakutat, in 1917 and shortly thereafter saw them at the Alsek River Flats. He also reported that D. H. Stevenson of the Bureau of Biological Survey had told him that they nested on the Isanotski Islands at the end of the Alaska Peninsula. This latter report was the only one from the Aleutian Island chain for many years. Isleib and Kessel (1973) considered it an uncommon local breeder in the northern Gulf of Alaska. Isleib estimated its population at a few hundred pairs on the Copper River Delta in May 1973 and 300-500 birds in June 1970. He also reported that they appeared more or less regularly near Controller Bay and off the Situk River.
In recent years Aleutian terns have been seen with increasing frequency in many places in western Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. This is probably partly due to the increasing level of field work. At Amchitka Island the several colonies that have been found in recent years are almost certainly exhibiting a response to the removal of fox from the island.
Although there is no way of determining what the past status of the Aleutian tern has been in the Gulf of Alaska area, it has been there in small numbers since it was first discovered on Kodiak. It has probably not been abundant at any time and may have suffered a long-term decline brought about by the introduction of fox.
Common Murre (Uria aalge)
The common murre is resident in the northern and western Gulf of Alaska from Pinnacle Rock, Kayak Island, westward. East of Cook Inlet colonies are located at Wingham Island, the Martin Islands, Middleton Island, Porpoise Rock in Hinchinbrook Entrance, Barwell Island/Cape Resurrection, the Chiswell Islands, the Barren Islands, and Chisik Island.
For some reason, the islands of the Kodiak-Afognak Archipelago do not host any known major murre colonies. There is also a rather large gap between the Chisik Island colony and the next major colony at Oil Creek west of Puale Bay. Directly west of Oil Creek is another colony at Cape Unalishagvak. Both of these latter colonies are Class V and they are the first colonies of this size to be encountered in the Gulf of Alaska. West of these colonies the next large colony is at Atkulik Island. To the south, midway between the last-named colonies, lies the major composite murre colony in the Semidi Islands. These sites make up the only Class VI colony in the Gulf of Alaska. Westward, the next major colony, a Class V, is at Spitz Island south of Mitrofania Island. In the Shumagin Islands one Class V colony is at Karpa Island, and lesser colonies with large murre components are found at the Haystacks, Castle Rock, and Bird Island. Only minor murre colonies are found between the Shumagin Islands and the end of the Alaska Peninsula.