11. Very few of the birds appeared to be migrating, indicating that this area is a part of the wintering range of this species (see figure 16). Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus) Long-tailed Jaeger (Ster corarius longicaudus) These two species of jaegers were identified, but I do not feel at all confident in separating the three jaegers in the field and it is very likely that the Parasitic Jaeger also occurred in this area and went unnoticed or misidentified. Jaegers were scattered over the whole area, which is evidently a wintering area for the group (see figure 17). Sooty Tern (Sterna fuscata) Sooty Terns were by far the most abundant bird in the study area, accounting for 59.05% of the total population. They were found mainly between 15°N and 15°S (see figure 18). The distribution along the 119th meridian was very different from the distribution along the 126th meridian. On the eastern leg abundance was bimodal with a peak at 10°N and 7-15°S. However, along the western leg they were abundant from about 13°S to 7°N with a small gap along the equator. The origin of these birds remains obscure but there are a few relevant points. First of all, immature or subadult birds were seen throughout the area indicating that the birds in the area were post- nesters from the fall nesting season. Secondly, out of fourteen traveling flocks, (north and south of the equator) 13 were headed east, while the other one was headed west. And finally, 27 of 28 frigatebirds were found south of the equator associated with the Sooty Tern flocks. The fact that the flocks were headed east would indicate that the birds were from the west i.e., Marquesas and Line Islands. These island groups also have a fall breeding cycle which would account for