- Anous minutus
Identification
30cm (12 in)
- Black to brown body
- White cap
- Black legs and feet
- Long, straight, thin, pointed black bill
- Forked grey tail
Distribution
Pacific Ocean and across the Caribbean, central Atlantic and in the northeast Indian Ocean.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 7 subspecies[1]:
- A. m. worcesteri:
- Cavilli Island and Tubbataha Reef (Sulu Sea)
- A. m. minutus:
- North-eastern Australia and New Guinea to Tuamotu Archipelago
- A. m. marcusi:
- Marcus Island and Wake Island through Micronesia to Caroline Islands
- A. m. melanogenys Black Noddy (Hawaiian):
- A. m. diamesus Black Noddy (East Pacific):
- Clipperton Island (off western Mexico) and Cocos Island (off Costa Rica)
- A. m. americanus Black Noddy (Caribbean):
- Islands off Central America and Venezuela; winters to Lesser Antilles
- A. m. atlanticus:
- St. Helena and adjacent south Atlantic islands to Gulf of Guinea
Habitat
Tropical and subtropical seas. Normally found near to its breeding colonies within 80 km of shore. They roost and nest on islands.
Behaviour
Breeding
Its nest is a level platform made of dried leaves, grasses and twigs. The single egg is incubated by both adults for about 36 days. The chick is fed on regurgitated fish and fledges when it is about 36 days old. The parents will care for it for a few more weeks.
Diet
The diet includes small fish and aquatic invertebrates found close to the surface of the water.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- NATUREWORKS
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black Noddy. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black_Noddy
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
