Bird
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidusAlso known as Common Noddy, Noddy Tern
Brown noddies skim tropical waters to snatch small fish and squid driven to the surface by underwater predators, rarely plunging entirely submerged. During courtship, mated pairs face one another in an elaborate sequence of bowing and nodding displays that inspired their common name. Breeding pairs gather by the thousands on remote oceanic atolls and cliffs, taking turns guarding their solitary egg throughout incubation.
PelagicColonialTropical
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyFlying fish, Squid, Anchovies
Predators
- Black rat
- Feral cat
- Magnificent frigatebird
ThreatsIntroduced predators on nesting islands, plastic ingestion, and marine heatwaves
HabitatsTropical and subtropical oceans, coral atolls, rocky cliffs, and offshore islands
Life span15–25 years
Classification
- FamilyLaridae
- SpeciesAnous stolidus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Colony etiquette: Give nesting bushes and ledges ample clearance so incubating parents remain calm.
- Pelagic birding: Scan near surface-feeding tuna schools to locate hovering and dipping flocks.
Colonial Neighbor (c) Kyle Van Houtan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kyle Van Houtan · cc-by
Feeding Companion Danilo da Castro / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Predator Andrew Turner from Washington, DC, United States / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Thomas Mesaglio, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Thomas Mesaglio · cc-by
Close Relative B.navez / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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