Black Noddy
Anous minutus
玄燕鸥
Introduction
The black noddy is a medium-sized seabird found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. It has entirely dark plumage with a distinctive pale crown. The species breeds in large colonies on islands, where pairs perform head-dipping courtship displays. It typically roosts on islands within 80 kilometres of its breeding colony. There are seven recognised subspecies. Populations are relatively stable across most of its range.
Description
This medium-sized tern measures 35–37 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 66–72 centimetres and weighs between 98–144 grams. The plumage is entirely dark, appearing black in most lighting conditions, but the species' most diagnostic feature is the pale crown that contrasts sharply with the remainder of the head. A small white crescent curves beneath each eye, and a white spot marks the forehead above. The wings are long and tapering, while the tail appears distinctly truncated when viewed from above or below. The bill is sharply pointed and entirely black, matching the colour of the feet in most subspecies, though the melanogenys subspecies found in the Hawaiian Islands and Kermadec Islands shows orange-coloured feet. The overall impression is of a sleek, dark seabird with an oddly pale-capped head.
Identification
The black noddy is most easily distinguished from the very similar lesser noddy by its darker overall plumage and, crucially, by the dark rather than pale lores around the eyes. When seen alongside common noddies, the black noddy shows a noticeably slimmer bill compared to the stouter, heavier beak of its relative, and the crown is darker grey rather than the paler, greyer cap of the common noddy. In flight, the combination of dark plumage, white cap, and relatively long, pointed wings with a short, squared-off tail creates a distinctive profile. The white markings around the eye are often visible at close range and provide an additional field mark, though good lighting and reasonable views are necessary to appreciate these features reliably.
Distribution & Habitat
This species has a truly global distribution within tropical and subtropical waters, with its strongest populations centred on the vast island chains of the Pacific Ocean. Scattered colonies occur throughout the Caribbean, central Atlantic, and the northeast Indian Ocean, reflecting the species' preference for island habitats. Seven subspecies occupy distinct geographic ranges: worcesteri in the Sulu Sea region, marcus through Micronesia to the Caroline Islands, melanogenys from Hawaii to the Kermadec Islands, diamesus on Clipperton and Cocos Islands in the eastern Pacific, and americanus and atlanticus in the Caribbean and Atlantic respectively. At sea, individuals remain typically within 80 kilometres of their breeding colonies, returning nightly to roost on islands where they nest in trees.
Behavior & Ecology
The name 'noddy' derives from the characteristic head-dipping behaviour performed by both sexes during their elaborate breeding displays, a habit that makes their colonies particularly animated during the courtship period. Unusually among seabirds, these birds are exceptionally tolerant of human presence and may allow themselves to be picked up directly from the nest, behaviour that made them easy prey for early sailors and settlers. They feed on fish and squid by flying low over the sea surface and snatching prey from the water without diving, often joining mixed flocks of seabirds where predatory fish drive small prey to the surface. Nests consist of level platforms built in tree branches, commonly using dried leaves cemented together with guano, with the Pisonia tree being the preferred nesting substrate. A single egg is laid each season, and pairs reuse the same nest in subsequent years. The accumulated guano enriches island soils significantly, supporting distinctive plant communities on coral islands.
Conservation
Not provided in source material
Culture
Not provided in source material
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Anous
- eBird Code
- blknod
Subspecies (7)
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Anous minutus americanus
Anguilla (Lesser Antilles), Caribbean islands off Central America and Venezuela; formerly islands eastward of Belize
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Anous minutus atlanticus
St. Paul, Fernando de Noronha, and Martim Vaz (off northeastern Brazil), Ascension and St. Helena (tropical Atlantic Ocean), and Gulf of Guinea islands
-
Anous minutus diamesus
Clipperton Island (off western Mexico) and Cocos Island (off Costa Rica)
-
Anous minutus marcusi
Marcus Island (southeastern Japan) and Wake Island through Micronesia to Caroline Islands
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Anous minutus melanogenys
Northwestern and main Hawaiian Islands
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Anous minutus minutus
islets of Ashmore Reef (northwest of Australia), northeastern Australia, eastern New Guinea satellites, Lord Howe and Norfolk islands, Kermadec Islands (New Zealand) through Melanesia to Pitcairn group (eastern Polynesia)
-
Anous minutus worcesteri
Cavili Island and Tubbataha Reef (Sulu Sea)
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.