Black noddy

The black noddy was first formally described by German naturalist and lawyer Friedrich Boie in 1844 under its current binomial name.{{ cite journal | last=Boie| first=Friedrich | author-link=Friedrich Boie | year=1844 | title=Nuszüge aus dem Cystem der Ornithologie | journal=Isis von Oken | volume=1844 | at=Column 188 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13235792 | language=de, la }} The genus name Anous is ancient Greek for "stupid" or "foolish". The specific name minutus is the Latin for "small".{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url=https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn= 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n48 48], 256 }}

There are seven subspecies:{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2019 | title=Noddies, gulls, terns, auks | work=World Bird List Version 9.2 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/gulls/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=24 June 2019 }}

• A. m. worcesteri (McGregor, 1911) – Cavilli Island and Tubbataha Reef (Sulu Sea)
• A. m. minutus Boie, 1844 – northeast Australia and New Guinea to Tuamotu Archipelago
• A. m. marcusi (Bryan, 1903) – Marcus and Wake Islands through Micronesia to the Caroline Islands
• A. m. melanogenys Gray, 1846 – Hawaiian Islands to the Kermadec Islands{{cite book |last1=Rothschild |first1=Lionel Walter | last2=Palmer |first2=Henry |last3= Keulemans |first3=John Gerrard | last4=Frohawk | first4=Frederick William |year=1893 |title=The avifauna of Laysan and the neighbouring islands: with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions |publisher= R.H. Porter | location=London | url=https://archive.org/details/avifaunaLaysannplatRoth}}
• A. m. diamesus (Heller and Snodgrass, 1901) – Clipperton Island (off western Mexico) and Cocos Island (off western Costa Rica)
• A. m. americanus (Mathews, 1912) – islands in the Caribbean Sea
• A. m. atlanticus (Mathews, 1912) – tropical islands in the Atlantic

The black noddy has a length of {{cvt|35|-|37|cm}}, a wingspan of {{cvt|66|-|72|cm}} and a weight of {{cvt|98|-|144|g}}. It has dark plumage and a pale crown.{{cite book| last1=Gochfeld | first1=M. | last2=Burger | first2=J. | last3=Kirwan | first3=G.M. | last4=Garcia | first4=E.F.J. | chapter=Black Noddy (Anous minutus) | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Sargatal | editor3-first=J. | editor4-last=Christie | editor4-first=D.A. | editor5-last=de Juana | editor5-first=E. | title=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive | year=2020 | publisher= Lynx Edicions | doi=10.2173/bow.blknod.01 | s2cid=216431918 | chapter-url=http://www.hbw.com/node/54050 | access-date=17 April 2017 }} There is a small white crescent under each eye and a white spot above. It has long tapering wings and a truncated tail. The sharply pointed bill is black. The feet are fully webbed and are black in most subspecies{{cite web |url=http://www.arkive.org/black-noddy/anous-minutus/ |title=Black Noddy |publisher=ARKive |access-date=2013-12-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203022925/http://www.arkive.org/black-noddy/anous-minutus/ |archive-date=2013-12-03 |url-status=dead }} but orange in melanogenys.{{Cite book|title=Hawaii's birds|last=Hawaii Audubon Society.|date=2005|publisher=Hawaii Audubon Society|isbn=1-889708-00-3|edition=6th|location=Honolulu|oclc=64201016|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/hawaiisbirds0000hawa}}

These birds may have become known as "noddies" because of the behaviour of both sexes as they constantly dip their heads during their breeding display. They are very tolerant of humans even to the extent that they can be picked up off the nest. They feed on fish and squid which they gather by flying low over the surface of the sea and picking them up. They may associate with other seabirds in areas where predatory fish are driving small fish to the surface.

The nests of these birds consist of a level platform, often created in the branches of trees by a series of dried leaves covered with bird droppings. One egg is laid each season, and nests are re-used in subsequent years. The trees used for this purpose are various but the Pisonia is most often used, and in large trees, there are often several nests.{{cite journal |author1=Barnes, A. |author2=Hill, G. J. E. |year=1989 |title=Census and distribution of Black Noddy Anous minutus nests on Heron Island, November 1985 |journal=Emu |volume=89 |issue=3 |pages=129–134 |doi=10.1071/MU9890129 |bibcode=1989EmuAO..89..129B }} The guano produced by these birds adds large quantities of nutrients to the soil which is of great importance to the plant communities on coral islands.{{cite journal |last1=Allaway | first1=W.G. |last2=Ashford | first2=A.E. |year=1984 |title=Nutrient input by seabirds to the forest on a coral island of the Great Barrier Reef |journal=Marine Ecology Progress Series |volume=19 |pages=297–298 |doi=10.3354/meps019297| bibcode=1984MEPS...19..297A |doi-access=free }}

The black noddy has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical seas, with colonies widespread in the Pacific Ocean and more scattered across the Caribbean, central Atlantic and in the northeast Indian Ocean. At sea it is usually seen close to its breeding colonies within 80 km of shore. Birds return to their colonies, or to other islands, to roost at night.

File:Black Noddy06.ogv

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File:Anous minutus by Gregg Yan 01.jpg|Nesting in Tubbataha Reef National Park, Philippines

File:Anous minutus.JPG|Calling at colony.

File:Anous minutus -nesting -Heron Island-8.jpg|Nesting on Heron Island, Australia

File:Black noddy and chick.jpg|Black noddy with chick

File:Black Noddy Head.jpg|Black noddy head

File:Common Noddy head.JPG|Common noddy head - note stouter beak, greyer cap

File:Black Noddy Tern.JPG|Black noddy

Anous minutus MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.131.19.jpg| Anous minutus - MHNT

{{Reflist}}

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• Guager, V.H. (1999) Black Noddy Anous minutus, in ''The Birds of North America, No412 (Poole, A. and Gill, F. eds) The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C.

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{{Commons category|Anous minutus}}

{{Wikispecies|Anous minutus}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20041212125811/http://midway.fws.gov/wildlife/blno.html Midway atoll US Fish and Wildlife page on the black noddy].
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050212062416/http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/blacknoddy.htm New Hampshire Public TV "Natureworks" page on the black noddy].
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060205092846/http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=176944 USDA information]

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Category:Anous

Category:Birds of Ascension Island

Category:Birds of the Atlantic Ocean

Category:Birds of the Pacific Ocean

Category:Birds of the Gulf of Guinea

Category:Birds of Hawaii

Category:Birds of Puerto Rico

Category:Birds of the Dominican Republic

Category:Birds of Saint Helena Island

black noddy

black noddy

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Category:Birds of Norfolk Island

Category:Fauna of the Pantropical realm