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Bird name:

Black Noddy

Anous minutus

Order

CHARADRIIFORMES

Family

Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Code 4

BLNO

Code 6

ANOMIN

ITIS

176944

Breeding Location:

Coastal, sea, Bushes

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Uncommon to rare, Casual in US

Egg Color:

White to pale red with a buff tint

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

34 - 39

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

No nesting material if crevice is used.; otherwise, dead tree branches and seaweed; lined with shells, rock, and bits of coral.

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Black Noddy: medium-sized tern, very dark brown-black with white cap, white (lower) half-eye ring, and long slender bill. Wedge shaped tail has small notch at tip. Sexes are similar. Juvenile appears more brown, white cap is more distinct.

Range and Habitat

Black Noddy: Tropical species, rare in North America. A few, mostly immatures, seen in Dry Tortugas among Brown Noddies. Casual to coastal Texas.

Breeding and Nesting

Black Noddy: Monogamous. Colonial. No nesting material if crevice is used, otherwise dead tree branches and seaweed; lined with shells, rock, and bits of coral. Built by both sexes. One white to pale red egg, tinted with buff. Incubation lasts 34 to 39 days by both sexes. Young remains in nest 39 to 52 days, and is fed by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Black Noddy: Feeds far out at sea. Often feeds in flocks. Eats small fish and squid picked from the surface; also swims in shallow water and dives beneath surface to catch food.

Vocalization

Black Noddy: "Crick crick crick" or sustained "kehrrrrr." Call of first year birds a high thin "suwee."

Similar Species

Black Noddy: Brown noddy slightly larger and lighter, with stouter bill.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

Eye ring

The circle around the eye formed of feathers that are a different color from the rest of the face.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America