Brown Noddy
A species of Dark and Blue-grey Noddies Scientific name : Anous stolidus Genus : Dark and Blue-grey Noddies
Brown Noddy, A species of Dark and Blue-grey Noddies
Botanical name: Anous stolidus
Genus: Dark and Blue-grey Noddies
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Don Roberson
Description
The brown noddy is 38–45 cm (15–18 in) in length with a wingspan of 75–86 cm (30–34 in). The plumage is a dark chocolate-brown with a pale-grey or white crown and forehead. It has a narrow incomplete white eye-ring. The tail is long and wedge-shaped, and the feet and legs are dark.
Size
38-41 cm (15-16 in)
Life Expectancy
17-26.2 years
Feeding Habits
Brown Noddy primarily consumes small squid and fish, sourced through skilled surface-dipping and plunge-diving. Unique adaptations, such as sharp eyesight, help it locate prey. Prefers foraging around dusk and dawn.
Habitat
The brown Noddy typically inhabits tropical and subtropical regions, favoring marine environments such as open tropical oceans. This species primarily breeds and nests on the remote and almost inaccessible islands and coral reefs within these regions. Preferred nesting sites include cliffs, offshore stacks, and occasionally on the ground or in trees. When not nesting, brown Noddys often rest on floating objects like buoys and flotsam, and are known to settle on ships and even directly on the sea surface.
Nest Behavior
Both sexes build the nest with recurring use and expansion each year. Courtship includes distinctive movements and aerial displays. Brown Noddy lay eggs on stick platforms or bare rock and exhibit parental care.
Nest Characteristics
Brown Noddy's nest is a platform made of sticks, seaweed, and sometimes lined with rock or coral, on bay cedars, cacti, or cliffs, varying in height from ground level to 12 feet.
Dite type
Piscivorous
General Info
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Photo By Don Roberson