Anous tenuirostris
The Lesser Noddy (Anous tenuirostris) is a dainty, medium-sized seabird belonging to the tern family, Laridae, distinguished by its sleek, all-dark appearance contrasted sharply with a bright white cap. Measuring approximately 28-30 cm in length, with a wingspan of 58-63 cm and weighing around 97-120 grams, its plumage is a uniform sooty-brown, appearing almost black from a distance, complemented by a notably slender, pointed black bill and black legs and feet. The most critical identificatio...
Found primarily in tropical oceanic environments, typically nesting on small, remote islands and atolls. Breeding colonies are established in dense groves of trees, shrubs, or sometimes on cliffs, always near the coast and at sea-level.
Feeds predominantly on small pelagic fish, such as anchovies and sardines, along with marine invertebrates like small squid and crustaceans. Food is primarily obtained by dipping or surface-seizing from the water's surface.
The Lesser Noddy is a highly social and diurnal seabird, forming dense breeding colonies and often foraging in large, mixed-species flocks. Roosting occurs communally within their nesting trees or on rocky ledges. Foraging involves a distinctive surface-seizing technique, where they dip their sle...
The Lesser Noddy has a widespread but fragmented distribution, primarily concentrated across the tropical Indian Ocean and extending into parts of the western Pacific. Major breeding colonies are found on remote islands and atolls including the Seychelles (e.g., Aride, Cousin), the Maldives, the ...
Least Concern
- The scientific name 'tenuirostris' is Latin for 'slender-billed,' accurately describing this noddy's distinctive bill. - Unlike most terns and even other noddies that often nest on the ground or cliffs, the Lesser Noddy almost exclusively builds its nests in trees and shrubs. - Its nests are st...