Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

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Color Photograph: U.S. Navy

Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 15 inches.

Adult: Head and neck gray with crown of head whitish gray. Bill larger and thicker than in other terns. Back and wings brown. Tail diamond-shaped, not forked.

Similar Species:  The closest species to the Brown Noddy is the Black Noddy. The Noddy has the same build and markings as the Brown Noddy, but the back and wings are black, not brown. The crown of the head is white and distinctly contrasts with the black-brown of the lower half of the face and head.

Breeding Range (see map below): Breeds throughout the warm tropical ocean regions of the world. In North America it breeds on the Dry Tortugas south of Florida.

Overwintering Range:  This species ranges the warm tropical oceans of the world.

Habitat: The Brown Noddy is mostly found over the open oceans. Its breeds on oceanic or coastal islands in tropical areas.

Food: Mostly small fish.

Behavior: The Brown Noddy is a primarily pelagic species. It is sometimes seen standing on pieces of driftwood at sea or floating on the water.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of a single brown-spotted tan eggs. The egg is laid in a nest lined with sticks and seaweed. The nest is placed in rock piles or small trees.