# Black Noddy (*anous minutus*)

The Black Noddy is a sleek, dark-plumaged seabird that graces tropical and subtropical oceans around the world. Unlike its ground-nesting relatives, this clever member of the tern family is famous for nesting high in tree canopies on offshore islands, often utilizing leaves and guano to construct secure platforms. Known for their delicate silhouettes and acrobatic flight, Black Noddies are a joy to watch as they flutter closely over the ocean surface to snatch up small fish and squid driven upward by underwater predators. These birds are highly social, forming massive, bustling breeding colonies that fill the island air with a cacophony of chattering calls. Because they rely heavily on healthy marine ecosystems, their presence is a key indicator of local ocean health.

- **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 3
- **Habitat:** Typically found on tropical and subtropical offshore islands, cayes, and coral atolls with dense woody vegetation or mangroves for nesting.

![Black Noddy](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/60534938/medium.jpeg)

Photo: Thomas Mesaglio, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/60534938)

## Appearance

The Black Noddy is identified by its charcoal-black to dark brown plumage, contrasted sharply by a bright white cap on its forehead that shades gently into a grey nape. It has a long, slender, and slightly down-curved black bill, dark brown eyes, and blackish legs with orange-tinted webs. Smaller and darker than the closely related Brown Noddy, it reaches about 35 to 38 centimeters in length with a wingspan of approximately 65 to 74 centimeters, allowing for highly agile and buoyant flight maneuvers.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Charadriiformes
- **Family:** Laridae
- **Genus:** Anous

## Interesting facts

- Black Noddies use their own guano as a binding agent to glue their nests securely to tree branches.
- Their common name 'Noddy' comes from their breeding displays, during which pairs repeatedly nod their heads at each other.
- They often forage in symbiotic association with predatory fish like tuna, which push small prey up to the surface.
- Unlike many other terns that plunge-dive, Black Noddies rarely submerge themselves, preferring to hover and scoop prey from the surface.

## Special abilities

- **Arboreal Nest Building:** Constructs sturdy nests in trees and shrubs using a mixture of leaves, twigs, and guano, which acts as a natural cement.
- **Surface-Dipping Precision:** Exhibits exceptional flight control to snatch small fish and squid directly from the ocean surface without getting wet or diving.
- **Salt Water Filtration:** Possesses specialized supraorbital glands that extract excess salt from the bloodstream, allowing the bird to survive entirely on seawater.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 35+ cm
- **Wingspan:** 65+ cm
- **Weight:** 0.08+ kg
- **Lifespan:** 10+ years
- **Speed:** 50 km/h
- **Clutch Size:** 1+
- **Incubation:** 30+ days
- **Migration Distance:** 1500 km

## Diet & Feeding

Feeds primarily on small schooling fish and squid that are forced to the surface by larger marine predators like tuna.

- **Age differences:** Chicks are fed regurgitated, semi-digested fish and squid by both parents until they fledge.
- **Primary Foods:** Flying Fish, Squid, Goatfish, Lanternfish
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Competitor:** White Tern (*Gygis alba*) — Competes for nesting sites and foraging grounds in the same tropical island habitats.
- **Mutualism:** Pisonia Tree (*Pisonia grandis*) — Uses the branches of this tree for nesting, though sticky seeds can sometimes trap and kill the birds.
- **Eaten by:** Polynesian Rat (*Rattus exulans*) — Preys upon eggs and helpless nestlings within the nesting colonies.

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Black Noddy?

Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Black Noddy?

35+ cm

### What is Black Noddy's wingspan?

65+ cm

### How much does Black Noddy weigh?

0.08+ kg

### How long does Black Noddy live?

10+ years

### How fast can Black Noddy move?

50 km/h

### What does Black Noddy eat?

Feeds primarily on small schooling fish and squid that are forced to the surface by larger marine predators like tuna.

### Where is Black Noddy usually found?

Typically found on tropical and subtropical offshore islands, cayes, and coral atolls with dense woody vegetation or mangroves for nesting.

## Where to spot

- [Kahanu Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kahanu-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden

## More Birds

- [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*)
- [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*)
- [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*)
- [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*)

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Source: [Black Noddy: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-noddy)