Brown Noddy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
| Anous stolidus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Brown Noddy or Common Noddy Anous stolidus is a seabird from the tern family. The largest of the noddies, it can be told from the closely related Black Noddy by its larger size and plumage, which is dark brown rather than black. The Brown Noddy is a tropical seabird with a worldwide distribution, ranging from Hawaii to the Tuamotu Archipelago and Australia in the Pacific Ocean, from the Red Sea to the Seychelles and Australia in the Indian Ocean and in the Caribbean to Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic Ocean.In 1989, 25 pairs were discovered breeding on cliff ledges on Curtis island in the Kermadec Islands (New Zealand).[1] The Brown Noddy is colonial, usually nesting on the ground. A single egg is laid by a pair each breeding season.
Etymology: Anous is Greek for "unmindful" (Harrison, 1990; see also nous). stolidus means "impassive" in Latin (see also stolid). The birds are often unwary and find safety in enormous numbers. To sailors, they were well known for their apparent indifference to hunters or predators.
[edit] References
- ^ Barrie Heather and Hugh Robertson, "The Field guide to the Birds of New Zealand" (revised edition), Viking, 2005
- BirdLife International (2004). Anous stolidus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern,and the criteria used
- "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-7922-6877-6
- Seabirds, an Identification Guide by Peter Harrison, (1983) ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 3, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-20-2
- "National Audubon Society" The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN 0-679-45122-6
 |
This bird-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
