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. The Brown Noddy is
colonial, usually nesting on the in elevated situations on cliffs or in short trees or shrubs. It only occasionally nests on the ground. A single egg is laid by the female of 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.
References
★ 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
★ Chardine, J.W. and R.D. Morris. 1996. Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus). In The Birds of North America, No. 220 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.