Black Noddy

About the Black Noddy

The black noddy (Anous minutus), also known as white-capped noddy, is a species of tern in the family Laridae. It is a medium-sized seabird with black plumage and a white cap that closely resembles the lesser noddy with which it was at one time considered conspecific. The black noddy has slightly darker plumage and dark rather than pale lores.

The black noddy was first formally described by German naturalist and lawyer Friedrich Boie in 1844 under its current binomial name. The genus name Anous is ancient Greek for "stupid" or "foolish". The specific name minutus is the Latin for "small".

There are seven subspecies: A. m. worcesteri (McGregor, 1911) – Cavilli Island and Tubbataha Reef (Sulu Sea) A. m. minutus Boie, 1844 – northeast Australia and New Guinea to Tuamotu Archipelago A. m. marcusi (Bryan, 1903) – Marcus and Wake Islands through Micronesia to the Caroline Islands

A. m. melanogenys Gray, 1846 – Hawaiian Islands to the Kermadec Islands A. m. diamesus (Heller and Snodgrass, 1901) – Clipperton Island (off western Mexico) and Cocos Island (off western Costa Rica) A. m. americanus (Mathews, 1912) – islands in the Caribbean Sea

A. m. atlanticus (Mathews, 1912) –... Wikipedia →