Lesser Noddy
Anous tenuirostris
Silhouette: Cristian Gutierrez-Ibanez · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusAnous (Noddies)
- SpeciesAnous tenuirostris (Lesser Noddy)
About the Lesser Noddy
The lesser noddy (Anous tenuirostris), also known as the sooty noddy, is a seabird in the family Laridae. It is found near the coastlines of Comoros, Kenya, India, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates.
The lesser noddy was at one time considered as a subspecies of the black noddy (Anous minutus). The close relationship between the two species was confirmed by a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2016. The first formal description of the lesser noddy was by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1823 under the binomial name Sterna tenuirostris. The genus Anous was introduced by the English naturalist James Francis Stephens in 1826. Anous is Ancient Greek for "stupid" or "foolish". The specific name tenuirostris is from the Latin tenuis for "slender" and -rostris "-billed".
There are two subspecies: A. t. tenuirostris (Temminck, 1823) - islands of the west & north Indian Ocean A. t. melanops Gould, 1846 - Houtman Abrolhos Islands (Western Australia) The lesser noddy is 30–34 cm (12–13 in) in length with a wingspan of 58–63 cm (23–25 in) and a weight of 97–120 g (3.4–4.2 oz). The plumage is brownish... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Lesser Noddy in iSimangaliso Wetland Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Lesser Crested Tern
Thalasseus bengalensis
Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Noddy in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Noddy sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Lesser Noddy in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Noddy in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.