The Brown (or Common) Noddy is a medium-sized brown seabird with a pale white-grey
Forehead. It is larger than the Lesser Noddy and has a relatively short, stout beak.
Brown Noddies breed from April to September.
Often building nests from sticks or seaweed in the tops of coconut palms. On predator-free islands, some birds breed on the ground, laying an egg directly onto rock ledges without building a nest. The adult birds feed in flocks, picking small fish or squid from near the surface of the water.
The Brown Noddy will sometimes wet its feathers in the sea before sitting on its egg, to keep it cool.
Facts
Scientific name: Anous stolidus
Creole name: Makwa
Wingspan: 75 – 86 cm
Population in Seychelles: At least 15,000 pairs in the granitic islands, another 7 – 15,000 pairs on the outer islands
World distribution: Tropical Atlantic and Indian Ocean
Distribution in Seychelles: Breed on predator-free granitic islands and all coral islands; seen throughout Seychelles
Nest: In coconut palms (where it builds a nest) or on the ground (no nest) One egg laid
Diet: Small fish, squid
Identification: A brown tern, larger than lesser Noddy and with less white on the head
See more:
Species Fact Sheet at BirdLife Data Zone
(Photo credit: Liz Mwambui)