From Opus

Photo by jimmclean
Heron Island, Queensland, Australia, June 2007

Anous minutus

[edit] Identification

30cm

• Black to brown body
• White cap
• Black legs and feet
• Long, straight, thin, pointed black bill
• Forked grey tail

[edit] Distribution

Photo by flanken
Wainapanapa State Park, Maui, Hawaii, USA, April 2011

Pacific Ocean and across the Caribbean, central Atlantic and in the northeast Indian Ocean.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

There are 7 subspecies^[1]:

• A. m. worcesteri:

• Cavilli Island and Tubbataha Reef (Sulu Sea)

• A. m. minutus:

• North-eastern Australia and New Guinea to Tuamotu Archipelago

• A. m. marcusi:

• Marcus Island and Wake Island through Micronesia to Caroline Islands

• A. m. melanogenys Black Noddy (Hawaiian):

• Hawaiian Islands

• A. m. diamesus Black Noddy (East Pacific):

• Clipperton Island (off western Mexico) and Cocos Island (off Costa Rica)

• A. m. americanus Black Noddy (Caribbean):

• Islands off Central America and Venezuela; winters to Lesser Antilles

• A. m. atlanticus:

• St. Helena and adjacent south Atlantic islands to Gulf of Guinea

[edit] Habitat

Tropical and subtropical seas. Normally found near to its breeding colonies within 80 km of shore. They roost and nest on islands.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Its nest is a level platform made of dried leaves, grasses and twigs. The single egg is incubated by both adults for about 36 days. The chick is fed on regurgitated fish and fledges when it is about 36 days old. The parents will care for it for a few more weeks.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes small fish and aquatic invertebrates found close to the surface of the water.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. Wikipedia
3. NATUREWORKS

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID
• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages