Blue-gray Noddy
Anous ceruleus
A very small, pale gray tern with large dark eyes. Smaller and paler gray than Brown and Black Noddies with slightly more of a forked tail. Nests on rocky sea cliffs on tropical islands, typically foraging close to shore, fluttering close to the water and plucking food from the surface in small flocks. Voice is a distinctive nasal “kearr.”
Identification
The blue noddy is 25–28 cm (9.8–11.0 in) in length and has a wingspan of 46–60 cm (18–24 in).
Taxonomy
The first formal description of the blue noddy was by Frederick Debell Bennett in 1840 under the binomial name Sterna cerulea. The specific name ceruleus is Latin for "dark blue".<p>The blue noddy was formerly placed in the genus Procelsterna. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2016 found that the five noddies formed a single clade with the blue noddy and the grey noddy in Procelsterna nested between the species in the genus Anous. The authors proposed that the noddies should be merged into a single genus Anous and that Procelsterna should be considered as a junior synonym.<p>A seabird observed at Necker Island, the French Frigate Shoals, and Nihoa during a cruise through the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands by the United States Fish Commission research ship USFC Albatross in 1902 originally was thought to be new to science and was given the scientific name Procelsterna saxatalis and the popular name Necker Island tern. It later was reclassified as a subspecies of the blue noddy.There are five subspecies:<p>The grey noddy (Anous albivitta) replaces it to the south of its range; the two were formerly considered to be a single species but are now often split.
- Scientific name
- Anous ceruleus
- Authority
- (Bennett, FD, 1840)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Anous
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Zosterops tetiparius
Small yellowish warbler-like bird with a self-conflicting name, found only on the islands of Rendova and Tetepare in the South New Georgia Group of islands, in the west-central Solomons. Formerly considered the same species as Solomons White-eye. Note present species’ lack of any white around the eye, as well as its pale off-white belly. Song, an up-and-down series, averages higher-pitched than that of Solomons White-eye, and includes various cheeping, whistled, and hoarser notes. Calls include sparrow-like chirps.
Black-bellied Gnateater
Conopophaga melanogaster
Large gnateater with striking plumage. Note the bold white eyebrow. Males have a black head and underparts contrasting with chestnut wings and back; on females the black is replaced by gray. Occurs patchily in humid forest with dense understory, especially bamboo, where it forages on the ground and in the understory. The song is a short angry rattle.
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinella
Male distinctive, with bright yellow head, yellowish underparts. Female is drab and streaky, usually with yellowish wash to face, and often found with bright males. Note bright rusty rump. White outer tail feathers flash in flight. A species of heathland, forest clearings, and farmland with hedges. Male sings from a prominent perch, giving a dry and uninspired “dzidzidzidzidzi.” Forms flocks in winter, feeding mainly on ground in search of seeds. A native of Eurasia, introduced to New Zealand and a few adjacent islands.
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