Black Noddy - Definition

The Black Noddy is a type of bird, known as a tern. The Latin name, Anous minutus, means small stupid bird, supposedly named as these birds would create nests on old sailing ships, where they provided a welcome change in diet for the sailors aboard.

The nests of these birds consist on a level platform, often created in the branches of trees by a series of dried leaves covered with bird droppings.

Favoured habitats for these birds are in pacific islands, including:

• Heron Island, Australia
• North America (see List of North American birds), especially Hawaii.

External Links

• Midway atoll US Fish and Wildlife page on the Black Noddy (http://midway.fws.gov/wildlife/blno.html).
• New Hampshire Public TV "Natureworks" page on the Black Noddy (http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/blacknoddy.htm).