Birdfinding.info ⇒ The Atlantic form of Black Noddy is locally common on and around its remote oceanic nesting islands, but otherwise rare. Some of its more accessible breeding colonies are at the south end of Aruba, Fernando de Noronha, Ascension, St. Helena, and several islets adjacent to São Tomé & Príncipe. In most years, one or a few can be found among the Brown Noddies at Garden Key in Dry Tortugas National Park from April to August.
“Atlantic Black Noddy”
Anous minutus americanus
Tropical Atlantic. Mainly pelagic and rarely seen from land except on its island breeding grounds, where it nests on either rocky cliffs or trees.
Breeds colonially on islets in the equatorial and South Atlantic: the Brazilian islands of São Pedro e São Paulo, Fernando de Noronha, Trindade, and Martim Vaz; the mid-oceanic British territories Ascension and St. Helena; and in the Gulf of Guinea around São Tomé & Príncipe.
Its status in the Caribbean is somewhat mysterious. The only known extant colonies in the region are in the south: on Venezuela’s Los Roques Archipelago and Aruba’s San Nicolas Reef. A colony reportedly existed at Half Moon Caye, Belize, in the 1800s and early 1900s, and individuals are occasionally reported from coastal Belize and Quintana Roo, which suggests that it could still breed at an unknown site in that area.
Small numbers of nonbreeders have appeared regularly, year after year, at certain locations including the Dry Tortugas (Florida), Ciénaga de Ocumare (mainland Venezuela), and coastal Ceará (São Gonçalo do Amarante and Triari).
More exceptional vagrants have been recorded from Bolivar Flats, Texas (May 1, 1998), Three Rooker Island, Florida (July 12, 2003), Punta Uva, Costa Rica (March 16, 2018), Ilha de Maracá do Sul, Amapá (December 10, 2015), and various locations from the southern Bahamas to the Lesser Antilles.
Identification
Like the other members of the Black Noddy “complex,” a medium-large tern with an exceptionally long, thin bill, mostly black or blackish-brown plumage, and a contrasting white crown.
Compared to others in this group, on average, “Atlantic” is the darkest and has the most crisply defined white crown. Its legs and feet are always black.
Adults in fresh plumage appear almost entirely black or blackish—often detectably browner on the back and wing coverts. Their plumage turns browner with wear, and when heavily worn, it can appear almost entirely brown, or sometimes grayish on the head and neck.
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (São Pedro e São Paulo, Brazil; November 24, 2018.) © Ronald Santiago
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; April 11, 2019.) © Julio Machado
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Boatswain Bird Island, Ascension; April 5, 2018.) © Noah Strycker
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; December 26, 2011.) © Paulo Krieser
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; March 9, 2020.) © Henrique Langenegger
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; February 13, 2020.) © Cláudio Timm
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; August 5, 2012.) © Luiz Carlos Ramassotti
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; February 11, 2017.) © Wagner Santana
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus, preening. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; January 10, 2020.) © Pedro Perez
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; October 22, 2014.) © Marco Rocha
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; August 8, 2012.) © Luiz Carlos Ramassotti
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; May 14, 2015.) © Oscar Abener Fenalti
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. americanus. (Garden Key, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida; June 13, 2020.) © Tammy McQuade
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; May 23, 2016.) © Sergio Tasca
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; December 10, 2013.) © Silvia Faustino Linhares
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Tinhosa Grande, São Tomé & Príncipe; February 13, 2013.) © Simon Valle
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Speery Island, St. Helena; April 18, 2018.) © Christophe Gouraud
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus, adult with nestling. (Egg Island, St. Helena; December 16, 2019.) © Allison Miller
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; February 7, 2012.) © Oduvaldo Junior
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Tinhosa Grande, São Tomé & Príncipe; February 14, 2013.) © Simon Valle
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. americanus, appearing grayish-brown and bleached-out. (Garden Key, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida; June 13, 2020.) © Tammy McQuade
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. americanus. (Garden Key, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida; June 13, 2020.) © Tammy McQuade
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Ilha de Maracá do Sul, Amapá, Brazil; December 10, 2015.) © Jackson Cleiton
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus, close-up. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; February 13, 2020.) © Cláudio Timm
Immatures resemble adults, but typically with a shorter bill and a white crown area that is usually smaller and uneven.
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus, juvenile. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; March 21, 2015.) © Celine Philipp
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus, immature. (São Gonçalo do Amarante, Ceará, Brazil; November 24, 2018.) © Thiago Toledo
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus, in flight. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; March 21, 2017.) © Rogério de Castro
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; September 12, 2018.) © Guto Balieiro
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. americanus. (California Lighthouse, Aruba; October 1, 2020.) © Michiel Oversteegen
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Boatswain Bird Island, Ascension; April 5, 2018.) © Noah Strycker
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; March 24, 2018.) © Rémi Bigonneau
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus, taking off. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; June 6, 2013.) © Caio Brito
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; August 5, 2012.) © Luiz Carlos Ramassotti
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; October 12, 2013.) © Ester Ramirez
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus, frontal. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; March 21, 2017.) © Rogério de Castro
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. americanus, with an aberrant white primary. (Arashi, Aruba; October 17, 2020.) © Michiel Oversteegen
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; October 30, 2017.) © Carmen Lúcia Bays Figueiredo
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus, in flight, ventral view. (Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; October 6, 2016.) © Marco Guedes
Cf. Brown Noddy. Brown Noddy is so widespread that it occurs essentially throughout the ranges of all other noddies. Most noddy identification consists of distinguishing Brown from the relevant member(s) of the Black Noddy complex.
In most cases, “Atlantic” and “Pacific Black Noddies” are uniformly blackish and have a smaller, more crisply demarcated white crown area than Brown Noddy. However, in worn plumage and harsh lighting Black Noddies can appear brown and their crowns can appear more diffuse. Brown Noddy’s crown coloration also varies somewhat with factors that include molt-stage and lighting. When general coloration and crown demarcation are inconclusive, there are potentially more objective differences in overall structure, bill size and shape, and wing contrast.
Structure: Black is somewhat smaller and more buoyant (tern-like) in flight. Conversely, Brown is bulkier and more gull-like. Although the proportions between their wing and tail measurements are similar, Brown’s average about 15% longer and, when seen in flight, its tail feathers often create the impression of being disproportionately long.
Bill Size and Shape: Black’s bill is appreciably thinner and straighter—or, in other words, Brown’s bill is thicker and more noticeably curved. Black’s bill averages longer while the rest of its head is smaller than Brown’s. In most postures, Black’s eye appears “off-centered”—closer to the back of its head than to the tip of its bill—whereas Brown’s eye is about equidistant from the back of its head and the tip of its bill.
“Atlantic Black Noddy,” A. m. atlanticus (foreground) with Brown Noddy, showing differences in size, general coloration, and demarcation of white crown—note that the Brown Noddy appears much larger in the frame even though it is farther from the camera. (São Pedro e São Paulo, Brazil; November 24, 2018.) © Ronald Santiago
Wing Contrast: Black’s wings are usually darker than Brown’s, and nearly uniform on the upperside, with little contrast between the coverts and flight feathers—whereas Brown’s wings typically appear two-toned: brown on the coverts versus darker, more blackish on the adjacent flight feathers.
Notes
Polytypic form consisting of two recognized subspecies, collectively one of three distinct forms of Black Noddy (A. minutus), along with “Pacific Black” (minutus), and “Hawaiian” (melanogenys), all potentially classifiable as separate species.
A fourth form, the Lesser Noddy (A. tenuirostris), was traditionally regarded as conspecific (with all four forms together known collectively as either Black, White-capped, or Lesser Noddy, A. tenuirostris) but is generally acknowledged to be a separate species—as it is visually distinctive and apparently breeds alongside “Pacific Black Noddy” at Ashmore Reef without interbreeding.
Howell and Zufelt (2019) recognize each of the four forms as separate species. In addition to Lesser, it seems appropriate to classify “Hawaiian” as separate based on factors that include pronounced differences in plumage, leg color, and bill length, and their persistence as recognizably distinct despite overlapping ranges.
Assuming that both Lesser and “Hawaiian” are ultimately recognized as separate species, biogeographic logic would tend to imply that the other two forms, “Atlantic Black” and “Pacific Black”, should be presumptively separate as well—although they are very similar and might not be reliably distinguishable.
References
Alderfer, J., and J.L. Dunn. 2014. National Geographic Complete Birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.
Ascanio, D., G.A. Rodriguez, and R. Restall. 2017. Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London.
BirdLife International. 2020. Anous minutus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22694799A163885644. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22694799A163885644.en. (Accessed December 23, 2020.)
Bond, J. 1979. Birds of the West Indies (Fourth Edition). Collins, London.
eBird. 2020. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, N.Y. http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed December 23, 2020.)
Fagan, J., and O. Komar. 2016. Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of Northern Central America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York.
Harrison, P. 1983. Seabirds: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Howell, S.N.G., and S.W. Webb. 1995. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Howell, S.N.G., and K. Zufelt. 2019. Oceanic Birds of the World. Princeton University Press.
Kirwan, G.M., A. Levesque, M. Oberle, and C.J. Sharpe. 2019. Birds of the West Indies. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Lee, D.S., and W.A. Mackin. 2009. Black Noddy. West Indian Breeding Seabird Atlas, http://www.wicbirds.net/blno.html. (Accessed December 23, 2020.)
Raffaele, H., J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 1998. A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.
van Perlo, B. 2002. Birds of Western and Central Africa. Princeton University Press.
van Perlo, B. 2009. A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil. Oxford University Press.
Wells, J.V., and A.C. Wells. 2017. Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. Cornell University Press.
Wikiaves. 2020. Trinta-réis-preto, https://www.wikiaves.com.br/wiki/trinta-reis-preto. (Accessed December 23, 2020.)