Dark-bodied tern of tropical offshore waters, rarely seen from mainland.
Not listed
Indigenous: Common Noddy
At a glance
FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatThe brown noddy is colonial , usually nesting on elevated situations on cliffs or in short trees or shrubs.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from October to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Dries Van de Loock
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
8495approx records
4states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Breeds in colonies on rocky and sandy offshore islets. Adult solidly dark brown with white cap. White limited to the forehead on immature.
Behavior
Sometimes found with offshore feeding flocks of boobies and other terns. Feeds by picking from the surface, not plunge-diving like most terns.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Queensland
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory
Victoria