A small dark tern which appears grayish-black and extremely slender.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers
SizeMedium
RarityRare
HabitatIt is found near the coastlines of Comoros , Kenya , India , Maldives , Mauritius , Seychelles , Somalia , Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates .
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from February.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Dries Van de Loock
Range map
Range map
55approx hotspots
418approx records
1states
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
Very similar to Black and Brown Noddies, but the Lesser Noddy has a very thin bill, is somewhat paler gray overall, and has gray between the bill and the eyes. The flight is fast and graceful, and it often mixes with other terns.
Behavior
Often found offshore, not far from islands in the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean.
Gallery
Regional timing
Western Australia
Queensland
Commonly confused with
Sooty TernOnychoprion fuscatusMost similar to Bridled Tern, but darker black back, dark undersides of flight feathers, and narrower white edges on tail. Sooty Tern is found in warm tropical waters worldwide.→Roseate TernSterna dougalliiGraceful pale tern with extremely long forked tail. Named for faint rosy wash on belly. Bill color varies geographically; Old World birds arrive on breeding grounds with a black bill that turns to red, while New World birds arrive with a red bill that turns darker. Similar to Common Tern, but notably whiter wings. With practice, look for shallow, choppier wingbeats to distinguish from other tern species.→Australian Fairy TernSternula nereisVery similar to Little Tern, which overlaps in range in parts of southern Australia. In breeding plumage, note yellow bill (in southern Australia lacking black tip) and orange-yellow legs. In contrast to Little Tern, Fairy has a gap between the black in front of eyes and the bill (in breeding Little, the black extends to the bill). In nonbreeding plumage, bill much darker. New Zealand subspecies very rare and breeds only at four sites on the east coast of the southern Northland.→