Brown Noddy
Where to Look
- Seaside cliffs
- Ports and harbours
Related Galapagos Species
Royal Tern
Identification
Easily identified as the only overall dark brown tern-like bird in the archepelago.
Description
A dark sooty-brown, medium sized seabird with a long, sharp black bill, blackish feet and legs, black lores, a greyish-white forehead and a white eye-ring. Males are larger than females but otherwise sexes are alike. Juveniles are darker with less greyish-white on their foreheads.
Galapagos Distribution
Occurs throughot the archipelago with a few thousand breeding pairs present each year.
Global Distribution
Has a huge range outside of the Galapagos, occuring throughout tropical waters around the globe.
Status in the Galapagos
A common resident. The endemic subspecies, A.s. galapagensis, is one of five subspecies world wide.
Conservation
Vulnerable. With a total population of roughly 10, 000 mature individuals, this species is ranked as ‘vulnerable’. It has been extripated from Rabida and Santiago and populations across Santa Cruz and southern Isabela have been greatly reduced. It is threatened by invasive predators such as cats, dogs, pigs and rats that prey on its eggs young.