Facts About Lesser noddy
The Lesser Noddy, also known as the Sooty Noddy, is an enchanting seabird from the Laridae family. These birds can be observed along coastlines in regions such as the Comoros, Kenya, India, the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates. Although it was once considered a subspecies of the Black Noddy, a 2016 study clarified that while they are closely related, they are indeed distinct species.
This bird was officially described in 1823 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck, who named it Sterna tenuirostris. The name "tenuirostris" is derived from Latin, meaning "slender-billed." In 1826, James Francis Stephens introduced the genus Anous, which intriguingly means "stupid" or "foolish" in Ancient Greek.
There are two recognized subspecies of the Lesser Noddy:
1. A. t. tenuirostris - found in the western and northern Indian Ocean islands.
2. A. t. melanops - found in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands of Western Australia.
Physically, the Lesser Noddy is quite small, measuring about 30–34 cm in length with a wingspan of 58–63 cm and weighing between 97–120 grams. Its feathers are a brownish-black color, lightening around the forehead and crown. Compared to the Black Noddy, the Lesser Noddy is slightly smaller, somewhat paler, and has pale lores instead of dark ones.