Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Grey Noddy

Anous albivitta

The Grey Noddy, or Grey Ternlet, is a seabird of modest size, with a length ranging from 28 to 31 centimeters and a wingspan stretching between 46 and 60 centimeters. It tips the scales at approximately 75 grams. This bird is characterized by its pale grey plumage, which is almost white on the head and underparts, but transitions to a darker shade on the back, tail, and wings. The wings are adorned with dark tips and a white trailing edge, and are predominantly white on the underside. The eye of the Grey Noddy is a striking black, accentuated by a black patch in front, and a contrasting white patch behind. Its bill is thin and pointed, cloaked in black, while its legs and feet are also black, save for the pale yellow webs.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Grey Noddy, look for its fairly long and notched tail, and the distinctive coloration of its plumage. Juveniles can be distinguished by their browner appearance and darker, more contrasting flight feathers. The bird's large black eye, surrounded by a black and white facial pattern, is a key feature to note.

Habitat

The Grey Noddy is found in subtropical and warm temperate waters of the south Pacific Ocean, where it frequents shallow waters not far from its breeding colonies.

Distribution

This species is widely distributed across the south Pacific. The subspecies A. a. albivitta breeds on Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, the Kermadec Islands near northern New Zealand, and southern Tonga. A. a. skottsbergii is found on Henderson Island, Easter Island, and Sala y Gómez, while A. a. imitatrix breeds on the Desventuradas Islands off the coast of Chile. Occasional sightings have been reported in Australia, the Pitcairn Islands, San Ambrosio and San Felix Islands, and the Ellice Islands.

Behaviour

The Grey Noddy is known to feed in large flocks, sometimes numbering in the thousands. It employs a feeding strategy of hovering over the water and plucking food from the surface. Its diet primarily consists of plankton, supplemented by small fish.

Breeding

Breeding occurs in colonies situated on rocky islands. The nest is typically placed on a sheltered rocky ledge or beneath a boulder or vegetation. A single, whitish egg with dark markings is laid and incubated by both parents for about 32 days. The chick is nourished with regurgitated food and takes its first flight after roughly 35 days.

Song & Calls

The Grey Noddy is generally a silent bird, but it does emit a soft, purring call.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Grey Noddy is predominantly planktonic, with small fish also contributing to its nourishment. Its feeding behavior involves skimming the ocean's surface, often in the vicinity of its breeding grounds.

Conservation status

The Grey Noddy is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that it does not face any immediate threat of extinction.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Grey Noddies on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Ed Jenkins
Ed Jenkins
19 Apr 2012 - 12:00am
New Zealand

More Gulls, Terns, Skimmers

A photo of a Black Noddy (Anous minutus)

Black Noddy

Anous minutus
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Pdydhdrexgi
Fantastic App
This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Foxgirl100
Great app for beginner twitchers
I’ve had a passion of photographing birds for a long time now but have only just gotten into proper birdwatching, and this app is brilliant for those just getting started. There is a great sense of community among users and the app is very easy to use and professional. Awesome app altogether
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.