| Lesser noddy | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Anous |
| Species: | A. tenuirostris |
| Binomial name | |
| Anous tenuirostris (Temminck, 1823) | |
| Synonyms | |
Anous minutus tenuirostris | |
Thelesser noddy (Anous tenuirostris), also known as thesooty noddy, is aseabird in the familyLaridae. It is found near the coastlines ofComoros,Kenya,India,Maldives,Mauritius,Seychelles,Somalia,Sri Lanka andUnited Arab Emirates.
The lesser noddy was at one time considered as asubspecies of theblack noddy (Anous minutus).[2] The close relationship between the two species was confirmed by amolecular phylogenetic study published in 2016.[3]
The firstformal description of the lesser noddy was by the Dutch zoologistCoenraad Jacob Temminck in 1823 under thebinomial nameSterna tenuirostris.[4][5] ThegenusAnous was introduced by the English naturalistJames Francis Stephens in 1826.[6]Anous isAncient Greek for "stupid" or "foolish". The specific nametenuirostris is from the Latintenuis for "slender" and-rostris "-billed".[7]
There are two subspecies:[8]
The lesser noddy is 30–34 cm (12–13 in) in length with a wingspan of 58–63 cm (23–25 in) and a weight of 97–120 g (3.4–4.2 oz). The plumage is brownish black. The forehead and crown are lighter in colour. This species is smaller and slightly paler than the similarblack noddy and has pale rather than darklores.[2]
Giant tortoises have been observed to hunt the bird onFregate Island in theSeychelles.[9]
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