Lesser noddy tern (Anous tenuirostris) at pisonia-leaf nest, Aride Island, Seychelles
This species is native mainly to the tropical Indian Ocean. It is distinguished from the larger brown noddy (A. stolidus) by the way the pale cap merges gradually with the dark body plumage at the lores. With the brown noddy there is a sharp demarcation. The bill of the lesser noddy is finer and longer in proportion to the head.
The abundance of dead pisonia leaves as nest material in the coastal woodlands where the lesser noddy breeds is a double-edged sword. The seeds of the pisonia are dispersed by birds. They are sticky and often adhere to young birds in sufficient quantities to render them incapable of flight, with fatal results.
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All images are the property of the photographer and may not be reproduced, copied, downloaded, transmitted or used in any way without the written permission of the photographer, who can be contacted by registering with flickr and using flickrmail.
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Lesser noddy tern (Anous tenuirostris) at pisonia-leaf nest, Aride Island, Seychelles
This species is native mainly to the tropical Indian Ocean. It is distinguished from the larger brown noddy (A. stolidus) by the way the pale cap merges gradually with the dark body plumage at the lores. With the brown noddy there is a sharp demarcation. The bill of the lesser noddy is finer and longer in proportion to the head.
The abundance of dead pisonia leaves as nest material in the coastal woodlands where the lesser noddy breeds is a double-edged sword. The seeds of the pisonia are dispersed by birds. They are sticky and often adhere to young birds in sufficient quantities to render them incapable of flight, with fatal results.
110314 003
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All images are the property of the photographer and may not be reproduced, copied, downloaded, transmitted or used in any way without the written permission of the photographer, who can be contacted by registering with flickr and using flickrmail.
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