Terns
Noddies are members of the tern family Sternidae in the genera Anous, Procelsterna, and Gygis.
Studies of mtDNA sequences (Bridge, 2005) have shown that the noddies are at least 2 groups that split off early from the ancestral terns at different points of time; the relationships of Procelsterna were not researched for lack of samples. It seems to represent either a third lineage linking the noddies and the marsh terns, or is closely related to Gygis.
Description
They are a tropical group, characterised by the notch-wedge shaped (not forked) tail; coastal and pelagic oceanic.
Species
Genus Anous
- Brown Noddy or Common Noddy, Anous stolidus
- Black Noddy, Anous minutus
- Lesser Noddy,Anous tenuirostris
Genus Procelsterna
- Blue Noddy, Procelsterna cerulea
- Grey Noddy, Procelsterna albivitta
Genus Gygis
- White Tern, Gygis alba
- Little White Tern, Gygis microrhyncha
Noddies are reportedly a dietary staple on the island of Nauru.
References
- Bridge, E. S.; Jones, A. W. and Baker, A. J. (2005): A phylogenetic framework for the terns (Sternini) inferred from mtDNA sequences: implications for taxonomy and plumage evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 35: 459–469.
- Harrison, C.S. (1990): Seabirds of Hawaii, Natural History and Conservation. Comstock: Cornell ISBN 0-8014-2449-6
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