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Story: Gulls, terns and skuas

Black noddy

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Black noddy

Black (white-capped) noddies build nests in tree forks or shrubs, gluing twigs, leaves and litter together with their faeces. On islands without trees or shrubs, they make nests on rock. They breed in small numbers in New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands, but are more numerous on islands off north-east Australia. When roosting they have an odd way of spreading themselves out as if sunbathing.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10043421

by Don Merton

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How to cite this page

Gerard Hutching, Gulls, terns and skuas – Noddies, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/6150/black-noddy (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 2 March 2009.