Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287:reg:3:p153
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 153/276)
Character Range: 584496–587418

(Special Publication No. 8). Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Canberra.

Anous minutus—black noddy

Conservation significance
Secure, widespread
EPBC Act Listing Status: Marine

Distribution
Widespread over subtropical and tropical seas worldwide, breeding on various islands. It breeds on the Norfolk Island Group and in Australia on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, north-west Australia, and Lord Howe Island.
The black noddy (Anous minutus) is the most common of the three noddy species present in the Norfolk Island region. It is a spring and summer breeding species that is well established on Norfolk and Phillip Islands. Large rookeries occur in the tall pines of Hundred Acre Reserve, Titerack Valley (in the national park at the end of McLaughlan's Lane), above Bloody Bridge and in white oak (Lagunaria patersonia) and Norfolk Island pines on Phillip Island (Christian 2005). In 1977 the breeding population on Phillip Island was estimated at between 1,000 and 10,000 breeding pairs (Fullagar 1978). The number of rookeries has fallen over the past few decades, and 100–1000 pairs were estimated in 2010 (Priddel et al. 2010).

Ecology
Breeding season is from October to March. The black noddy lays one egg and shares incubation for 36 days. Hatching to fledging spans approximately 50 days. Nests built of leaves and twigs cemented with excreta in Norfolk Island pines or white oaks.
Diet consists mainly of fish. Forages typically in flocks, swooping and snatching prey at the surface.

Habitat
Exclusively pelagic mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. Often feeds at sea in groups.

Threats
Main threats to the black noddy are reduction in quality of foraging areas through climate related shifts in oceanic resources, and on Norfolk Island, degradation and loss of habitat in pine forest through cattle grazing, weed invasion and development pressure. Other threats include predation from cats and possibly introduced ants.

Impact on other species
None known.

Management actions
Protect nesting areas and control feral predators around nesting areas on Norfolk Island.
Encourage protection of pine forest habitat through covenants on private land. Depleted colonies in the park should be restored through enhancing pine forest habitat in the north-east corner of the park and The Chord area.
Retain status of pest-free Phillip Island through detection monitoring for introduced vertebrates and invertebrates.

Relevant literature
Christian M (2005) Norfolk Island … the birds. Green Eyes Publications, Norfolk Island.
Fullagar PJ (1978) Norfolk Island birds. Unpublished report to RAOU Congress, Norfolk Island.
Priddel D, Carlile N, Evans O, Evans B & McCoy H (2010) A review of the seabirds of Phillip Island in the Norfolk Island Group. Notornis 57, 113–127.
Schodde R, Fullagar P & Hermes N (1983) A review of Norfolk Island birds past and present (Special Publication No. 8).