Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775:reg:18:p93
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 18 (pt 93/152)
Character Range: 296499–299499

profiles

Conservation Concerns and Actions
Invasive species have caused declines in Common Noddy population throughout its range. Egg and chick harvesting have occurred in certain parts of the range but is not considered a threat in Australia. Human disturbance at breeding locations is thought to displace some birds. At present there are no factors thought to pose a genuine threat to this species. It is possible that, in the future, the effects of climate change could have an adverse impact on food sources and breeding habitat.

Recommended Management Actions
      Quantify the breeding population in Australia

      Regularly monitor breeding populations at index locations

      Determine non-breeding areas and migration routes

      Measure contaminant levels in all relevant life stages

    Quantify and manage the potential impacts of fisheries interactions and human disturbance

      Control, or eradicate invasive species on breeding islands

    Implement best practice quarantine measures at breeding colonies to reduce the risk of any invasive species (re)establishing on islands

128 Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds
Species profiles

Black Noddy (Anous minutus)

Life History and Distribution
The Black Noddy (Anous minutus) is a medium sized slender sooty-black noddy with a long straight slender bill, long narrow wings and shallow forked tail. The Black Noddy has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical seas, with colonies widespread in the western and central Pacific Ocean and more scattered across the Caribbean, central Atlantic and in the northeast Indian Ocean (del Hoyo et al. 1996). This species inhabits tropical and subtropical islands. Its breeding season varies depending upon locality, with variable colony sizes and nest sites (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It feeds on small fish and squid, with prey species and proportion of each depending on locality. It often feeds by hover-dipping and contact-dipping. Kleptoparasitism has been observed, and it will associate with other seabirds over schools of predatory fish.
Population Estimates and Trends
BirdLife International (2019) estimates the population at between 1,146,000–2,061,000 individuals. The global population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any decreases or substantial threats. In Australia the bulk of the population occurs in Queensland, with the Capricorina–Bunker Group containing approximately 97% of the Black Noddies on the Great Barrier Reef (Hulsman et al 1997). Dyer et al. (2005) estimated 302,000 active nests between 1997–2000 for nine of the 16 islands in the group. As of 2012, there were 20-year and 10-year data sets available for North East Cay (Herald Cays) and South West Cay (Herald Cays) in the Coral Sea Marine Park, respectively (Baker and Holsworth 2013). Over the 20-year period (1992-2012), the Black Noddy population declined at an annual rate of 3.8 per cent (Baker and Holsworth 2013).
Conservation Concerns