Journal of Threatened
Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 March 2025 | 17(3): 26747–26749
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online)
| ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9578.17.3.26747-26749
#9578 | Received 24
December 2024 | Final received 12 February 2025 | Finally accepted 17 March
2025
First confirmed
breeding of Brown Noddy Anous
stolidus in southeastern India: a new record from
Adam’s Bridge
H. Byju 1 , H. Maitreyi 2 ,
N. Raveendran 3 & D.A.
Marshal 4
1,2 Centre of Advanced
Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai,
Tamil Nadu 608502, India.
3 Iragukal Amritha Nature Trust,
61, Ramachandra Thadaga Street, Thirumangalam,
Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625706, India.
4 Wildlife Division,
Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, Ramanathapuram,
Tamil Nadu 623503, India.
1 byjuhi@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 maithgd@gmail.com, 3 iant.ravee@gmail.com,
4 dominicmarshal007@gmail.com
Editor: Anil Kumar, Zoological Survey of India,
Patna, India. Date of publication: 26 March 2025
(online & print)
Citation: Byju, H., H. Maitreyi,
N. Raveendran & D.A. Marshal (2025).
First confirmed breeding of Brown Noddy Anous stolidus in southeastern India: a new record from Adam’s Bridge. Journal of Threatened Taxa 17(3): 26747–26749. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9578.17.3.26747-26749
Copyright: © Byju et al. 2025. Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows
unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium
by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: None.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: We sincerely thank the range forest officer, Mahendran, the Mandapam forest staff, and the boat drivers for their dedication and support despite local risks and security challenges. Special thanks to wildlife warden Mr. Jagdish Bakan, IFS, for his continuous guidance in conservation and avian biodiversity documentation, and to the coast guard officials for their assistance during our surveys.
The genus Anous, belonging to the family Laridae,
includes three noddy species—Brown Noddy Anous stolidus, Black Noddy Anous minutus, and
Lesser Noddy Anous
tenuirostris—which form a significant group of
tropical and subtropical seabirds worldwide (Mondreti
et al. 2013). Among these, Brown and Lesser Noddies
are breeding residents in the Indian Ocean (Gochfeld
& Burger 1996; Rasmussen & Anderton 2012). Brown Noddy,
the largest one of the three species, is categorized as ‘Least Concern’ by the
IUCN Red List due to its widespread distribution and stable global population.
It exhibits darker chocolate-brown plumage and contrasting pale forehead &
crown, black lores that contrast with its pale grey
forehead, and a relatively shorter bill which make the Brown Noddy easily identifiable (Harrison 1985; Gochfeld & Burger 1996; Rasmussen & Anderton 2012).
Brown Noddies were previously considered as rare visitors to Sri
Lanka (De Silva 1979; Rasmussen & Anderton 2012; Warakagoda
et al. 2012). However, recent studies have established them as breeding
residents (Seneviratne et al. 2015). In India, their
closest known breeding colonies are found on Cherbaniani
and Pitti islands of Lakshadweep (Pande
et al. 2007), as well as in the Maldives, the nearest country (Rasmussen &
Anderton 2012). We documented the first confirmed nesting of the Brown Noddy along the southeastern coast of India, near
Rameswaram Island.
Adam’s Bridge, or Ram
Setu, is a chain of sandbanks linking Rameswaram
Island, Tamil Nadu, India, to Sri Lanka, within the Gulf of Mannar
Marine Biosphere Reserve. Recent studies have recorded rare migratory birds
such as Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus (Byju &
Raveendran 2022a) and vagrants like Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria
palpebrata (Byju &
Raveendran 2022b). The sandbars (I–VII) remain largely undisturbed by human
activity due to restricted access. Breeding behaviour
of Brown Noddy was observed on sandbank VII (9.116°
N, 79.5109° E) (Image 1), located about 8 km south-east of Arichalmunai
point, Rameswaram. This sandbar spans approximately 2.5 km in length and up to
1.5 km at its widest point.
During observations
on Sandbar VII in early July 2024, 18–21 Brown Noddies
were recorded roosting on vegetation like Ipomea
pescaprae and Sesuvium
sp. (Image 2). Courtship behaviour like low-flight
displays and aerial chases with no conclusive evidence of breeding were noted.
However, on 27 July, active breeding was confirmed, with individuals incubating
eggs (Image 3). Six nests were identified with individuals incubating eggs, and
some additional pairs were observed in courtship activities. The nests were
located on the sand-dune slopes covered with Ipomea
pescaprae and Sesuvium
sp. amidst small grasses, forming a loose cluster with inter-nest distances of
1–5 m. The nests co-occurred with a few Bridled Terns Onychoprion
anaethetus and thousands of Greater Crested Terns
Thalasseus bergii
breeding on the sandbar.
The nests of Brown Noddy were observed as shallow ground depressions created
by clearing debris. Across its broader distribution, the species is known to
nest on the ground, cliffs, trees, and shrubs (Gochfeld
& Burger 1996). Each nest contained a single egg (Image 4). The eggs were
slightly elliptical, predominantly white, and marked with blotches in various
shades of brown. We found few adults incubating the eggs.
This study presents
the first confirmed record of Brown Noddy breeding
from the southeastern coast of India, apart from the record of Sri Lanka (Seneviratne et al. 2015) on the other side of Indian Mannar. Hence these sandbars connecting India and Sri Lanka
(Adam’s Bridge) requires high priority conservation measures as numerous
important pelagic birds are breeding in this region.
FOR IMAGES
- - CLICK HERE FOR FULL PDF
References
Byju, H. & N.
Raveendran (2022a). First record of Arctic Skua from Rameswaram
Island, the southeastern coast of India. Bird-o-saur
#180, Zoo’s Print 37(9): 39–40.
Byju, H. & N.
Raveendran (2022b). First Asian record of Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata
(Foster, 1785) from Rameswaram Island, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 14(7): 21473–21475. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7992.14.7.21473-21475
De Silva, R.I. (1979). A new addition to
the seabirds of Sri Lanka. Loris 15: 28–29.
Gochfeld, M. & J. Burger (1996).
Family Sternidae (terns), pp. 624–667. In: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott & J. Sargatal
(eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World, 3. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, 821 pp.
Harrison, P. (1985). Seabirds: An
Identification Guide. Christopher Helm, London, 448 pp.
Mondreti, R., P. Davidar, C. Peron & D. Gremillet
(2013). Seabirds in the Bay of Bengal large marine ecosystem: Current Knowledge
and research objectives. Open Journal of Ecology 3(2): 172–184. https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2013.32021
Pande, S., N.R. Sant, S.D.
Ranade, S.N. Pednekar, P.G. Mestry,
S.S. Kharat & V. Deshmukh (2007). An ornithological expedition
to the Lakshadweep archipelago: assessment of threats to pelagic and other
birds and recommendations. Indian Birds 3(1): 2–12
Rasmussen, P.C. & J.C. Anderton (2012). Birds of South
Asia: the Ripley guide. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution, Michigan
State University & Lynx Edicions, Washington DC,
Michigan & Barcelona, 683 pp.
Seneviratne, S.S., V. Weeratunga, T. Jayaratne & D.
Weerakoon (2015). Brown Noddy Anous stolidus: first breeding record in Sri Lanka. Birding Asia 23: 55–63
Warakagoda, D., C. Inskipp, T. Inskipp & R. Grimmett (2012). Birds of Sri Lanka. Christopher Helm,
London, 224 pp.