Brown Noddy

Brown Noddies, named for their nodding and bowing courtship behaviour, are annual visitors to Cousine Island. Breeding takes place between May and September on the Island, where adults choose to nest in coconut palms or on the ground.

Outside of these months, this species is largely pelagic and rarely seen close to land. The Brown Noddy is a surface feeder of small fish and is known to take advantage of larger predatory fish chasing smaller fish to the surface. There are just under 3000 breeding pairs on Cousine Island. Chicks are usually dark in colour but there are a small percentage that are white when they hatch. These chicks undergo a colour change to brown as they develop.