“Adult in winter plumage.—Differs only in having less black in front of the eye and on the nape.
“Immature.—Similar to the above, but there is a brownish tinge to the black on the nape; wing-coverts ash-gray; a dark line along the carpal joint; webs of the four outer primaries on both sides of the white shafts dark ash-gray (outermost black), outer webs of the tail-streamers also ash-colored.
“Young.—Forehead and crown buffish white, with black streaks which become confluent on nape; feathers of mantle and tail gray, barred with ash-brown and tipped with buff; primaries with a good deal of gray, which throws into strong relief their broad, white, inner margins. Bill ocher-yellow, horn-colored near the tip; toes yellowish brown.
“Nestling.—Above pale buff, spotted and streaked with black and umber-brown; beneath dull drab.” (Saunders.)
Genus ANOUS Stephens, 1826.
This genus is distinguished by its brown plumage and graduated tail-feathers.
85. ANOUS STOLIDUS (Linnæus).
NODDY TERN.
- Sterna stolida Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 137.
- Anous stolidus Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 136; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 325, fig. 73; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 137; Oates, Cat. Birds’ Eggs (1901), 1, 197; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.
Cagayan Sulu (McGregor); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, McGregor). Tropical and juxtatropical seas of the world.