Grey noddy
Anous albivitta
A small pale seabird hovering above the swell near its island cliffs. Grey noddies keep their own hours, and no sighting is ever a promise.
Least Concern (IUCN, listing checked October 2026) means it is not close to being threatened at present. I could not open the IUCN page for the assessment year.
Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.
Length
About 28 to 31 cm (11 to 12 in); wingspan about 46 to 60 cm (18 to 24 in)
Weight
About 75 g (2.6 oz), as given in one general source
Next to a person
About as long as an adult forearm, and lighter than a small apple
What it eats
Plankton and small fish, picked from the water surface while hovering and dropping down. They feed in shallow water not far from their colonies, sometimes in flocks of thousands.
Around people
Quiet, watch from afar
How it lives
Grey noddies nest in colonies on rocky islands. They lay a single egg, which both parents incubate for about 32 days. The chick leaves the nest after about 35 days. I did not find a lifespan figure.
Where it goes
They feed close to their breeding colonies rather than ranging far. Three subspecies live on island groups across the south Pacific, including Norfolk Island, the Kermadec Islands, Easter Island and islands off Chile.
We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.
Populations
The sources I read give no global count. Phillip Island, south of Norfolk Island, is an Important Bird Area and holds over 1 percent of the world population. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. The bird was moved from the genus Procelsterna to Anous after a molecular study in 2016, so older books use another name.
Meet it respectfully
Watch from a boat or viewpoint and keep well back from nesting cliffs and ledges. Never approach, touch or flush birds from nests, and never feed them. Phillip Island is part of Norfolk Island National Park. I did not read visitor rules for the island, so follow park rules and your guide.
Fun fact
Tap the bulb to light it up.
Its plumage is pale grey, almost white on the head and underparts, with a white patch behind the eye.
Feeding flocks can hold thousands of birds.
Phillip Island, part of Norfolk Island National Park, has 12 seabird species breeding on it.
Grey noddy in the Ocean Atlas
Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.
Travel with usComing soonTrusted referralExploringOn pause, story onlyEthics pass
Country colour: pink where we travel, blue where we are exploring or refer, grey for story only.
Australia
Chile
New Zealand
Norfolk Island
Pitcairn IslandsSources for this page
- Wikipedia, Grey noddy, 2026
- Wikipedia, Phillip Island (Norfolk Island), 2026
- IUCN Red List category via GBIF, 2026
- Norfolk Island National Park, Nature, 2026
Facts checked 5 October 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.
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