Nest sites and breeding estimates of the Black Noddy Anous minutuson Lady Elliot Island

The Black Noddy Anous minutus breeds on vegetated islands off the coast of Queensland, Australia, including Lady Elliot Island, the southern-most island in the Great Barrier Reef. An estimate of breeding pairs on Lady Elliot Island shows an increase on earlier estimates and approaches 30 000 pairs. Nests were found in ten species of tree/shrub. The highest density of nests (nests per tree) was in Pisonia grandis (45.2), followed by Ficus opposita and then Heliotropium foertherianum with the lowest in Cocos nucifera (5.9). More nests occurred in protected trees and shrubs than exposed. There was no relationship between the heights of plants and the height of nests. Nests were closest together in H. foertherianum but distances between nests varied with the habit of the tree/shrub.