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Posted by Jacob Socolar on 10:15:44 05/27/12
Hello all,
I enjoyed a wonderful trip to S. Florida over the last few days, including a day-trip to the Tortugas on the 24th. We saw nothing unexpected on the Tortugas, but thoroughly enjoyed the regular birds there!
I had a rather odd (to me) "false alarm" Black Noddy that provided quite a disappointment, and I think it could be helpful to share the experience. I'm sure the locals won't learn anything new from this post, but I suspect an out-of-towner like me could benefit significantly.
I preface these remarks (which might make me come across as a bit silly) by saying that I am an experienced, lifelong birder using high-quality optics, and I pointed out the supposed Black Noddy to another very fine birder (I didn't get his name) who was also fooled. This is an identification pitfall that can fool very good birders.
At some point in the afternoon, scoping from the top of the fort, I picked out a candidate Black Noddy, sitting on the ground, facing directly towards us near the Island Closed sign. The first thing I had learned as a noddy-watcher is that the heads of Brown Noddies look significantly different (more like the crisp caps of Black Noddies) when the bird faces directly towards you. Still, this bird seemed extreme, and indeed, when the bird looked down to peck at something near its feet, it was clear that the white cap extended back along the top of the head and ended at the nape with a nice crisp border. Later the bird turned its head sideways, and the lower border of the white cap extended, brilliant and crisp, back along the head well behind the eye. The bird was significantly smaller than a nearby Brown Noddy, and we had ourselves a Black Noddy.
Two points didn't sit perfectly: first the bird seemed almost too small, but as the belly of the bird was partly obscured by grasses, I figured this was a result of a little depression or pot-hole. Second, the bird was not quite as dark as expected, but the harsh light washed out so much color on all birds that I didn't think much of it.
Fast forward a half hour, and I looked at the same bird again, which had now turned sideways, allowing a profile view of its body. The bird was a mostly-grown chick Brown Noddy. Unbeknownst to me, chicks of Brown Noddy show bright white caps, which are then lost in the first prebasic molt (and not illustrated in Sibley or Nat Geo). Of course they are smaller than adults, and perhaps a shade darker.
I alerted the other birder to my mistake, and we were both stunned.
I do not doubt any Black Noddy sighting in particular, and I certainly don't doubt the recent sightings by experienced observers! Still, I feel virtually certain that some inexperienced observers (talented birders without previous Noddy experience) have transformed a chick Brown Noddy to their lifer Black Noddy on the Tortugas. I was very nearly one of them!
Other reports of potential interest:
Antillean Nighthawk displaying over Sugarloaf Key
1 Snail Kite across from the Shark Valley Entrance to the Everglades; 2 Snail Kites from the Anhinga Trail
1 Short-tailed Hawk (dark morph) from the eastern part of the Loop Road (along the Tamiami Trail).
Negative report on the Old Griffin Rd Smooth-billed Ani (5/25)
Negative report on the Shiny Cowbirds at Flamingo--no cowbird flock at all! (5/23)
Good birding; I'll be back someday for the Black Noddy!
Jacob Socolar
Princeton NJ
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