The blue noddy or hinaokū or manuohina is a seabird in the family Laridae. It is also known as the blue-grey noddy.
Region
Tropical Pacific Ocean
Typical Environment
Found widely across tropical Pacific archipelagos, including remote atolls and oceanic islands. It breeds on coral cays, limestone cliffs, and vegetated islets, typically close to productive nearshore waters. At sea it ranges over pelagic waters but often forages near reef edges and current lines. Colonies are usually established on predator-free islands with suitable ledges or shrubs for nesting.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the blue-grey noddy and known locally in Hawai‘i as hinaokū or manuohina, this small tern-like seabird spends most of its life over warm ocean waters. It nests colonially on remote oceanic islands and atolls, often on cliffs or low vegetation. Blue noddies feed by deftly picking prey from the sea surface and are highly sensitive to introduced predators on breeding islands.
Temperament
social and colonial
Flight Pattern
buoyant with quick, shallow wingbeats and agile glides
Social Behavior
Breeds in dense colonies on isolated islands, often reusing traditional sites. Pairs are largely monogamous, laying a single egg on a ledge, branch, or simple platform. Both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties, showing strong nest-site fidelity.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
At colonies it gives soft chattering trills and nasal, squeaky calls used in pair and neighbor interactions. Vocalizations intensify during courtship and when birds are arriving or departing the colony.
