Terns (Sternidae)
Blue Noddy (Procelsterna cerulea) - HBW 3, p. 666
French: Noddi bleu
German: Blaunoddi
Spanish: Tiñosa Azulada
Other common names: Blue Ternlet; Blue-grey Noddy/Ternlet (superspecies)
Taxonomy: Sterna Cerulea F. D. Bennett, 1840, Kiritimati (Christmas) Island, Pacific Ocean.
Forms superspecies with P. albivitta, with which often considered conspecific, but significant differences in size, coloration and geographical range; the two are sometimes incorrectly treated as pale and dark morphs of same species; some authors have claimed that races skottsbergii and imitatrix of P.albivitta belong to present species, but specimen evidence refutes this. Internal taxonomy confused at present, with much overlap of forms, e.g. birds from Society Is significantly darker than those from Tuamotu Is, and might not be referable to same race; validity of.. View all taxonomy...
Forms superspecies with P. albivitta, with which often considered conspecific, but significant differences in size, coloration and geographical range; the two are sometimes incorrectly treated as pale and dark morphs of same species; some authors have claimed that races skottsbergii and imitatrix of P.albivitta belong to present species, but specimen evidence refutes this. Internal taxonomy confused at present, with much overlap of forms, e.g. birds from Society Is significantly darker than those from Tuamotu Is, and might not be referable to same race; validity of races and their distributions require careful systematic revision based on known breeding specimens, but these are lacking from various parts of its range. Emendation of species name to caerulea is unjustified. Five subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- saxatilis W. K. Fisher, 1903 - Marcus I and N Marshall Is E to NW Hawaiian Is.
- nebouxi Mathews, 1912 - Tuvalu (Ellice Is) E to Phoenix Is and S to Fiji and Western Samoa.
- cerulea (F. D. Bennett, 1840) - Kiritimati (Christmas) I in Line Is, and also Marquesas Is.
- saxatilis W. K. Fisher, 1903 - Marcus I and N Marshall Is E to NW Hawaiian Is.
- nebouxi Mathews, 1912 - Tuvalu (Ellice Is) E to Phoenix Is and S to Fiji and Western Samoa.
- cerulea (F. D. Bennett, 1840) - Kiritimati (Christmas) I in Line Is, and also Marquesas Is.
- teretirostris (Lafresnaye, 1841) - Tuamotu Is, and probably this race likewise in Cook, Austral and Society Is.
- murphyi Mougin & de Naurois, 1981 - Gambier Is.
- Least Concern
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