Brown Noddy / Fåhang dankolo
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Brown Noddy / Fåhang dankolo
Anous stolidus
Native Seabird
The Brown Noddy, known in Chamoru as "fåhang", is a popular bird with Guam's fishermen. These brown seabirds follow schools of small fish and squid that big fish such as yellowfin tuna and måhimåhi also chase. By following the fåhang, fishermen can locate schools of big fish to catch. Unlike some seabirds, fåhang do not dive for fish, but skim along the surface of the water and snap up their prey in flight.
These able-bodied fliers nest mostly at Orote Point, buoys in Apra Harbor, and small islets along Guam's southwest and northeast coasts. Sometimes you can see fåhang perched on the reef or on floating logs. When they want a bath, they dip their head and chest into the water. Like other seabirds, they drink saltwater. They have a special salt gland that gets rid of the extra salt.
The name noddy comes from the male's habit of bobbing his head at a female when it is time to mate. The birds build their nests of sticks on limestone rocks, cliff faces, and in trees. The fåhang's brown color blends in perfectly with the rocky cliffs. The female lays one egg and sits on the egg while the male brings her food. Baby fahang are covered with grayish down and will often eat their weight in fish every day. Parents protect their young carefully and will even attack people who come too close to the nest.
Guam Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 9/27/2005
