Nauru Tradition Lives on in Noddy Bird Oddity
The call of a noddy bird reverberates in the Nauru dusk.
Soon, what is in fact taped audio birdsong recorded by Nauru locals and piped through loudspeakers begins to have its desired effect.
Flocks of feathers descend from above, completely unaware of the trap that’s been set for them.
The noddy birds which have been lured from the skies are then very suddenly and unceremoniously ensnared in nets strategically positioned by Nauruans.
What comes next is a time-honoured ritual in which the bird is humanely dispatched and prepared for consumption.
First, the bird is de-feathered by the application of a blowtorch.
After that, it’s thrown on to a hot plate and seared at high heat.
Finally, its chicken-like meat is served up on a platter – heart, liver, kidneys and all.
Catching noddy birds dates back decades and is a time-honoured tradition in Nauru.
The ritual delivers a valuable source of protein, while supplementing the incomes of enterprising locals.
Importantly, the conservation status of the noddy is of least-concern.
The species is still plentiful in the wild and thus not a focus of wildlife conservation.
In fact, the species is widely distributed in places including the Pacific and Indian oceans and parts of Australia and the Caribbean.
Nesting in elevated situations on cliffs or in short trees or shrubs, and occasionally on the ground, Nauru is one of the places the noddy bird calls home.
According to New Zealand Birds online, both of the noddy bird’s scientific names - Anous and stolidus - refer to a notion that noddies are stupid because they are easily caught and are derived from the Greek and Latin words for stupid or foolish.
However uncharitable the description, the noddy bird nonetheless occupies a unique position in Nauru’s cultural identity.
It also plays a small but significant role in the island’s cuisine, given Nauru’s scarcity of local food and agricultural producing options.
The noddy bird is also an enduring source of fascination for visitors to Nauru, who often relish the chance to accompany their hunters on dusk expeditions.
It’s a spectacle few get to witness, but none who do forget.