The noio koha (brown noddy) is a tropical seabird closely related to noio (black noddy) from which it can be distinguished by its brown plumage and larger size. Both sexes are dark brown with a white caped head. Brown noddy forage over the open ocean but do not plunge and dive like other tern species. Nesting occurs in colonies in shrubs high up on cliff edges and sometime on the ground on small islands.