Birds of Christmas Island
Encyclopedia
The Birds of Christmas Island
form a heterogeneous group of over 100 species. There is a core group of ten endemics that have evolved on the remote island in the eastern Indian Ocean
for thousands of years, attended by a suite of regular migrants, opportunists and occasional visitors. Some 200 km from the nearest land, Java
, Christmas Island was not occupied by humans until the late 19th century. It is now an Australia
n territory. The natural vegetation of most of the 140 km² island is rainforest
, to which the endemic landbirds are adapted, while the seabird
s have taken advantage of a breeding location which had no major natural predators.
After over a century of human exploitation of the phosphate
deposits covering much of the island, two thirds of the rainforest cover remains and is now protected as a national park
. However, gaps where the forest has been cleared, and the introduction of exotic fauna, continue to destabilise the island’s biological diversity. The endemic Abbott's Booby
is threatened when nesting by wind turbulence caused by past forest clearance. However, the biggest immediate threat is the introduction and spread of Yellow Crazy Ant
s, through both direct predation and ecosystem collapse. This has led to all the island’s endemic bird species and subspecies being classified as Critically Endangered
.
Meanwhile the number of species recorded from Christmas Island continues to increase as birders, especially from Australia, attracted by the island’s endemics, record a variety of vagrants hitherto unnoticed. Some of these may in time, as with the White-breasted Waterhen
, establish breeding populations. Christmas Island is now seen as a birding ‘hot spot’, not only for its endemics but also for the chance of recording new species for the Australian bird list, something reflected in the frequency of submissions of sightings to the Birds Australia
Rarities Committee.
Phasianidae
Procellariidae
Sulidae
Accipitridae
Falconidae
Rallidae
Scolopacidae
Charadriidae
Glareolidae
Motacillidae
Hirundinidae
Zosteropidae
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
form a heterogeneous group of over 100 species. There is a core group of ten endemics that have evolved on the remote island in the eastern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
for thousands of years, attended by a suite of regular migrants, opportunists and occasional visitors. Some 200 km from the nearest land, Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, Christmas Island was not occupied by humans until the late 19th century. It is now an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n territory. The natural vegetation of most of the 140 km² island is rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
, to which the endemic landbirds are adapted, while the seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s have taken advantage of a breeding location which had no major natural predators.
After over a century of human exploitation of the phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
deposits covering much of the island, two thirds of the rainforest cover remains and is now protected as a national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
. However, gaps where the forest has been cleared, and the introduction of exotic fauna, continue to destabilise the island’s biological diversity. The endemic Abbott's Booby
Abbott's Booby
Abbott’s Booby is a large endangered seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Found normally only on and around Christmas Island Abbott’s Booby (Papasula abbotti) is a large endangered seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Found normally only on and around Christmas Island Abbott’s Booby (Papasula...
is threatened when nesting by wind turbulence caused by past forest clearance. However, the biggest immediate threat is the introduction and spread of Yellow Crazy Ant
Yellow crazy ant
The yellow crazy ant is a species of ant, introduced accidentally to northern Australia and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, that has wreaked ecological damage in both locations....
s, through both direct predation and ecosystem collapse. This has led to all the island’s endemic bird species and subspecies being classified as Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....
.
Meanwhile the number of species recorded from Christmas Island continues to increase as birders, especially from Australia, attracted by the island’s endemics, record a variety of vagrants hitherto unnoticed. Some of these may in time, as with the White-breasted Waterhen
White-breasted Waterhen
The White-breasted Waterhen is a waterbird of the rail and crake family Rallidae that is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly...
, establish breeding populations. Christmas Island is now seen as a birding ‘hot spot’, not only for its endemics but also for the chance of recording new species for the Australian bird list, something reflected in the frequency of submissions of sightings to the Birds Australia
Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...
Rarities Committee.
PhasianidaePhasianidaeThe Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...
- Red JunglefowlRed JunglefowlThe Red Junglefowl is a tropical member of the Pheasant family. They are thought to be ancestors of the domestic chicken with some hybridisation with the Grey Junglefowl...
, Gallus gallus - introduced, hybridising with feral domestic fowl
ProcellariidaeProcellariidaeThe family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order Procellariiformes , which also includes the albatrosses, the storm-petrels, and the diving petrels.The procellariids are...
- Bulwer's PetrelBulwer's PetrelThe Bulwer's Petrel is a small petrel in the family Procellariidae, and is one of two species in the genus Bulweria . This bird is named after the Scottish naturalist James Bulwer.- Description :...
, Bulweria bulwerii - vagrant - Barau's PetrelBarau's PetrelBarau's Petrel, Pterodroma baraui is a medium sized gadfly petrel from the family Procellariidae. Its main breeding site is the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.-Etymology:...
, Pterodroma baraui - vagrant - Wedge-tailed ShearwaterWedge-tailed ShearwaterThe Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It is one of the shearwater species that is sometimes referred to as a Muttonbird, like the Sooty Shearwater of New Zealand and the Short-tailed Shearwater of Australia...
, Puffinus pacificus - vagrant
Phaethontidae
- White-tailed TropicbirdWhite-tailed TropicbirdThe White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus, is a tropicbird, smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It occurs in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans...
, Phaethon lepturus fulvus - endemic subspecies - Red-tailed TropicbirdRed-tailed TropicbirdThe Red-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, is a seabird that nests across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the rarest of the tropicbirds, yet is still a widespread bird that is not considered threatened. It nests in colonies on oceanic islands....
, Phaethon rubricauda - breeding
SulidaeSulidaeThe bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulidas, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. The ten species in this family are often considered congeneric in older sources, placing all in the genus Sula...
- Abbott's BoobyAbbott's BoobyAbbott’s Booby is a large endangered seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Found normally only on and around Christmas Island Abbott’s Booby (Papasula abbotti) is a large endangered seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Found normally only on and around Christmas Island Abbott’s Booby (Papasula...
, Papasula abbotti - endemic species - Brown BoobyBrown BoobyThe Brown Booby is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. The adult brown booby reaches about in length. Its head and upper body are covered in dark brown, with the remainder being a contrasting white. The juvenile form is gray-brown with darkening on the head, wings and tail...
, Sula leucogaster - breeding - Red-footed BoobyRed-footed BoobyThe Red-footed Booby, Sula sula, is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. As suggested by the name, adults always have red feet, but the colour of the plumage varies. They are powerful and agile fliers, but they are clumsy in takeoffs and landings...
, Sula sula - breeding
Phalacrocoracidae
- Great CormorantGreat CormorantThe Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds...
, Phalacrocorax carbo - vagrant - Little Black CormorantLittle Black CormorantThe Little Black Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout most areas of Australia and northern New Zealand. It is around sixty centimetres long, and is all black with blue-green eyes.-References: Database entry includes...
, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris - vagrant
Fregatidae
- Christmas Frigatebird, Fregata andrewsi - endemic species
- Lesser FrigatebirdLesser FrigatebirdThe Lesser Frigatebird, Fregata ariel, is a species of frigatebird.It nests in Australia, among other locations.There is a single record from the Western Palearctic, from Eilat in the Gulf of Aqaba....
, Fregata ariel - regular visitor - Great FrigatebirdGreat FrigatebirdThe Great Frigatebird is a large dispersive seabird in the frigatebird family. Major nesting populations are found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic....
, Fregata minor - breeding
Ardeidae
- Great EgretGreat EgretThe Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
, Ardea alba - vagrant - Cattle EgretCattle EgretThe Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret...
, Ardea ibis - vagrant - Intermediate EgretIntermediate EgretThe Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret is a medium-sized heron. It is a resident breeder from east Africa across tropical southern Asia to Australia. It often nests in colonies with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs...
, Ardea intermedia - vagrant - White-faced HeronWhite-faced HeronThe White-faced Heron, Egretta novaehollandiae, also known as the White-fronted Heron, and incorrectly as the Grey Heron, or Blue Crane, is a common bird throughout most of Australasia, including New Guinea, the islands of Torres Strait, Indonesia, New Zealand, the islands of the Subantarctic, and...
, Ardea novaehollandiae - breeding - Chinese Pond HeronChinese Pond HeronThe Chinese Pond Heron is an East Asian freshwater bird of the heron family .It is one of six species of birds known as "pond herons" . It is parapatric with the Indian Pond Heron to the west and the Javan Pond Heron The Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) is an East Asian freshwater bird of...
, Ardeola bacchus - vagrant - Javan Pond HeronJavan Pond HeronThe Javan Pond Heron, Ardeola speciosa is a wading bird of the heron family , found in shallow fresh and salt-water wetlands in Southeast Asia. Its diet comprises insects, fish, and crabs....
, Ardeola speciosa - vagrant - Striated HeronStriated HeronThe Striated Heron, Butorides striata, also known as Mangrove Heron, Little Heron or Green-backed Heron, is a small heron. Striated Herons are mostly non-migratory and noted for some interesting behavioral traits. Their breeding habitat is small wetlands in the Old World tropics from west Africa to...
, Butorides striatus - vagrant - Little EgretLittle EgretThe Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
, Egretta garzetta - vagrant - Eastern Reef EgretEastern Reef EgretThe Eastern Reef Heron , also known as the Pacific Reef Egret or Eastern Reef Egret, is a kind of heron. They are found in many areas of Asia including the oceanic region of India, Southeast Asia, Japan, Polynesia, and in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.Pacific Reef Herons are medium-sized...
, Egretta sacra - breeding - Malayan Night HeronMalayan Night HeronThe Malayan Night Heron also known as Malaysian Night Heron, is a medium-sized heron. It is distributed in south, east and southeast Asia, breeding in India, Taiwan, China and the Philippines....
, Gorsachius melanolophus - vagrant - Japanese Night HeronJapanese Night HeronThe Japanese Night Heron, Gorsachius goisagi, is a species of night heron found in East Asia. It breeds in Japan, and winters in the Philippines and Indonesia. It is also seen in the spring and summer in Korea and the Russian Far East....
, Gorsachius goisagi - vagrant - Cinnamon BitternCinnamon BitternThe Cinnamon Bittern or Chestnut Bittern is a small bittern. It is of Old World origins, breeding in tropical Asia from Pakistan to Sri Lanka east to China and Indonesia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds migrate short distances.This is a small species at 38 cm length, with a...
, Ixobrychus cinnamomeus - vagrant - Schrenck's BitternSchrenck's BitternVon Schrenck's Bittern , also known as Schrenck's Bittern, is a small bittern. It breeds in China and Siberia from March to July, and Japan from May to August. It winters in Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Laos, passing through the rest of South-east Asia...
, Ixobrychus eurhythmus - vagrant - Black BitternBlack BitternThe Black Bittern, Ixobrychus flavicollis, is a bittern of Old World origin, breeding in tropical Asia from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka east to China, Indonesia and Australia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds migrate short distances....
, Ixobrychus flavicollis - vagrant - Yellow BitternYellow BitternThe Yellow Bittern is a small bittern. It is of Old World origins, breeding in much of the Indian Subcontinent, east to Japan and Indonesia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds migrate short distances...
, Ixobrychus sinensis - vagrant - Nankeen Night-Heron, Nycticorax caledonicus - vagrant
AccipitridaeAccipitridaeThe Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...
- Christmas Island GoshawkChristmas Island GoshawkThe Christmas Goshawk or Christmas Island Goshawk is a bird of prey in the goshawk and sparrowhawk family Accipitridae. It is a threatened endemic of Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean.-Taxonomy:The taxon was described in 1889 by Lister as a full species,...
, Accipiter natalis - endemic species - Chinese GoshawkChinese GoshawkThe Chinese Sparrowhawk is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. Also called Chinese goshawk....
, Accipiter soloensis - vagrant - Japanese SparrowhawkJapanese SparrowhawkThe Japanese Sparrowhawk is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers....
, Accipiter gularis - vagrant - White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Haliaeetus leucogaster - vagrant
- Oriental Honey BuzzardOriental Honey BuzzardThe Crested Honey Buzzard, Pernis ptilorhynchus, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers...
, Pernis ptilorhynchus - vagrant
FalconidaeFalconidaeThe falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae. The family is divided into two subfamiles, Polyborinae, which includes the caracaras and forest falcons, and Falconinae, the falcons, kestrels and falconets.-Description:Falcons and...
- Nankeen KestrelNankeen KestrelThe Australian Kestrel or Nankeen Kestrel is one of the smallest falcons, and unlike many, does not rely on speed to catch its prey. Instead, it simply perches in an exposed position, but it also has a distinctive technique of hovering over crop and grasslands...
, Falco cenchroides - breeding - Peregrine FalconPeregrine FalconThe Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, Falco peregrinus - vagrant - Northern Hobby, Falco subbuteo - vagrant
RallidaeRallidaeThe rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...
- White-breasted WaterhenWhite-breasted WaterhenThe White-breasted Waterhen is a waterbird of the rail and crake family Rallidae that is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly...
, Amaurornis phoenicurus - breeding - Eurasian CootEurasian CootThe Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, also known as Coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. The Australian subspecies is known as the Australian Coot.-Distribution:...
, Fulica atra - vagrant - WatercockWatercockThe Watercock Gallicrex cinerea is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae. It is the only member of the genus Gallicrex....
, Gallicrex cinerea - vagrant - Ruddy-breasted CrakeRuddy-breasted CrakeThe Ruddy-breasted Crake , or Ruddy Crake, is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae.Its breeding habitat is swamps and similar wet areas across south Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to south China, Japan and Indonesia. It has been recorded as a vagrant from the Australian...
, Porzana fusca - vagrant - Black-tailed Native-henBlack-tailed Native-henThe Black-tailed Nativehen, , is a rail native to Australia and New Zealand.-Description:The Black-tailed Nativehen is a large dark bird, reaching about 38 cm in length and weighing around 400g which is close to the weight of a soccer ball. This species possesses an erect tail and is endowed...
, Gallinula ventralis - vagrant
ScolopacidaeScolopacidaeThe sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil...
- Common SandpiperCommon SandpiperThe Common Sandpiper is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the Spotted Sandpiper , make up the genus Actitis. They are parapatric and replace each other geographically; stray birds of either species may settle down with breeders of the other and hybridize...
, Actitis hypoleucos - regular visitor - Ruddy TurnstoneRuddy TurnstoneThe Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae...
, Arenaria interpres - regular visitor - Sharp-tailed SandpiperSharp-tailed SandpiperThe Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Calidris acuminata is a small wader.- Taxonomy :More recently, a review of new data has indicated that this bird should perhaps better be placed into the genus Philomachus- as P...
, Calidris acuminata - vagrant - SanderlingSanderlingThe Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia...
, Calidris alba - regular visitor - Curlew SandpiperCurlew SandpiperThe Curlew Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia...
, Calidris ferruginea - vagrant - Red-necked StintRed-necked StintThe Red-necked Stint is a small migratory wader.- Description :These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific...
, Calidris ruficollis - regular visitor - Long-toed StintLong-toed StintThe Long-toed Stint, Calidris or Erolia subminuta, is a small wader bird. It breeds across northern Asia and is strongly migratory, wintering in south and south east Asia and Australasia...
, Calidris subminuta - vagrant - Great KnotGreat KnotThe Great Knot, Calidris tenuirostris, is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species.Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to...
, Calidris tenuirostris - vagrant - Pin-tailed Snipe, Gallinago stenura - vagrant
- Bar-tailed GodwitBar-tailed GodwitThe Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World...
, Limosa lapponica - vagrant - Little CurlewLittle CurlewThe Little Curlew, Numenius minutus, is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It is a very small curlew, which breeds in the far north of Siberia. It is closely related to the North American Eskimo Curlew....
, Numenius minutus - vagrant - WhimbrelWhimbrelThe Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the mostwidespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland....
, Numenius phaeopus - regular visitor - Grey-tailed TattlerGrey-tailed TattlerThe Grey-tailed Tattler, Tringa brevipes , is a small shorebird.- Description :...
, Tringa brevipes - vagrant - Wood SandpiperWood SandpiperThe Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola, is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :...
, Tringa glareola - regular visitor - Common Greenshank, Tringa nebularia - regular visitor
- Marsh SandpiperMarsh SandpiperThe Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis, is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to central Asia....
, Tringa stagnatilis - vagrant - Terek SandpiperTerek SandpiperThe Terek Sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus.- Description and systematics :...
, Xenus cinereus - vagrant - Common RedshankCommon RedshankThe Common Redshank or simply Redshank is an Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :...
, Tringa totanus - vagrant
CharadriidaeCharadriidaeThe bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all.- Morphology :They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings...
- Little Ringed PloverLittle Ringed PloverThe Little Ringed Plover is a small plover. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill...
, Charadrius dubius - vagrant - Greater Sand PloverGreater Sand PloverThe Greater Sand Plover, Charadrius leschenaultii, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The spelling is commonly given as "Greater sandplover", but the official British Ornithologists' Union spelling is "Greater sand plover"....
, Charadrius leschenaultii - regular visitor - Lesser Sand PloverLesser Sand PloverThe Lesser Sand Plover, Charadrius mongolus, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The spelling is commonly given as Lesser Sandplover, but the official British Ornithologists' Union spelling is Lesser Sand Plover....
, Charadrius mongolus - regular visitor - Oriental PloverOriental PloverThe Oriental Plover, Charadrius veredus, also known as the Oriental Dotterel, is a medium-sized Charadriine plover closely related to the Caspian Plover.- Description :...
, Charadrius veredus - vagrant - Pacific Golden PloverPacific Golden PloverThe Pacific Golden Plover is a medium-sized plover.The 23–26 cm long breeding adult is spotted gold and black on the crown, back and wings. Its face and neck are black with a white border and it has a black breast and a dark rump. The legs are black...
, Pluvialis fulva - regular visitor - Grey PloverGrey PloverThe Grey Plover , known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding....
, Pluvialis squatarola - vagrant - Masked LapwingMasked LapwingThe Masked Lapwing , previously known as the Masked Plover and often called the Spur-winged Plover or just Plover in its native range, is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia, particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent...
, Vanellus miles - vagrant
GlareolidaeGlareolidaeGlareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadri. It contains two distinct groups, the pratincoles and the coursers. The coursers include the atypical Egyptian Plover, Pluvianus aegyptius, which has sometimes been placed in its own family...
- Oriental PratincoleOriental PratincoleThe Oriental Pratincole , also known as the Grasshopper-Bird or Swallow-Plover is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae....
, Glareola maldivarum - vagrant - Australian PratincoleAustralian PratincoleThe Australian Pratincole is a species of bird in the Glareolidae family, found in Australia, Christmas Island, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea....
, Stiltia isabella - vagrant
Laridae
- Common Noddy, Anous stolidus - breeding
- Lesser NoddyLesser NoddyThe Lesser Noddy , also known as the Sooty Noddy, is a species of tern in the Sternidae family.It is found in Comoros, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa, and United Arab Emirates.- References :...
, Anous tenuirostris - vagrant - Whiskered TernWhiskered TernThe Whiskered Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in size and minor plumage details....
, Chlidonias hybridus - vagrant - White TernWhite TernThe White Tern is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world. It is sometimes known as the Fairy Tern although this name is potentially confusing as it is the common name of the Fairy Tern Sternula nereis...
, Gygis alba - vagrant - Mew GullCommon GullThe Common Gull or Mew Gull Larus canus is a medium-sized gull which breeds in northern Asia, northern Europe and northwestern North America. It migrates further south in winter...
, Larus canus - vagrant - Arctic Jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus - vagrant
- Crested Tern, Sterna bergii - vagrant
- Sooty TernSooty TernThe Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus , is a seabird of the tern family . It is a bird of the tropical oceans, breeding on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake...
, Sterna fuscata - vagrant
Columbidae
- Christmas Island Emerald DoveChristmas Island Emerald DoveThe Christmas Island Emerald Dove , also known as the Christmas Island Green-winged Pigeon, is a bird in the pigeon family Columbidae...
, Chalcophaps indica natalis - endemic subspecies - Pied Imperial-PigeonPied Imperial-PigeonThe Pied Imperial Pigeon is a relatively large, pied species of pigeon. It is found in forest, woodland, mangrove, plantations and scrub in Southeast Asia, ranging from Myanmar and Thailand south to Java and east to the Philippines and the Bird's Head Peninsula in New Guinea. It is mainly found on...
, Ducula bicolor - vagrant - Christmas Island Imperial-PigeonChristmas Island Imperial-pigeonThe Christmas Imperial Pigeon, , is a large pigeon, mainly dark grey in colour with an iridescent sheen.-Distribution and habitat:...
, Ducula whartoni - endemic species - Red Turtle DoveRed Turtle DoveThe Red Turtle Dove , also known as the Red Collared Dove, is a small pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in the tropics in the Indian subcontinent.-Habitat, distribution and status:...
, Streptopelia tranquebarica - vagrant
Cuculidae
- Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo, Chrysococcyx basalis - vagrant
- Pallid CuckooPallid CuckooThe Pallid Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Australia, Christmas Island, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea....
, Cuculus pallidus - vagrant - Oriental CuckooOriental CuckooThe Himalayan Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the genus Cuculus. It breeds from the Himalayas eastward to southern China and Taiwan. It migrates to southeast Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands for the winter....
, Cuculus saturatus - vagrant - Asian KoelAsian KoelThe Asian Koel is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. It is found in South Asia, China, and Southeast Asia. It forms a superspecies with the closely related Black-billed and Pacific Koels which are sometimes treated as subspecies...
, Eudynamys scolopacea - vagrant - Large Hawk-cuckooLarge Hawk-cuckooThe Large Hawk-Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.They call in summer and the goes on well after dusk....
, Hierococcyx sparverioides - vagrant
Apodidae
- Fork-tailed SwiftFork-tailed SwiftFork-tailed Swift is the historic name of a kind of bird which has since been divided taxonomically into four species. It could refer to any of four different species of swifts:*Pacific Swift, Apus pacificus*Salim Ali's Swift, Apus salimali...
, Apus pacificus - vagrant - House SwiftHouse SwiftThe House Swift is a species of swift in the Apodidae family.It is found in Nepal, and Southeast Asia. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Little Swift.-References:...
, Apus affinis - vagrant - Needletail, HirundapusHirundapusHirundapus is a genus of swift in the Apodidae family.It contains the following species:* White-throated Needletail * Purple Needletail * Silver-backed Needletail...
sp. - vagrant - Christmas Island SwiftletChristmas Island SwiftletThe Christmas Island Swiftlet , also known as the Christmas Island Glossy Swiftlet or the Christmas Island Cave Swiftlet, is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean.-Taxonomy:The taxon was described in 1889...
, Collocalia linchi natalis - endemic subspecies
Halcyonidae
- Collared KingfisherCollared KingfisherThe Collared Kingfisher is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the family Halcyonidae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the White-collared Kingfisher or Mangrove Kingfisher. It has a wide range extending from the Red Sea across southern Asia and Australasia to Polynesia...
, Todiramphus chloris - vagrant - Sacred KingfisherSacred KingfisherThe Sacred Kingfisher is primarily a woodland kingfisher that occurs in mangroves, woodlands, forests, and river valleys of Australia, Lord Howe Is., Norfolk Is., New Guinea, N...
, Todiramphus sanctus - vagrant
Laniidae
- Brown ShrikeBrown ShrikeThe Brown Shrike is a bird in the shrike family that is found mainly in Asia. It is closely related to the Red-backed Shrike and Isabelline Shrike . Like most other shrikes, it has a distinctive black "bandit-mask" through the eye...
, Lanius cristatus - vagrant - Tiger ShrikeTiger ShrikeThe Tiger Shrike or Thick-billed Shrike is a small passerine bird which belongs to the genus Lanius in the shrike family, Laniidae. It is found in wooded habitats across eastern Asia. It is a shy, often solitary bird which is less conspicuous than most other shrikes. Like other shrikes it is...
, Lanius tigrinus - vagrant
MotacillidaeMotacillidaeThe Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera and they include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and...
- White WagtailWhite Wagtail"Pied Wagtail" redirects here. For the related African bird, see African Pied Wagtail.The White Wagtail is a small passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. This species breeds in much of Europe and Asia and parts of north Africa...
, Motacilla alba - vagrant - Grey WagtailGrey WagtailThe Grey Wagtail is a small member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae. The species looks similar to the Yellow Wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted to the throat and vent. Breeding males have a black throat...
, Motacilla cinerea - regular visitor - Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava - vagrant
- Citrine WagtailCitrine WagtailThe Citrine Wagtail or Yellow-headed Wagtail is a small songbird in the family Motacillidae. The term citrine refers to its yellowish colouration. Its systematics, phylogeny and taxonomy are subject of considerable debate in the early 21st century. This is because this bird forms a cryptic...
, Motacilla citreola - vagrant
Passeridae
- Java SparrowJava SparrowThe Java Sparrow, Padda oryzivora also known as Java Finch, Java Rice Sparrow or Java Rice Bird is a small passerine bird. This estrildid finch is a resident breeding bird in Java, Bali and Bawean in Indonesia. It is a popular cagebird, and has been introduced in a large number of other...
, Padda oryzivora - introduced, breeding - Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus - breeding
HirundinidaeSwallowThe swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
- Asian House MartinAsian House MartinThe Asian House Martin is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family Hirundinidae. It has mainly blue-black upperparts, other than its white rump, and has pale grey underparts. Its three subspecies breed in the Himalayas and in central and eastern Asia, and spend the winter lower in the...
, Delichon dasypus - vagrant - Red-rumped SwallowRed-rumped SwallowThe Red-rumped Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in open hilly country of temperate southern Europe and Asia from Portugal and Spain to Japan, India and tropical Africa. The Indian and African birds are resident, but European and other Asian birds are migratory...
, Hirundo daurica - vagrant - Tree MartinTree MartinThe Tree Martin is a member of the swallow family of passerine birds. It breeds in Australia, mostly south of latitude 20°S, and in Timor. It is migratory wintering through most of Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia east of the Wallace Line and the Solomon Islands. It is a vagrant to New Zealand,...
, Hirundo nigricans - vagrant - Barn SwallowBarn SwallowThe Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
, Hirundo rustica - regular visitor
ZosteropidaeWhite-eyeWhite-eye can refer to:*White-eye , a large family of birds.*White-eye , a species of fish.*White-eye mutation, a mutation in Drosophila melanogaster linked to the X chromosome, found by reciprocal cross breeding experiments in 1906.*A lioness member of the Marsh Pride of lions that have featured...
- Christmas Island White-eyeChristmas Island White-eyeThe Christmas White-eye is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is endemic to Christmas Island. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife International...
, Zosterops natalis - endemic species
Muscicapidae
- Blue-and-white FlycatcherBlue-and-White FlycatcherThe Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Cyanoptila cyanomelana is a migratory songbird. It breeds in Japan, Korea, and in parts of China and Russia. It winters in South East Asia, especially in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra and Borneo.-References:...
, Cyanoptila cyanomelana - vagrant - Christmas Island ThrushChristmas Island ThrushThe Christmas Island Thrush , ia a subspecies of the Island Thrush . It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.-Description:...
, Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus - endemic subspecies
Sources
- Birding-Aus Mailing List Archives
- Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC) decisions and case summaries
- Birds WA sightings
- Carter, Mike. (1994). Birds of Australia’s Christmas Island. WingspanWingspan (magazine)Wingspan is the quarterly membership magazine of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union . It was first issued in 1991, replacing the RAOU Newsletter. The current Editor is Sean Dooley....
13: 18-21. - Garnett, Stephen T.; & Crowley, Gabriel M. (2000). The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000. Environment Australia: Canberra. ISBN 0-642-54683-5
- Reville, Barry J. (1993). A Visitor’s Guide to the Birds of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Christmas Island Natural History Association: Christmas Island. ISBN 0-9591210-4-8
- Stattersfield, Alison J.; Crosby, Michael J.; Long, Adrian J.; & Wege, David C. (1998). Endemic Bird Areas of the World. Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. BirdLife International: Cambridge. ISBN 0-946888-33-7