List of birds of the Pitcairn Islands

This is a list of the bird species recorded in the Pitcairn Islands. The avifauna of the Pitcairn Islands includes a total of 43 species, of which 5 are endemic.

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of Clements's 5th edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflects this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account.

The following tags have been used to highlight certain relevant categories. It must be noted that not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring, native species.

* (E) Endemic A species endemic to the Pitcairn Islands.

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Albatrosses

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae

The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds. There are 21 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Wandering Albatross "Diomedea exulans"
*Black-browed Albatross "Thalassarche melanophris"
*Buller's Albatross "Thalassarche bulleri"

hearwaters and Petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized 'true petrels', characterised by united nostrils with a medium septum, and a long outer functional primary. There are 75 species worldwide and 12 species which occur in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Antarctic Giant Petrel "Macronectes giganteus"
*Cape Petrel "Daption capense"
*Great-winged Petrel "Pterodroma macroptera"
*White-headed Petrel "Pterodroma lessonii"
*Phoenix Petrel "Pterodroma alba"
*Murphy's Petrel "Pterodroma ultima"
*Kermadec Petrel "Pterodroma neglecta"
*Herald Petrel "Pterodroma arminjoniana"
*Henderson Petrel "Pterodroma atrata"
*White-chinned Petrel "Procellaria aequinoctialis"
*Wedge-tailed Shearwater "Puffinus pacificus"
*Christmas Shearwater "Puffinus nativitatis"

torm-Petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae

The storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels, and are the smallest of sea-birds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. There are 21 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in the Pitcairn Islands.

*White-faced Storm-Petrel "Pelagodroma marina"

Tropicbirds

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings. There are 3 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Red-tailed Tropicbird "Phaethon rubricauda"
*White-tailed Tropicbird "Phaethon lepturus"

Boobies and Gannets

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups comprise medium-to-large coastal sea-birds that plunge-dive for fish. There are 9 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Masked Booby "Sula dactylatra"
*Red-footed Booby "Sula sula"
*Brown Booby "Sula leucogaster"

Frigatebirds

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large sea-birds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply-forked tails. The males have inflatable coloured throat pouches. They do not swim or walk, and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week. There are 5 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Great Frigatebird "Fregata minor"
*Lesser Frigatebird "Fregata ariel"

Bitterns, Herons and Egrets

Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large sized wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Unlike other long-necked birds suck as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted. There are 61 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Pacific Reef-Heron "Egretta sacra"

Rails, Crakes, Gallinules, and Coots

Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers. There are 143 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Spotless Crake "Porzana tabuensis"
*Henderson Island Crake "Porzana atra" (E)

Plovers and Lapwings

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions. There are 66 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Pacific Golden-Plover "Pluvialis fulva"

andpipers and allies

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae

The Scolopacidae are a large diverse family of small to medium sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are 89 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Bristle-thighed Curlew "Numenius tahitiensis"
*Wandering Tattler "Heterosceles incanus"
*Sanderling "Calidris alba"

Gulls

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large birds seabirds and includes gulls and kittiwakes. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. There are 55 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Laughing Gull "Larus atricilla"

Terns

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Sternidae

Terns are a group of generally general medium to large sea-birds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species now known to live in excess of 25 to 30 years. There are 44 species worldwide and 7 species which occur in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Gray-backed Tern "Sterna lunata"
*Sooty Tern "Sterna fuscata"
*Black Noddy "Anous minutus"
*Brown Noddy "Anous stolidus"
*Blue Noddy "Procelsterna cerulea"
*Gray Noddy "Procelsterna albivitta"
*White Tern "Gygis alba"

Pigeons and Doves

Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. There are 308 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Henderson Island Fruit-Dove "Ptilinopus insularis" (E)

Parrots, Macaws and allies

Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittacidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak shape. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and the have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two back. There are 335 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Stephen's Lorikeet "Vini stepheni" (E)

Cuckoos and Anis

Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Unlike the cuckoo species of the Old World, North American cuckoos are not brood parasites. There are 138 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Long-tailed Koel "Eudynamys taitensis"

Old World warblers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. The Sylviidae mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. There are 291 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in the Pitcairn Islands.

*Pitcairn Reed-Warbler "Acrocephalus vaughani" (E)
*Henderson Island Reed-Warbler "Acrocephalus taiti" (E)

ee also

*List of birds
*Lists of birds by region

References

*cite web
last = Lepage
first = Denis
authorlink =
coauthors =
year =
url = http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/avibase.jsp?region=pn&pg=checklist&list=clements
title = Checklist of birds of the Pitcairn Islands
format =
work = Bird Checklists of the World
publisher = Avibase
accessdate = 28 April
accessyear = 2007
*cite book
title=Birds of the World: a Checklist
first= James F.
last = Clements
publisher = Cornell University Press
date = 2000
id = ISBN 0934797161
pages = 880