List of birds of Tuvalu

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Tuvalu. The avifauna of Tuvalu include a total of 34 species, of which one has been introduced by humans and twelve are rare or accidental. Two species are globally threatened. Surveys have established thirteen breeding species, including nine species of seabirds.^[1]

The migrant species that have been confirmed in Tuvalu include nine species of seabirds, such as the black noddy (Anous minutes) or taketake (Tuvaluan); and eight species of shorebirds, including the globally threatened bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius tahitiensis).^[1]

Fualopa islet in the Funafuti Conservation Area hosts a breeding colony of black noddies (Anous minutes).^[2]

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Tuvalu.

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. Not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring native species.

• (A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Tuvalu
• (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Tuvalu as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions

Shearwaters and petrels

Order: Procellariiformes Family: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.

• Phoenix petrel, Pterodroma alba (A)
• Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus (A)
• Christmas shearwater, Puffinus nativitatis (A)
• Tropical shearwater, Puffinus bailloni (A)

Tropicbirds

Order: Phaethontiformes Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.

• Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda (A)
• White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus

Boobies and gannets

Order: Suliformes Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

• Masked booby, Sula dactylatra (A)
• Red-footed booby, Sula sula
• Brown booby, Sula leucogaster

Frigatebirds

Order: Suliformes Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable 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.

• Great frigatebird, Fregata minor
• Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel

Herons, egrets, and bitterns

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.

• Pacific reef-heron, Egretta sacra

Ducks, geese and swans

Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.

• Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (A)

Pheasants, grouse, and allies

Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.

• Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus (I)

Rails, gallinules, and coots

Order: Gruiformes Family: 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, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.

• Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis

Plovers and lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes Family: 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.

• Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva
• Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (A)
• Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus (A)

Sandpipers and allies

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is 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 these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

• Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica
• Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus (A)
• Bristle-thighed curlew, Numenius tahitiensis
• Grey-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes (A)
• Wandering tattler, Tringa incana
• Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres
• Sanderling, Calidris alba (A)

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds 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 known to live in excess of 30 years.

• Greater crested tern, Thalasseus bergii
• Black-naped tern, Sterna sumatrana
• Spectacled tern, Onychoprion lunatus (A)
• Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus
• Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus
• Black noddy, Anous minutus
• Brown noddy, Anous stolidus
• Blue noddy, Anous cerulea (A)
• White tern, Gygis alba

Pigeons and doves

Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

• Pacific imperial pigeon, Ducula pacifica

Cuckoos and anis

Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs.

• Long-tailed koel, Eudynamys taitensis

See also

• List of birds
• Lists of birds by region
• Funafuti Conservation Area

References

• Lepage, Denis. "Checklist of birds of Tuvalu". Bird Checklists of the World. Avibase. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
• Clements, James F. (2000). Birds of the World: a Checklist. Cornell University Press. p. 880. ISBN 0-934797-16-1.

• Watling, Dick, A Guide to the Birds of Fiji and Western Polynesia: Including American Samoa, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna, Environmental Consultants (Fiji) Ltd; 2nd edition (2003)