List of birds of Fiji
The avifauna of Fiji is the richest in West Polynesia. Numerous families reach the farthest east of their range, and the island is home to several endemic species and genera, as well as sharing several more endemics with its close neighbours Tonga and Samoa.
The birds of Fiji have been heavily impacted by the arrival of humans. Several species were lost in prehistory and are known only from fossil remains. Other have become extinct more recently, and some species remain very close to extinction. It is certain that the current knowledge of the previous ranges of many species is incomplete and further research is needed.
This is a list of the bird species recorded in Fiji. The avifauna of Fiji include a total of 178 species, of which 31 are endemic, and 13 have been introduced by humans. Numerous species listed have been extirpated from Fiji.
This list's taxonomic treatment and nomenclature follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2019 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 Fiji. There are also a few species listed that have been recorded in Fiji, but not known to what specific island they were recorded at.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories.
- Vagrant - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Fiji
- Breeder - a species that breeds in Fiji
- Migrant - a species that regularly migrates to Fiji
- Passage migrant - a species that neither breeds nor winters in Fiji but regularly passes through
- Introduced - a species introduced to Fiji as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
- Extirpated - a species that no longer occurs here although populations may exist elsewhere
- Endemic - a species that is endemic to Fiji
- Uncertain - a species with uncertain records or current status
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl
Order: AnseriformesFamily: AnatidaeAnatidae 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.
Megapodes
Order: GalliformesFamily: MegapodiidaeThe Megapodiidae are stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet. All but the malleefowl occupy jungle habitats and most have brown or black colouring.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vanua Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Consumed scrubfowl Megapodius alimentum | X | ||||||
| Viti Levu scrubfowl Megapodius amissus * | X | X | |||||
| Melanesian scrubfowl Megapodius eremita |
Sylviornithids
Family: SylviornithidaeSylviornithids are an extinct lineage of flightless birds related to modern Galliformes. They are represented by two species, one of them native to Fiji.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vanua Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Noble megapode Megavitiornis altirostris | X |
Pheasants, grouse, and allies
Order: GalliformesFamily: PhasianidaeThe Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump and have broad, relatively short wings.
Pigeons and doves
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: ColumbidaePigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vanua Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Rock dove Columba livia | I | I | I | ||||
| Metallic pigeon Columba vitiensis | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Spotted dove Spilopelia chinensis | I | I | I | I | |||
| Shy ground dove Alopecoenas stairi | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Many-colored fruit-dove Ptilinopus perousii | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Crimson-crowned fruit dove Ptilinopus porphyraceus | B | B | |||||
| Orange dove Ptilinopus victor* | B | B | |||||
| Golden dove Ptilinopus luteovirens* | B | B | |||||
| Velvet dove Ptilinopus layardi* | B | ||||||
| Pacific imperial-pigeon Ducula pacifica | B | B | B | ||||
| Peale's imperial-pigeon Ducula latrans* | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Lau imperial-pigeon Ducula lakeba | X | X | |||||
| Viti Levu giant pigeon Natunaornis gigoura* | X |
Cuckoos
Order: CuculiformesFamily: CuculidaeThe family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Long-tailed koel Urodynamis taitensis | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
| Fan-tailed cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis | B | B | B | B | B |
Frogmouths
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: PodargidaeThe frogmouths are a group of nocturnal birds related to the nightjars. They are named for their large flattened hooked bill and huge frog-like gape, which they use to take insects.
Swifts
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: ApodidaeSwifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Rails, gallinules and coots
Order: GruiformesFamily: RallidaeRallidae 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.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vanua Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Buff-banded rail Gallirallus philippensis | X | X | B | B | B | B | B |
| Bar-winged rail Gallirallus poecilopterus* | |||||||
| Black-backed swamphen Porphyrio indicus | |||||||
| Australasian swamphen Porphyrio melanotus | X | X | B | B | B | B | B |
| Viti Levu rail Vitirallus watlingi* | X | ||||||
| White-browed crake Amaurornis cinerea | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Spotless crake Zapornia tabuensis | B | B | B | B | B | B |
Plovers and lapwings
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: CharadriidaeThe 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.
Sandpipers and allies
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: ScolopacidaeScolopacidae 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.
Skuas and jaegers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: StercorariidaeThe family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Gulls, terns, and skimmers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: LaridaeLaridae 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.
Tropicbirds
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: PhaethontidaeTropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vanua Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| White-tailed tropicbird Phaethon lepturus | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| Red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
Albatrosses
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: DiomedeidaeThe albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.
Southern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: OceanitidaeThe southern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Northern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: HydrobatidaeThough the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.
Shearwaters and petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: ProcellariidaeThe procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
near Vanua Levu
Frigatebirds
Order: SuliformesFamily: FregatidaeFrigatebirds 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.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vanua Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Lesser frigatebird Fregata ariel | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| Great frigatebird Fregata minor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Boobies and gannets
Order: SuliformesFamily: SulidaeThe sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vanua Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Masked booby Sula dactylatra | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| Brown booby Sula leucogaster | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| Red-footed booby Sula sula | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
Pelicans
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: PelecanidaePelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.
Herons, egrets, and bitterns
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: ArdeidaeThe 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.
Ibises and spoonbills
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: ThreskiornithidaeThreskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.
Hawks, eagles, and kites
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: AccipitridaeAccipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vanua Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Swamp harrier Circus approximans | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Fiji goshawk Accipiter rufitorques* | B | B | B | B | B |
Barn-owls
Order: StrigiformesFamily: TytonidaeBarn owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are 16 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Fiji.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Australasian grass-owl Tyto longimembris | X | ||||||
| Barn owl Tyto alba | B | B | B | B | B | B |
Kingfishers
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: AlcedinidaeKingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Pacific kingfisher Todirhamphus sacer | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Sacred kingfisher Todirhamphus sanctus |
Falcons
Order: FalconiformesFamily: FalconidaeFalconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vanua Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus | B | B | B | B | B |
Old World parrots
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: PsittaculidaeCharacteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from to in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Crimson shining-parrot Prosopeia splendens* | I | B | |||||
| Red shining-parrot Prosopeia tabuensis* | B | B | |||||
| Masked shining-parrot Prosopeia personata* | B | ||||||
| Red-throated lorikeet Charmosyna amabilis* | B? | B? | B? | X | |||
| Collared lory Phigys solitarius* | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Blue-crowned lorikeet Vini australis | B |
Honeyeaters
Order: PasseriformesFamily: MeliphagidaeThe honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium-sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea. They are nectar feeders and closely resemble other nectar-feeding passerines.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Rotuma myzomela Myzomela chermesina* | B | ||||||
| Orange-breasted myzomela Myzomela jugularis* | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Kadavu honeyeater Meliphacator provocator* | B | ||||||
| Chattering giant-honeyeater Gymnomyza viridis* | B | B | |||||
| Duetting giant-honeyeater Gymnomyza brunneirostris* | B | ||||||
| Western wattled-honeyeater Foulehaio procerior | B | ||||||
| Eastern wattled-honeyeater Foulehaio carunculatus | B | B | B | B | |||
| Northern wattled-honeyeater Foulehaio taviunensis* | B | B |
Cuckooshrikes
Order: PasseriformesFamily: CampephagidaeThe cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Polynesian triller Lalage maculosa | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
Whistlers and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: PachycephalidaeThe family Pachycephalidae includes the whistlers, shrike-thrushes, shrike-tits, pitohuis and crested bellbird.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Fiji whistler Pachycephala vitiensis* | B | B | B | B | B | B |
Woodswallows, bellmagpies, and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: ArtamidaeThe woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. They are smooth, agile flyers with moderately large, semi-triangular wings. The cracticids: currawongs, bellmagpies and butcherbirds, are similar to the other corvids. They have large, straight bills and mostly black, white or grey plumage. All are omnivorous to some degree.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Fiji woodswallow Artamus mentalis* | B | B | B | B | |||
| Australian magpie Gymnorhina tibicen | I |
Fantails
Order: PasseriformesFamily: RhipiduridaeThe fantails are small insectivorous birds which are specialist aerial feeders.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Taveuni silktail Lamprolia victoriae* | B | ||||||
| Natewa silktail Lamprolia klinesmithi* | B | ||||||
| Streaked fantail Rhipidura verreauxi | B | B | B | B | |||
| Kadavu fantail Rhipidura personata* | B |
Monarch flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: MonarchidaeThe monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Ogea monarch Mayrornis versicolor* | B | ||||||
| Slaty monarch Mayrornis lessoni* | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Fiji shrikebill Clytorhynchus vitiensis | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| Black-throated shrikebill Clytorhynchus nigrogularis | B | B | B | B | B | ||
| Vanikoro flycatcher Myiagra vanikorensis | B | B | B | B | B | B | |
| Azure-crested flycatcher Myiagra azureocapilla* | B | ||||||
| Chestnut-throated flycatcher Myiagra castaneigularis* | B | B |
Australasian robins
Order: PasseriformesFamily: PetroicidaeMost species of Petroicidae have a stocky build with a large rounded head, a short straight bill and rounded wingtips. They occupy a wide range of wooded habitats, from subalpine to tropical rainforest, and mangrove swamp to semi-arid scrubland. All are primarily insectivores, although a few supplement their diet with seeds.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Pacific robin Petroica pusilla | B | B | B | B |
Grassbirds and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: LocustellidaeLocustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Long-legged thicketbird Trichocichla rufa* | B | B |
Swallows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: HirundinidaeThe family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Gau | Ovalau | Lau | Rotuma |
| Pacific swallow Hirundo tahitica | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
Bulbuls
Order: PasseriformesFamily: PycnonotidaeBulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throats or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Red-vented bulbul Pycnonotus cafer | I | I |
Bush warblers and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: ScotocercidaeThe members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their taxonomy is in flux, and some authorities place some genera in other families.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Fiji bush warbler Horornis ruficapilla* | B | B | B | B |
White-eyes, yuhinas, and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: ZosteropidaeThe white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Layard's white-eye Zosterops explorator* | B | B | B | B | B | ||
| Silvereye Zosterops lateralis | B | B | B | B | B | ||
| Yellow-fronted white-eye Zosterops flavifrons |
Starlings
Order: PasseriformesFamily: SturnidaeStarlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Polynesian starling Aplonis tabuensis | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| European starling Sturnus vulgaris | I | ||||||
| Common myna Acridotheres tristis | I | I | I | I | I | ||
| Jungle myna Acridotheres fuscus | I |
Thrushes and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: TurdidaeThe thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Island thrush Turdus poliocephalus | B | B | B | B | B |
Waxbills and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: EstrildidaeThe estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.
| Species | Viti Levu | Vana Levu | Taveuni | Kadavu | Lomaiviti | Lau | Rotuma |
| Red avadavat Amandava amandava | I | I | |||||
| Fiji parrotfinch Erythrura pealii* | B | B | B | B | |||
| Pink-billed parrotfinch Erythrura kleinschmidti* | B | ||||||
| Java sparrow Lonchura oryzivora'' | I | I | I |
Old World sparrows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: PasseridaeOld World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.