List of birds of the Chatham Islands
In this list of Birds of the Chatham Islands. In 1995, Chatham Islands County was dissolved and reconstituted by a specific Act of Parliament as the "Chatham Islands Territory", with powers similar to those of territorial authorities and some functions similar to those of a regional council. They form an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 650 kilometres east of mainland New Zealand.
This list's taxonomic treatment and nomenclature mainly follows the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2016 edition. Some supplemental referencing is that of the Avibase Bird Checklists of the World as of January 2017.
The species and subspecies marked extinct became extinct subsequent to humans' arrival in the Chatham Islands. About two thirds of the extinctions occurred after the arrival of Māori but before the arrival of Pākehā and the rest since Pākehā arrived.
Unless otherwise noted, all species listed below are considered to occur regularly in the Chatham Islands as permanent residents, summer or winter visitors, or migrants. The following codes are used to denote other categories of species:
- Nesting - confirmed nesting record within the Chatham Islands
- Introduced - a species introduced to New Zealand by the actions of humans, either directly or indirectly
- Extinct - a recent species that no longer exists
- Vagrant - birds considered to be accidental visitors, with few modern records
Penguins
Order: SphenisciformesFamily: SpheniscidaePenguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in Antarctica.
- King penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus
- Northern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes moseleyi
- Southern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome
- Snares penguin, Eudyptes robustus
- Erect-crested penguin, Eudyptes sclateri
- Royal penguin, Eudyptes schlegeli
- Chatham penguin, 'Eudyptes' chathamensis
- Yellow-eyed penguin, Megadyptes antipodes
- Little penguin, Eudyptula minor
Fulmars, petrels and shearwaters
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium nasal septum, and a long outer functional primary flight feather.
- Southern giant petrel, Macronectes giganteus
- Northern giant petrel, Macronectes halli
- Southern fulmar, Fulmarus glacialoides
- Antarctic petrel, Thalassoica antarctica
- Cape petrel, Daption capense
- Kerguelen petrel, Aphrodroma brevirostris
- Grey-faced petrel, Pterodroma gouldi
- White-headed petrel, Pterodroma lessonii
- Magenta petrel, Pterodroma magentae
- Kermadec petrel, Pterodroma neglecta
- Soft-plumaged petrel, Pterodroma mollis
- Imber's petrel, Pterodroma imberi
- Mottled petrel, Pterodroma inexpectata
- Juan Fernandez petrel, Pterodroma externa
- Black-winged petrel, Pterodroma nigripennis
- Chatham petrel, Pterodroma axillaris
- Cook's petrel, Pterodroma cookii
- Pycroft's petrel, Pterodroma pycrofti
- Blue petrel, Halobaena caerulea
- Broad-billed prion, Pachyptila vittata
- Salvin's prion, Pachyptila salvini
- Antarctic prion, Pachyptila desolata
- Slender-billed prion, Pachyptila belcheri
- Fulmar prion, Pachyptila crassirostris
- Fairy prion, Pachyptila turtur
- Grey petrel, Procellaria cinerea
- White-chinned petrel, Procellaria aequinoctialis
- Black petrel, Procellaria parkinsoni
- Westland petrel, Procellaria westlandica
- Buller's shearwater, Ardenna bulleri
- Great shearwater, Ardenna gravis
- Sooty shearwater, Ardenna griseus
- Short-tailed shearwater, Ardenna tenuirostris
- Flesh-footed shearwater, Ardenna carneipes
- Fluttering shearwater, Puffinus gavia
- Subantarctic shearwater, Puffinus elegans
- Common diving petrel, Pelecanoides urinatrix
Austral storm petrels
The austral storm petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
- Wilson's storm petrel, Oceanites oceanicus
- Black-bellied storm petrel, Fregetta tropica
- Grey-backed storm petrel, Garrodia nereis
- White-faced storm petrel, Pelagodroma marina
Northern storm petrels
- Leach's storm petrel, Oceanodroma leucorrhoa - vagrant
Albatrosses (or toroa)
The albatrosses are a family of large seabird found across the Southern and North Pacific Oceans. The largest are among the largest flying birds in the world.
- Wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans - vulnerable
- Antipodean albatross, Diomedea antipodensis - vulnerable
- Southern royal albatross, Diomedea epomophora - vulnerable
- Northern royal albatross, Diomedea sanfordi - endangered
- Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross, Thalassarche chlororhynchos - vagrant - endangered
- Indian yellow-nosed albatross, Thalassarche carteri - endangered
- Grey-headed albatross, Thalassarche chrysostoma - endangered
- Black-browed albatross, Thalassarche melanophris - near-threatened
- Campbell albatross, Thalassarche impavida - vulnerable
- Buller's albatross, Thalassarche bulleri - near-threatened
- Shy albatross, Thalassarche cauta - near-threatened
- Salvin's albatross, Thalassarche salvini - vulnerable
- Chatham albatross, Thalassarche eremita - vulnerable
- Sooty albatross, Phoebetria fusca - vagrant - endangered
- Light-mantled albatross, Phoebetria palpebrata - near-threatened
Frigatebirds
- Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel - vagrant
Boobies and gannets
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
- Takapu or Australasian gannet, Morus serrator - vagrant
Cormorants
Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the order Pelecaniformes.
- Kawaupaka or little pied cormorant, Microcarbo melanoleucos - vagrant
- Kawau or great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
- Chatham shag, Phalacrocorax onslowi - critically endangered
- Pitt shag, Phalacrocorax featherstoni - endangered
Bitterns, herons and egrets
- Australasian bittern, Botaurus poiciloptilus - vagrant - endangered
- New Zealand bittern or kaoriki, Ixobrychus novaezelandiae - extinct
- Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis - vagrant
- Great egret, Ardea alba
- White-faced heron, Egretta novaehollandiae
- Reef heron, Egretta sacra - vagrant
Ibises and spoonbills
- Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus - vagrant
- Royal spoonbill, Platalea regia - vagrant
Ducks, geese and swans
The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These are adapted for an aquatic existence, with webbed feet, bills that are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.
- Scarlett's duck, Malacorhynchus scarletti - extinct
- Australian shelduck Tadorna tadornoides- vagrant
- Putangitangi or paradise shelduck, Tadorna variegata - vagrant
- Papango, black teal or New Zealand scaup, Aythya novaeseelandiae - extirpated
- Pateke or brown teal, Anas chlorotis - extirpated
- Grey teal or tete moroiti, Anas gracilis - vagrant
- Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos - introduced
- Chatham duck, Anas chathamica - extinct
- Grey duck or pārera, Anas superciliosa - vagrant
- Australasian shoveler, Spatula rhynchotis - vagrant
- Greylag goose, Anser anser - introduced
- Canada goose, Branta canadensis - vagrant
- Black swan, Cygnus atratus - current population introduced from Australia atratus subspecies
- * New Zealand swan, Cygnus atratus sumnerensis - extinct
- Plumed whistling duck, Dendrocygna eytoni - vagrant
- Chatham Island merganser, Mergus milleneri - extinct
Rails, crakes and coots
- Chatham coot, Fulica chathamensis - extinct
- Spotless crake, Porzana tabuensis - extirpated
- Marsh crake, Porzana pusilla
- Pukeko or Australasian swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus
- Hawkins's rail, Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi - extinct
- Chatham rail, Cabalus modestus - extinct
- Dieffenbach's rail, Gallirallus dieffenbachii - extinct
- Weka or woodhen, Gallirallus australis - introduced
New World quail
- California quail, Callipepla californica - introduced
Oystercatchers
- South Island oystercatcher, Haematopus finschi - vagrant
- Chatham oystercatcher, Haematopus chathamensis
Plovers and lapwings
- Pacific golden plover, Pluvialis fulva
- Grey plover, Pluvialis squatarola - vagrant
- Banded dotterel, Charadrius bicinctus - vulnerable
- Lesser sand plover, Charadrius mongolus - vagrant
- Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus - vagrant
- Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles
- Tuturuatu or shore plover, Thinornis novaeseelandiae - endemic - endangered
Waders or shorebirds
- Huahou or red knot, Calidris canutus
- Sanderling, Calidris alba - vagrant
- Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea - vagrant
- Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata
- Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos - vagrant
- Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis - vagrant
- Far Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascarensis - vagrant
- Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus - vagrant
- Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa
- Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica
- Wandering tattler, Tringa incana - vagrant
- Grey-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes - vagrant
- Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia - vagrant
- Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis
- Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes - vagrant
- Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres
- Forbes's snipe, Coenocorypha chathamica - extinct
- Chatham snipe, Coenocorypha pusilla
Gulls and terns
- Karoro, southern black-backed gull or kelp gull, Larus dominicanus
- Red-billed gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae scopulinus
- Taranui or Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia - vagrant
- White-fronted tern Sterna striata
- Antarctic tern, Sterna vittata - vagrant
- Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea - vagrant
- Little tern, Sternula albifrons - vagrant
Skuas
- Arctic skua, Stercorarius parasiticus
- Pomarine skua, Stercorarius pomarinus
- Long-tailed skua, Stercorarius longicaudus
- Brown skua or subantarctic skua, Stercorarius antarcticus
- South polar skua, Stercorarius maccormicki
Pigeons and doves
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
- Chatham pigeon, Hemiphaga chathamensis - endemic
- Rock dove, Columba livia - vagrant
Hawks, kites and eagles
- Kahu or swamp harrier, Circus approximans
Falcons
- Kārearea or New Zealand falcon, Falco novaeseelandiae - extirpated
True owls
- Ruru or morepork, Ninox novaeseelandiae
Swifts
Swifts 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.
- White-throated needletail or spine-tailed swift, Hirandapus caudacutus
- Pacific swift or fork-tailed swift, Apus pacificus - vagrant
Cuckoos
- Koekoea or long-tailed cuckoo, Eudynamys taitensis
- Pipiwharauroa or shining cuckoo, Chrysococcyx lucidus
Old world parrots
- Red-fronted parakeet or kākāriki, Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae - vulnerable
- Chatham parakeet, Cyanoramphus forbesi
New Zealand parrots
- Chatham kaka, Nestor chathamensis - extinct
Kingfishers
- Kōtare or sacred kingfisher, Todiramphus sacra - vagrant
Crows and ravens
- Rook, Corvus frugilegus - introduced
- Chatham raven, Corvus moriorum - extinct
Wagtails and pipits
- Pīhoihoi or New Zealand pipit, Anthus novaeseelandiae
Grassbirds
- Chatham fernbird, Megalurus rufescens - extinct
Australasian robins
- Miromiro or tomtit, Petroica macrocephala
- Black robin, Petroica traversi - endemic
Australasian warblers
- Chatham gerygone, Gerygone albofrontata - endemic
Honeyeaters
- Tui or parson bird, Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
- Chatham bellbird, Anthornis melanocephala - extinct
Fantails
- Piwakawaka or New Zealand fantail, Rhipidura fuliginosa
- Willie wagtail, Rhipidura leucophrys - vagrant
White-eyes
- Tauhou, silvereye, or wax-eye Zosterops lateralis
Starlings
- European starling, Sturnus vulgaris - introduced
Old World buntings
- Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella - introduced
Finches and allies
- Common chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs - introduced
- European greenfinch, Chloris chloris - introduced
- Common redpoll, Acanthis flammea - introduced
- European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis - introduced
Old World sparrows
- House sparrow, Passer domesticus - introduced
Accentors
- Dunnock, Prunella modularis - introduced
Thrushes and allies
- Song thrush, Turdus philomelos - introduced
- Common blackbird, Turdus merula - introduced
Swallows
- Welcome swallow, Hirundo neoxena
- Tree martin, Petrochelidon nigricans - vagrant
Larks
- Eurasian skylark, Alauda arvensis - introduced