Birds of Ashmore Reef facts for kids
The Birds of Ashmore Reef comprise three main groups:
- Seabirds, including at least five species of breeding terns, with several other seabirds, including petrels, recorded in the surrounding waters
- Migratory shorebirds en route from northern Asia to Australia
- Landbirds, only three breeding species (two herons and a rail) but several others, including passerines, visit, either on migration to northern Australia or as vagrants
List of birds
Procellariidae
- Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii - vagrant
- Jouanin's petrel, Bulweria fallax - vagrant
- Tahiti petrel, Pseudobulweria rostrata - vagrant
- Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus - regular visitor
Hydrobatidae
- Swinhoe's storm-petrel, Oceanodroma monorhis – vagrant
Phaethontidae
- White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus - regular visitor
- Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda - regular visitor
Sulidae
- Abbott's booby, Papasula abbotti - vagrant
- Masked booby, Sula dactylatra - regular visitor
- Brown booby, Sula leucogaster - regular visitor
- Red-footed booby, Sula sula - regular visitor
Fregatidae
- Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel - regular visitor
- Great frigatebird, Fregata minor - regular visitor
Ardeidae
- Black bittern, Ixobrychus flavicollis - vagrant
- Great egret, Ardea alba
- Intermediate egret, Ardea intermedia
- White-faced heron, Egretta novaehollandiae
- Little egret, Egretta garzetta - breeding
- Pacific reef-heron, Egretta sacra - breeding
- Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis
- Striated heron, Butorides striata
- Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax – vagrant
- Rufous night-heron, Nycticorax caledonicus
Rallidae
- Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea - vagrant
- White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus - vagrant
- Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis – breeding
- Red-legged crake, Rallina fasciata - vagrant
Turnicidae
- Red-backed buttonquail, Turnix maculosa – vagrant
Scolopacidae
- Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos - passage migrant
- Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres - passage migrant
- Sanderling, Calidris alba - passage migrant
- Red knot, Calidris canutus - passage migrant
- Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea - passage migrant
- Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis - passage migrant
- Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris - passage migrant
- ?Snipe, Gallinago sp. - passage migrant
- Grey-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes - passage migrant
- Asian dowitcher, Limnodromus semipalmatus - passage migrant
- Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica - passage migrant
- Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa - passage migrant
- Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis - passage migrant
- Little curlew, Numenius minutus - passage migrant
- Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus - passage migrant
- Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia - passage migrant
- Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis - passage migrant
- Common redshank, Tringa totanus - passage migrant
Charadriidae
- Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii - passage migrant
- Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus - passage migrant
- Red-capped plover, Charadrius ruficapillus – vagrant
- Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus - passage migrant
- Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva - passage migrant
- Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola – vagrant
- Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles
Stercorariidae
- Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus - vagrant
- Arctic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus - vagrant
- Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus - vagrant
Laridae
- Black noddy, Anous minutus - breeding
- Common noddy, Anous stolidus - breeding
- Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris - possibly breeding
- Little tern, Sternula albifrons - vagrant
- Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus - breeding
- Greater crested tern, Thalasseus bergii - breeding
- Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus – breeding
Accipitridae
- Letter-winged kite, Elanus scriptus
- Swamp harrier, Circus approximans
- Spotted harrier, Circus assimilis
- Chinese sparrowhawk, Accipiter soloensis - vagrant
- Brown goshawk, Accipiter fasciatus
- Japanese sparrowhawk, Accipiter gularis - vagrant
Cuculidae
- Horsfield's bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx basalis - vagrant
- Little bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx minutillus - vagrant
- Gould's bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx russatus - vagrant
- Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus saturatus - vagrant
- Common koel, Eudynamys scolopacea – vagrant
Centropodidae
- Lesser coucal, Centropus bengalensis – vagrant
Caprimulgidae
- Grey nightjar, Caprimulgus indicus – vagrant
Apodidae
- White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus
- White-nest swiftlet, Aerodramus fuciphagus - vagrant
- House swift, Apus affinis - vagrant
- Pacific swift, Apus pacificus
Alcedinidae
- Torresian kingfisher, Todiramphus sordidus – vagrant
- Sacred kingfisher, Todiramphus sanctus – vagrant
Meropidae
- Rainbow bee-eater, Merops ornatus – vagrant
Coraciidae
- Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis
Monarchidae
- Island monarch, Monarcha cinerascens – vagrant
Motacillidae
- Pechora pipit, Anthus gustavi - vagrant
- Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea - vagrant
- Eastern yellow wagtail, Motacilla tschutschensis - passage migrant
Estrildidae
- Pale-headed munia, Lonchura pallida – vagrant
Passeridae
- Eurasian tree sparrow, Passer montanus - resident
Hirundinidae
- Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
- Red-rumped swallow, Cecropis daurica – vagrant
- Fairy martin, Petrochelidon ariel
- Tree martin, Petrochelidon nigricans
Acrocephalidae
- Oriental reed warbler, Acrocephalus orientalis - vagrant
Locustellidae
- Middendorff's grasshopper warbler, Locustella ochotensis - vagrant
- Pallas's grasshopper warbler, Locustella certhiola - vagrant
- Tawny grassbird, Megalurus timoriensis - vagrant
Phylloscopidae
- Arctic warbler, Phylloscopus borealis - regular visitor
- Yellow-browed warbler, Phylloscopus inornatus - vagrant
Muscicapidae
- Gray-streaked flycatcher, Muscicapa griseisticta - vagrant
- Dark-sided flycatcher, Muscicapa sibirica - vagrant
- Asian brown flycatcher, Muscicapa dauurica - vagrant
- Blue-and-white flycatcher, Cyanoptila cyanomelana - vagrant
- Siberian blue robin, Larvivora cyane - vagrant
- Commonwealth of Australia. (2002). Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) Management Plans. Environment Australia: Canberra.
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Birds of Ashmore Reef Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.