Fauna of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands facts for kids

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are small and far from big land areas. This means they don't have many different kinds of land animals. But the ocean around them is full of life! So, while you won't find many land creatures, the sea animals are super interesting.

The unique Cocos buff-banded rail

Birds of the Islands

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are a small, isolated group in the Indian Ocean. Because of this, only a few types of land birds live here all the time. These include the special Cocos buff-banded rail, which is found nowhere else! You might also see the white-breasted waterhen, eastern reef egret, and nankeen night heron. Some birds like the green junglefowl and helmeted guineafowl were brought here by people. Sadly, four other types of birds that were introduced are now gone from the islands.

Many other birds visit the islands, especially waders (birds that wade in shallow water). They don't breed here, but they stop during their long journeys.

North Keeling: A Bird Paradise

North Keeling Island is super important for seabirds. Lots of them come here to lay their eggs and raise their chicks! You can find many red-footed boobies, great and lesser frigatebirds, common noddies, and white terns. Other seabirds that breed here include wedge-tailed shearwaters, masked boobies, brown boobies, red-tailed and white-tailed tropicbirds, and sooty terns. It's even possible that the herald petrel also breeds here.

Before people lived on the islands, seabirds probably nested on both atolls. But when people arrived in the 1800s and brought animals like rats, the seabird colonies moved mostly to North Keeling. For a long time, the Cocos islanders would visit North Keeling to collect seabirds. However, this stopped when Pulu Keeling National Park was created in 1995 to protect the wildlife.

Some Birds You Might Find

Here are a few examples of the many birds recorded on the islands:

• Land Birds:
  • Green junglefowl, Gallus varius - Introduced and breeding.
  • White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus - Breeds here.
  • Cocos buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis andrewsi - This is a unique bird found only here!
  • Pacific reef-heron, Egretta sacra - Breeds here.
  • Rufous night-heron, Nycticorax caledonicus - Breeds here.
• Seabirds (often breeding):
  • Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus
  • White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus
  • Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda
  • Masked booby, Sula dactylatra
  • Brown booby, Sula leucogaster
  • Red-footed booby, Sula sula
  • Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel
  • Great frigatebird, Fregata minor
  • Common noddy, Anous stolidus
  • White tern, Gygis alba
  • Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus
• Regular Visitors (Waders and others):
  • Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos
  • Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres
  • Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus
  • Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva
  • Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica

Mammals on the Islands

There are no mammals that are naturally from the land on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Some mammals were brought here by people. For example, house mice and black rats were introduced to the southern atoll. Luckily, they are not found on North Keeling. Rabbits were also brought here but didn't survive. Two types of Asian deer were introduced but also didn't last.

Marine Mammals

The waters around the islands are home to many amazing marine mammals. Sometimes, these animals are seen swimming by, or they might even get stranded on the shore.

• Dugong, Dugong dugon – These gentle giants have been seen in the southern atoll's lagoon.
• Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus – You can often see these playful dolphins.
• Common dolphin, Delphinus delphis – These are also seen regularly.
• Pilot whale, Globicephala species
• Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
• Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris
• Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus

Reptiles of the Islands

The land reptiles on the islands include three types of geckos and a blind-snake. It's thought that these reptiles might have accidentally traveled to the islands with people.

Land Reptiles

• Mourning gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris
• Four-clawed gecko, Gehyra mutilata
• House gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus
• Blind snake, Typhlops braminus

Marine Reptiles

The ocean around the islands is home to different types of sea snakes and sea turtles.

• Sea Snakes:
  • Yellow-bellied sea snake, Pelamis platurus
  • Banded sea krait, Laticauda colubrina
• Sea Turtles:
  • Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas - These turtles actually breed here!
  • Hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata
  • Olive ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea
  • Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta
  • Leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea

Fish in the Ocean

The waters around the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are incredibly rich in marine life. More than 500 different kinds of fish have been found swimming around the islands!