List of birds of Tokelau facts for kids

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Tokelau. The avifauna of Tokelau include a total of 29 species, of which one has been introduced by humans and five are rare or accidental. Two species are globally threatened.

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 Tokelau.

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 Tokelau
• (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Tokelau 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.

• Antarctic giant petrel, Macronectes giganteus (A)
• Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus (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
• 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

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)

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

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
• Wandering tattler, Tringa incana
• Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres
• Sanderling, Calidris alba

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
• 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. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.

• Long-tailed koel, Eudynamys taitensis

Barn owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

• Australian masked owl, Tyto novaehollandiae

Images for kids

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  The black noddy is one of the most common birds in Tokelau.

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  Pacific imperial-pigeon

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  Pacific golden-plover in non-breeding plumage

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  Sanderling in non-breeding plumage

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  Brown noddy

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  White tern

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  Bulwer's petrel

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  Female brown booby