List of birds of the Torres Strait Islands facts for kids

The birds of the Torres Strait Islands are super interesting for anyone who loves birds! These islands are special because they are home to, and visited by, birds from both Australia and New Guinea. Some islands are part of Australia, while others belong to Papua New Guinea. This mix means you can see birds here that you might not find anywhere else in Australia!

Islands of Torres Strait

Visiting the Torres Strait Islands

It's not easy to visit these islands. You need special permission from the local island councils. Most bird watchers who come here do so on trips planned way ahead of time. They might travel by chartered yacht or sometimes by small plane for day trips. Some islands, like Saibai and Boigu, even have their own small airstrips.

Discovering the Birds of the Torres Strait

This list shows many of the amazing bird species found in the Torres Strait Islands. Bird experts haven't fully explored all the islands yet. This means there are probably even more birds living or visiting these islands than we know!

The way these birds are grouped (like into families and species) and their names follow a well-known bird guide called The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World (2022 edition).

You'll see some special tags next to certain bird names:

• (A) Accidental - This means the bird rarely or accidentally shows up in the Torres Strait Islands. It's a rare visitor!
• (I) Introduced - This bird was brought to the Torres Strait Islands by people, either on purpose or by accident.

Big Birds: Cassowaries and Emu

Order: Struthioniformes   Family: Casuariidae

Cassowaries are huge birds that cannot fly. They live in Australia and New Guinea. The emu is also a large flightless bird found in Australia.

• Southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius
• Emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae

Water Birds: Ducks, Geese, and More

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are great in the water! They have webbed feet, flat bills, and oily feathers that shed water easily.

• Magpie goose, Anseranas semipalmata
• Spotted whistling-duck, Dendrocygna guttata
• Wandering whistling-duck, Dendrocygna arcuata
• Pacific black duck, Anas superciliosa
• Green pygmy-goose, Nettapus pulchellus

Ground-Nesting Birds: Megapodes

Order: Galliformes   Family: Megapodiidae

Megapodes are chunky, chicken-like birds with small heads and big feet. Most live in jungles and are brown or black. They are known for building large mounds to incubate their eggs using heat from decaying plants or the sun.

• Australian brushturkey, Alectura lathami
• Orange-footed scrubfowl, Megapodius reinwardt

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with strong bodies, short necks, and small bills.

Cuckoos: Clever Egg-Layers

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

Cuckoos come in different sizes. They have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Many Old World cuckoos are "brood parasites." This means they lay their eggs in other birds' nests, and the other birds raise the cuckoo chicks!

Night Birds: Frogmouths and Nightjars

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Podargidae and Caprimulgidae

Frogmouths are nocturnal (active at night) birds. They have a big, flat, hooked bill and a huge mouth like a frog. They use this to catch insects. Nightjars are also nocturnal birds. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Their soft feathers help them blend in with tree bark or leaves.

• Tawny frogmouth, Podargus strigoides
• Papuan frogmouth, Podargus papuensis
• White-throated nightjar, Eurostopodus mystacalis
• Large-tailed nightjar, Caprimulgus macrurus

Swift Flyers: Swifts

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying! They have very short legs and almost never land on the ground. Instead, they perch on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long, swept-back wings that look like a crescent moon.

• White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus
• Glossy swiftlet, Collocalia esculenta
• Pacific swift, Apus pacificus

Wading Birds: Rails, Cranes, and More

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae and Gruidae

This group includes rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. They usually live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are often shy and hard to spot. Cranes are large birds with long legs and necks. Unlike herons, cranes fly with their necks stretched out.

• Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis
• Australasian swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus
• Brolga, Antigone rubicunda

Shorebirds: Plovers, Sandpipers, and Gulls

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae, Scolopacidae, Laridae

This is a big group of birds often found near water. Plovers are small to medium-sized with compact bodies. Sandpipers are a diverse group that eat small invertebrates from mud or soil. Gulls, terns, and skimmers are seabirds. Gulls are usually grey or white, while terns are often grey or white with black markings on their heads.

Oceanic Birds: Petrels and Frigatebirds

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae and Fregatidae

Petrels are seabirds that feed on tiny sea creatures and small fish from the surface of the water. Frigatebirds are large seabirds found over tropical oceans. They have long wings and deeply forked tails. Males have a colorful throat pouch that inflates! They are amazing flyers and can stay in the air for over a week.

• Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus
• Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel
• Great frigatebird, Fregata minor

Fish Eaters: Pelicans, Herons, and Osprey

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae, Ardeidae and Pandionidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a special pouch under their beak to scoop up fish. Herons and egrets are wading birds with long necks and legs. The osprey is a medium-sized bird of prey that specializes in catching fish.

Birds of Prey: Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae and Falconidae

This family includes hawks, eagles, and kites. These birds have strong, hooked beaks to tear meat, powerful legs, sharp talons, and amazing eyesight. Falcons are also birds of prey, but they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

Colorful Birds: Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Parrots

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae, Meropidae and Psittaciformes

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, and short tails. Bee-eaters have brightly colored feathers, slender bodies, and long, curved bills. Parrots, including cockatoos, have strong, curved beaks and special feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward. Many are very colorful!

Singing Birds: Honeyeaters, Fantails, and More

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Meliphagidae, Rhipiduridae, Monarchidae

This is a very large group of "perching birds." Honeyeaters are a big family of small to medium-sized birds that mostly eat nectar from flowers. Fantails are small insect-eating birds that catch insects in the air. Monarch flycatchers are also small insect-eating birds.

See also

• List of birds
• Lists of birds by region