List of birds of Nauru

There are 34 species of birds that have been recorded living in the wild in

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of the 2022 edition of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account.

The following codes have been used to denote categories. Species without these tags are commonly occurring native species.

• (A) Accidental – A species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Nauru.
• (E) Endemic – A species endemic to Nauru.
• (I) Introduced – A species introduced to Nauru as a direct or indirect consequence of human actions.
• (Ex) Extirpated – A species that no longer occurs in Nauru although populations exist elsewhere.

Pheasants, grouse, and allies

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds comprising the

• Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus (I)

Pigeons and doves

Order:

• Long-tailed koel, Eudynamys taitensis

Plovers and lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the

Scolopacidae is a large, diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds that includes 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.^[13]

• Bristle-thighed curlew, Numenius tahitiensis (A)
• Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus
• Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica (A)
• Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres
• Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata (A)
• Gray-tailed tattler
  , Tringa brevipes (A)
• Wandering tattler, Tringa incana (A)

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of seabirds consisting of

• Brown noddy, Anous stolidus
• Black noddy, Anous minutus
• White tern, Gygis alba
• Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus (A)
• Black-naped tern, Sterna sumatrana (A)
• Great crested tern
  , Thalasseus bergii (A)

Tropicbirds

Order:

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.^[16]

• White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus
• Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda (A)

Shearwaters and petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

The procellariiforms are a group of medium-sized petrels, characterised by united nostrils with a medium

• Tropical shearwater, Puffinus bailloni

Frigatebirds

Order:

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.^[18]

• Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel
• Great frigatebird, Fregata minor

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.^[19]

• Brown booby, Sula leucogaster
• Red-footed booby, Sula sula (A)

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.^[20]

• Australian pelican, Pelecanus conspicillatus (A)

Herons, egrets, and bitterns

Order:

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.^[21]

• Pacific reef-heron
  , Egretta sacra

Kingfishers

Order:

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.^[22]

• Sacred kingfisher, Todirhamphus sanctus (A)
• Collared kingfisher, Todirhamphus chloris (A)

Reed warblers and allies

Order:

The family Acrocephalidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. Most have a generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass.[23]

• Nauru reed warbler, Acrocephalus rehsei (E)

Waxbills and allies

Order:

• Zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata (Ex)

See also

• List of birds
• Lists of birds by region

References

Specific