Bird life
An ornithologist's dream
More than 180 species of birds have been recorded on Lord Howe Island, of which 32 currently breed on the island - 18 species of land birds and 14 species of seabirds. There are three groups of birds: Seabirds, Land Birds and Visiting Waders.
The birds within each group have been systematically arranged to follow the CSIRO Index of Australian Birds, and given both scientific (the latter being used by P. Slater in A Field Guide to Australian Birds) and common names. The names of some birds in brackets, are those that are peculiar to Lord Howe Island. The letter 'e' denotes endemic species.
Seabirds nesting on Lord Howe Island:
- Pterodroma solandri - Providence petrel (Big Hill mutton bird), Pterodroma nigripennis - Black-winged petrel, Pterodroma neglecta - Kermadec petrel (e), Puffinus carneipes - Fleshy-footed shearwater (Mutton bird) (e), Puffinus pacificus - Wedge-tailed shearwater, Puffinus assimilis - Little shearwater (e).
- Fregetta grallaria - White-bellied storm petrel, Sula dactylatra - Masked booby (Gannet), Phaethon rubricauda - Red-tailed tropic bird (Bosun bird) (e), Sterna fuscata - Sooty tern (Wideawake), Anous stolidus - Brown noddy, Anous minutus - Black boddy, Procelsterna albivittata - Grey ternlet (Blue billy), Gygis alba - White tern (Norfolk tern)
Land birds of Lord Howe Island:
- Ardea novaehollandiae - White-faced heron, Chalcophaps indica - Green-winged pigeon, Falco cenchroides - Nankeen kestrel, Tyto novaehollandiae - Masked owl, Halcyon sancta vegans - Sacred kingfisher, Hirundo neoxena - Welcome swallow, Turdus merula - Blackbird, Turdus philomelas - Song thrush, Pachycephala pectoralis contempta - Lord Howe Island Golden whistler (Yellow Robin) (e), Zosterops tephropleura - Lord Howe Island silvereye (e), Sturnus vulgaris - European starling
- Grallina cyanoleuca - Peewee, Strepera graculina crissalis - Lord Howe pied currawong (e), Tricholimnas sylvestris - Woodhen (e).
Regular visiting Waders:
- Pluvialis dominica - Eastern golden plover, Charadrius bicinctus - Double-banded dotterel, Arenaris interpres - Ruddy turnstone, Numenius phaeopus - Whimbrel, Limosa lapponica - Bar-tailed godwit
See Map – Lord Howe Island Birds - click here