This is a list of birds of the Chatham Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 650 kilometres (400 mi) east of mainland New Zealand. In 1995, Chatham Islands County was dissolved and reconstituted by a New Zealand act of Parliament as the "Chatham Islands Territory", with powers similar to those of territorial authorities and some functions similar to those of a regional council.Chatham Islands Council Act 1995 , Parliament of New Zealand, 1995, Statute No 041, Commenced: 1 November 1995, retrieved 4 February 2008. This list's taxonomic treatment and nomenclature (common and scientific names) mainly follows the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition.Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved 25 October 2022. Some supplemental referencing is that of the Avibase Bird Checklists of the World as of October 2022.
The species and subspecies marked extinct became extinct subsequent to humans' arrival in the Chatham Islands. About two thirds of the extinctions occurred after the arrival of Māori but before the arrival of pākehā (European New Zealanders) and the rest since pākehā arrived.
Unless otherwise noted, all species listed below are considered to occur regularly in the Chatham Islands as permanent residents, summer or winter visitors, or migrants. The following codes are used to denote other categories of species:
(I) Introduced - a species introduced to New Zealand by the actions of humans, either directly or indirectly (E) Extinct - a recent species that no longer exists (V) Vagrant - birds considered to be accidental visitors, with few modern records
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These are adapted for an aquatic existence, with webbed feet, bills that are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.
Chatham duck, Anas chathamica (E) Pāteke, Anas chlorotis Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (I) Pārera, Anas superciliosa Graylag goose, Anser anser (I) Papango, Aythya novaeseelandiae Canada goose, Branta canadensis (V) Black swan, Cygnus atratus (I) Plumed whistling-duck, Dendrocygna eytoni (V) Chatham Island merganser, Mergus milleneri (E) Australasian shoveler, Spatula rhynchotis (V) Australian shelduck Tadorna tadornoides (V) Rēkohu shelduck, Tadorna rekohu (E) Putangitangi, Tadorna variegata (V)
New World quail Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae
Odontophoridae are not native to the Chatham Islands, but feral populations of one species survives.
California quail, Callipepla californica (I)
Pigeons and doves Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Rock pigeon, Columba livia (V) Chatham pigeon, Hemiphaga chathamensis New Zealand pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Cuckoos Order: CuculiformesFamily: 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.
Pīpīwharauroa, Chrysococcyx lucidus Koekoeā, Eudynamys taitensis (V)
Swifts Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Pacific swift, Apus pacificus (V) White-throated needletail, Hirandapus caudacutus (V)
Rails, gallinules, and coots Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Hawkins's rail, Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi (E) Chatham coot, Fulica chathamensis (E) Weka, Gallirallus australis Dieffenbach's rail, Gallirallus dieffenbachii (E) Chatham Islands rail, Gallirallus modestus (E) Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis Pūkeko, Porphyrio melanotus Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla (V) Spotless crake, Zapornia tabuensis (V)
Stilts and avocets Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin straight bills.
Pied stilt, Himantopus leucocephalus
Oystercatchers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Chatham oystercatcher, Haematopus chathamensis South Island oystercatcher, Haematopus finschi (V)
Plovers and lapwings Order: CharadriiformesFamily: 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.
Wrybill, Anarhynchus frontalis (V) Double-banded plover, Charadrius bicinctus Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus (V) Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus (V) Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola (V) Tuturuatu, Thinornis novaeseelandiae Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles
Sandpipers and allies Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus (V) Far Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascarensis (V) Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (V) Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica (V) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Huahou, Calidris canutus Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata (V) Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (V) Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis (V) Sanderling, Calidris alba (V) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (V) Chatham Islands snipe, Coenocorypha pusilla Forbes's snipe, Coenocorypha chathamica (E) Gray-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes (V) Wandering tattler, Tringa incana (V) Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia (V) Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes (V) Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis (V)
Skuas and jaegers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Brown skua, Stercorarius antarcticus Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus (V) South polar skua, Stercorarius maccormicki (V) Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus (V)
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: 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. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.
Black-fronted tern Chlidonias albostriatus (V) Silver gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae Taranui, Hydroprogne caspia (V) Karoro, Larus dominicanus Sooty tern Onychoprion fuscatus Little tern, Sternula albifrons (V) Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea (V) White-fronted tern Sterna striata Antarctic tern, Sterna vittata (V)
Penguins Order: SphenisciformesFamily: Spheniscidae
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in Antarctica.
King penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus (V) Chatham penguin, Eudyptes chathamensis (E) Southern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome (V) Moseley's rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes moseleyi (V) Snares penguin, Eudyptes robustus (V) Royal penguin, Eudyptes schlegeli (V) Erect-crested penguin, Eudyptes sclateri Little penguin, Eudyptula minor Yellow-eyed penguin, Megadyptes antipodes (V)
Albatrosses Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are a family of large seabird found across the Southern and North Pacific Oceans. The largest are among the largest flying birds in the world.
Royal albatross, Diomedea epomophora - vulnerable Wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans - vulnerable Sooty albatross, Phoebetria fusca (V) - endangered Light-mantled albatross, Phoebetria palpebrata (V) - near-threatened Buller's albatross, Thalassarche bulleri - near-threatened White-capped albatross, Thalassarche cauta - near-threatened Yellow-nosed albatross, Thalassarche chlororhynchos (V) - endangered Gray-headed albatross, Thalassarche chrysostoma (V) - endangered Chatham albatross, Thalassarche eremita - vulnerable Black-browed albatross, Thalassarche melanophris - near-threatened Salvin's albatross, Thalassarche salvini - vulnerable
Southern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The southern storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Black-bellied storm-petrel, Fregetta tropica Gray-backed storm-petrel, Garrodia nereis Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus White-faced storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina
Northern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.
Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorrhous (V)
Shearwaters and petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium nasal septum, and a long outer functional primary flight feather.
Southern giant-petrel, Macronectes giganteus (V) Northern giant-petrel, Macronectes halli Southern fulmar, Fulmarus glacialoides (V) Antarctic petrel, Thalassoica antarctica (V) Cape petrel, Daption capense Kerguelen petrel, Aphrodroma brevirostris (V) Gray-faced petrel, Pterodroma gouldi Kermadec petrel, Pterodroma neglecta (V) Magenta petrel, Pterodroma magentae Soft-plumaged petrel, Pterodroma mollis (V) White-headed petrel, Pterodroma lessonii (V) Imber's petrel, Pterodroma imberi (E) Mottled petrel, Pterodroma inexpectata (V) Juan Fernandez petrel, Pterodroma externa (V) Black-winged petrel, Pterodroma nigripennis Chatham petrel, Pterodroma axillaris Cook's petrel, Pterodroma cookii Pycroft's petrel, Pterodroma pycrofti Blue petrel, Halobaena caerulea (V) Fairy prion, Pachyptila turtur Broad-billed prion, Pachyptila vittata Salvin's prion, Pachyptila salvini (V) Antarctic prion, Pachyptila desolata (V)