This is a list of the bird species recorded on Norfolk Island. The avifauna of Norfolk Island include a total of 186 species. Norfolk Island is an external territory of Australia in the Pacific between New Zealand and New Caledonia.
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, 2022 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 Norfolk Island.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs on Norfolk Island. (E) Endemic - a species endemic to Norfolk Island (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Norfolk Island as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Plumed whistling-duck, Dendrocygna eytoni Graylag goose, Anser anser (I) Black swan, Cygnus atratus (A) Australian shelduck, Tadorna tadornoides (A) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (A) Pacific black duck, Anas superciliosa Domestic mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (I) Gray teal, Anas gracilis (A) Hardhead, Aythya australis (A)
New World quail Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae
The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits.
California quail Callipepla californica (I)
Pheasants, grouse, and allies Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump, with broad, relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.
Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus (I)
Grebes Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Australasian grebe, Tachybaptus novaehollandiae (A)
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 (I) Pacific emerald dove, Chalcophaps longirostris (A) Norfolk ground dove, Alopecoenas norfolkensis (E) extinct Rose-crowned fruit-dove, Ptilinopus regina (A) Torresian imperial-pigeon, Ducula spilorrhoa Topknot pigeon, Lopholaimus antarcticus New Zealand pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae (Ex)
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.
Long-tailed koel, Urodynamis taitensis Channel-billed cuckoo, Scythrops novaehollandiae (A) Shining bronze-cuckoo, Chrysococcyx lucidus Pallid cuckoo, Cacomantis pallidus (A) Fan-tailed cuckoo, Cacomantis flabelliformis (A) Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus optatus (A)
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.
White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus (A) Pacific swift, Apus pacificus (A)
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.
Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis Eurasian coot, Fulica atra (A) Australasian swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus Spotless crake, Zapornia tabuensis
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 (A) Red-necked avocet, Recurvirostra novaehollandiae (A)
Oystercatchers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Pied oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris (A) South Island oystercatcher, Haematopus finschi (A)
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.
Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles (A) Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii Double-banded plover, Charadrius bicinctus Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (A) Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus (A)
Sandpipers and allies Order: CharadriiformesFamily: 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.
Bristle-thighed curlew, Numenius tahitiensis (A) Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Little curlew, Numenius minutus (A) Far Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis (A) Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (A) Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica (A) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Red knot, Calidris canutus Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis Sanderling, Calidris alba Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (A) Latham's snipe, Gallinago hardwickii (A) Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos (A) Gray-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes Wandering tattler, Tringa incana Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis
Pratincoles and coursers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.
Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum (A)
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.
South polar skua, Stercorarius maccormicki (A) Brown skua, Stercorarius antarcticus (A) Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus (A) Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (A) Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus (A)
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.
Silver gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae (A) Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla (A) Kelp gull, Larus dominicanus (A) Brown noddy, Anous stolidus Black noddy, Anous minutus Gray noddy, Anous albivitta White tern, Gygis alba Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus Little tern, Sternula albifrons (A) Australian fairy tern, Sternula nereis (A) White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus (A) Whiskered tern, Chlidonias hybrida (A) Roseate tern, Sterna dougallii White-fronted tern, Sterna striata (A) Great crested tern, Thalasseus bergii (A)
Tropicbirds Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does the head.
White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus (A) Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda
Albatrosses Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.
Yellow-nosed albatross, Thalassarche chlororhynchos White-capped albatross, Thalassarche cauta Chatham albatross, Thalassarche eremita (A) Black-browed albatross, Thalassarche melanophris (A) Wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans (A) Laysan albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis (A)
Southern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The southern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus (A) White-faced storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina (Ex) White-bellied storm-petrel, Fregetta grallaria Black-bellied storm-petrel, Fregetta tropica Polynesian storm-petrel, Nesofregetta fuliginosa (A)
Shearwaters and petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: 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.
Southern giant-petrel, Macronectes giganteus (A) Northern giant-petrel, Macronectes halli Cape petrel, Daption capense Gray-faced petrel, Pterodroma gouldi (A) Kermadec petrel, Pterodroma neglecta Providence petrel, Pterodroma solandri Mottled petrel, Pterodroma inexpectata (A) White-necked petrel, Pterodroma cervicalis Black-winged petrel, Pterodroma nigripennis Cook's petrel, Pterodroma cookii (A) Gould's petrel, Pterodroma leucoptera (A) Collared petrel, Pterodroma brevipes (A) Pycroft's petrel, Pterodroma pycrofti (A) Vanuatu petrel, Pterodroma occulta (A) Fairy prion, Pachyptila turtur (A) Slender-billed prion, Pachyptila belcheri Tahiti petrel, Pseudobulweria rostrata (A) White-chinned petrel, Procellaria aequinoctialis (A) Parkinson's petrel, Procellaria parkinsoni Flesh-footed shearwater, Ardenna carneipes Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacifica Buller's shearwater, Ardenna bulleri Sooty shearwater, Ardenna grisea (A) Short-tailed shearwater, Ardenna tenuirostris (A) Newell's shearwater, Puffinus newelli (A) Fluttering shearwater, Puffinus gavia Little shearwater, Puffinus assimilis Common diving-petrel, Pelecanoides urinatrix
Frigatebirds