Birds of Ashmore Reef facts for kids

The Birds of Ashmore Reef comprise three main groups:

1. Seabirds, including at least five species of breeding terns, with several other seabirds, including petrels, recorded in the surrounding waters
2. Migratory shorebirds en route from northern Asia to Australia
3. Landbirds, only three breeding species (two herons and a rail) but several others, including passerines, visit, either on migration to northern Australia or as vagrants

List of birds

Procellariidae

• Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii - vagrant
• Jouanin's petrel, Bulweria fallax - vagrant
• Tahiti petrel, Pseudobulweria rostrata - vagrant
• Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus - regular visitor

Hydrobatidae

• Swinhoe's storm-petrel, Oceanodroma monorhis – vagrant

Phaethontidae

• White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus - regular visitor
• Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda - regular visitor

Sulidae

• Abbott's booby, Papasula abbotti - vagrant
• Masked booby, Sula dactylatra - regular visitor
• Brown booby, Sula leucogaster - regular visitor
• Red-footed booby, Sula sula - regular visitor

Fregatidae

• Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel - regular visitor
• Great frigatebird, Fregata minor - regular visitor

Ardeidae

• Black bittern, Ixobrychus flavicollis - vagrant
• Great egret, Ardea alba
• Intermediate egret, Ardea intermedia
• White-faced heron, Egretta novaehollandiae
• Little egret, Egretta garzetta - breeding
• Pacific reef-heron, Egretta sacra - breeding
• Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis
• Striated heron, Butorides striata
• Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax – vagrant
• Rufous night-heron, Nycticorax caledonicus

Rallidae

• Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea - vagrant
• White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus - vagrant
• Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis – breeding
• Red-legged crake, Rallina fasciata - vagrant

Turnicidae

• Red-backed buttonquail, Turnix maculosa – vagrant

Scolopacidae

• Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos - passage migrant
• Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres - passage migrant
• Sanderling, Calidris alba - passage migrant
• Red knot, Calidris canutus - passage migrant
• Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea - passage migrant
• Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis - passage migrant
• Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris - passage migrant
•  ?Snipe, Gallinago sp. - passage migrant
• Grey-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes - passage migrant
• Asian dowitcher, Limnodromus semipalmatus - passage migrant
• Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica - passage migrant
• Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa - passage migrant
• Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis - passage migrant
• Little curlew, Numenius minutus - passage migrant
• Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus - passage migrant
• Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia - passage migrant
• Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis - passage migrant
• Common redshank, Tringa totanus - passage migrant

Charadriidae

• Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii - passage migrant
• Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus - passage migrant
• Red-capped plover, Charadrius ruficapillus – vagrant
• Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus - passage migrant
• Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva - passage migrant
• Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola – vagrant
• Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles

Stercorariidae

• Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus - vagrant
• Arctic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus - vagrant
• Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus - vagrant

Laridae

• Black noddy, Anous minutus - breeding
• Common noddy, Anous stolidus - breeding
• Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris - possibly breeding
• Little tern, Sternula albifrons - vagrant
• Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus - breeding
• Greater crested tern, Thalasseus bergii - breeding
• Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus – breeding

Accipitridae

• Letter-winged kite, Elanus scriptus
• Swamp harrier, Circus approximans
• Spotted harrier, Circus assimilis
• Chinese sparrowhawk, Accipiter soloensis - vagrant
• Brown goshawk, Accipiter fasciatus
• Japanese sparrowhawk, Accipiter gularis - vagrant

Cuculidae

• Horsfield's bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx basalis - vagrant
• Little bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx minutillus - vagrant
• Gould's bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx russatus - vagrant
• Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus saturatus - vagrant
• Common koel, Eudynamys scolopacea – vagrant

Centropodidae

• Lesser coucal, Centropus bengalensis – vagrant

Caprimulgidae

• Grey nightjar, Caprimulgus indicus – vagrant

Apodidae

• White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus
• White-nest swiftlet, Aerodramus fuciphagus - vagrant
• House swift, Apus affinis - vagrant
• Pacific swift, Apus pacificus

Alcedinidae

• Torresian kingfisher, Todiramphus sordidus – vagrant
• Sacred kingfisher, Todiramphus sanctus – vagrant

Meropidae

• Rainbow bee-eater, Merops ornatus – vagrant

Coraciidae

• Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis

Monarchidae

• Island monarch, Monarcha cinerascens – vagrant

Motacillidae

• Pechora pipit, Anthus gustavi - vagrant
• Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea - vagrant
• Eastern yellow wagtail, Motacilla tschutschensis - passage migrant

Estrildidae

• Pale-headed munia, Lonchura pallida – vagrant

Passeridae

• Eurasian tree sparrow, Passer montanus - resident

Hirundinidae

• Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
• Red-rumped swallow, Cecropis daurica – vagrant
• Fairy martin, Petrochelidon ariel
• Tree martin, Petrochelidon nigricans

Acrocephalidae

• Oriental reed warbler, Acrocephalus orientalis - vagrant

Locustellidae

• Middendorff's grasshopper warbler, Locustella ochotensis - vagrant
• Pallas's grasshopper warbler, Locustella certhiola - vagrant
• Tawny grassbird, Megalurus timoriensis - vagrant

Phylloscopidae

• Arctic warbler, Phylloscopus borealis - regular visitor
• Yellow-browed warbler, Phylloscopus inornatus - vagrant

Muscicapidae

• Gray-streaked flycatcher, Muscicapa griseisticta - vagrant
• Dark-sided flycatcher, Muscicapa sibirica - vagrant
• Asian brown flycatcher, Muscicapa dauurica - vagrant
• Blue-and-white flycatcher, Cyanoptila cyanomelana - vagrant
• Siberian blue robin, Larvivora cyane - vagrant

• Commonwealth of Australia. (2002). Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) Management Plans. Environment Australia: Canberra.