This checklist includes all bird species found in Cook Islands , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to .
The taxonomic order and nomenclature follows Howard and Moore 4th edition (incl. corrigenda vol.1-2). If you prefer to view the list based on a different authority, click on one of the list available below. Globally threatened species (status in red) were identified by Birdlife International in Birdlife Data Zone (species).
Bird Checklists of the World is part of Avibase and Bird links to the World, which are designed and maintained by Denis Lepage, and hosted by Birds Canada, which is a co-partner of Birdlife International.
© Denis Lepage 2025
Go back to Bird Checklists of the World
Go back to Bird Links to the World
Listen to random bird songs from Xeno-Canto for this region:
Recordings not starting automatically? Try enabling autoplay in your browser, or click the play button below.
Country or region: Cook Islands [map]
| ||
Australian Shelduck | Tadorna tadornoides | Rare/Accidental |
Pacific Black Duck | Anas superciliosa | |
Chinese Spot-billed Duck | Anas zonorhyncha | |
Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Rare/Accidental |
Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
Helmeted Guineafowl | Numida meleagris | Extirpated |
| ||
Red Junglefowl | Gallus gallus | Introduced species |
Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | Extirpated |
| ||
Rock Dove | Columba livia | Introduced species |
Polynesian Ground Dove | Alopecoenas erythropterus | Extirpated Critically endangered |
Pacific Imperial Pigeon | Ducula pacifica | |
Nuku Hiva Imperial Pigeon | Ducula galeata | Extirpated Endangered |
Cook Islands Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus rarotongensis | Endemic Near-threatened |
| ||
Red-tailed Tropicbird | Phaethon rubricauda | |
White-tailed Tropicbird | Phaethon lepturus | |
| ||
Polynesian Swiftlet | Aerodramus leucophaeus | |
| ||
Long-tailed Koel | Urodynamis taitensis | |
| ||
Spotless Crake | Zapornia tabuensis | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
Wilson's Storm-petrel | Oceanites oceanicus | Rare/Accidental |
White-faced Storm-petrel | Pelagodroma marina | Rare/Accidental |
White-bellied Storm-petrel | Fregetta grallaria | |
Polynesian Storm-petrel | Nesofregetta fuliginosa | Endangered |
| ||
Royal Albatross | Diomedea epomophora | |
Wandering Albatross | Diomedea exulans | Rare/Accidental |
Black-browed Albatross | Thalassarche melanophris | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
Leach's Storm-petrel | Hydrobates leucorhous | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
Northern Giant Petrel | Macronectes halli | Rare/Accidental |
Southern Giant Petrel | Macronectes giganteus | Rare/Accidental |
Cape Petrel | Daption capense | |
Gould's Petrel | Pterodroma leucoptera | Vulnerable |
Collared Petrel | Pterodroma brevipes | Vulnerable |
Cook's Petrel | Pterodroma cookii | Rare/Accidental Vulnerable |
Black-winged Petrel | Pterodroma nigripennis | |
Murphy's Petrel | Pterodroma ultima | |
Kermadec Petrel | Pterodroma neglecta | Rare/Accidental |
Herald Petrel | Pterodroma arminjoniana | |
Phoenix Petrel | Pterodroma alba | Rare/Accidental Vulnerable |
Mottled Petrel | Pterodroma inexpectata | Near-threatened |
White-necked Petrel | Pterodroma cervicalis | Rare/Accidental Vulnerable |
Wedge-tailed Shearwater | Ardenna pacifica | Rare/Accidental |
Buller's Shearwater | Ardenna bulleri | Vulnerable |
Short-tailed Shearwater | Ardenna tenuirostris | |
Sooty Shearwater | Ardenna grisea | Near-threatened |
Christmas Shearwater | Puffinus nativitatis | |
Tropical Shearwater | Puffinus bailloni | |
Tahiti Petrel | Pseudobulweria rostrata | Near-threatened |
Bulwer's Petrel | Bulweria bulwerii | |
| ||
Striated Heron | Butorides striata | Rare/Accidental |
Pacific Reef Egret | Egretta sacra | |
| ||
Lesser Frigatebird | Fregata ariel | |
Great Frigatebird | Fregata minor | |
| ||
Red-footed Booby | Sula sula | |
Brown Booby | Sula leucogaster | |
Masked Booby | Sula dactylatra | |
| ||
Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Vulnerable |
Pacific Golden Plover | Pluvialis fulva | |
Semipalmated Plover | Charadrius semipalmatus | Rare/Accidental |
Masked Lapwing | Vanellus miles | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
Bristle-thighed Curlew | Numenius tahitiensis | Near-threatened |
Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | Rare/Accidental |
Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | Near-threatened |
Sanderling | Calidris alba | |
Pectoral Sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | Rare/Accidental |
Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | Rare/Accidental |
Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius | Rare/Accidental |
Grey-tailed Tattler | Tringa brevipes | |
Wandering Tattler | Tringa incana | |
| ||
Arctic Skua | Stercorarius parasiticus | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
Brown Noddy | Anous stolidus | |
Black Noddy | Anous minutus | Rare/Accidental |
Blue Noddy | Procelsterna cerulea | |
Grey Noddy | Procelsterna albivitta | |
Atoll Tern | Gygis alba | |
Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla | Rare/Accidental |
Sooty Tern | Onychoprion fuscatus | |
Grey-backed Tern | Onychoprion lunatus | |
Black-naped Tern | Sterna sumatrana | |
Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | |
Greater Crested Tern | Thalasseus bergii | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
Eastern Marsh Harrier | Circus spilonotus | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
Chattering Kingfisher | Todiramphus tutus | |
| ||
Rimatara Lorikeet | Vini kuhlii | Introduced species Endangered |
Blue Lorikeet | Vini peruviana | Introduced species Vulnerable |
| ||
Rarotonga Monarch | Pomarea dimidiata | Endemic Vulnerable |
| ||
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin | Lonchura castaneothorax | |
| ||
Cook Islands Warbler | Acrocephalus kerearako | Endemic |
| ||
Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis | Introduced species |
Jungle Myna | Acridotheres fuscus | Rare/Accidental |
Rarotonga Starling | Aplonis cinerascens | Endemic Near-threatened |
Mysterious Starling | Aplonis mavornata | Endemic Extinct |
Avibase has been visited 412,207,859 times since 24 June 2003. © Denis Lepage | Privacy policy