Avibase bird checklist - Chatham Islands

Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World

Chatham Islands

This checklist includes all bird species found in Chatham 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 Clements, version 2025. 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.

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Country or region: Chatham Islands [map]

Number of species: 187
Number of breeding endemics: 1
Number of globally threatened species: 45
Number of extinct species: 6
Number of introduced species: 15
Date last reviewed: 2016-02-28
Last modified: 2026-02-17
See also: http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/

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ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae
Plumed Whistling-Duck	Dendrocygna eytoni	Rare/Accidental
Graylag Goose	Anser anser	Introduced species
Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Rare/Accidental
Black Swan	Cygnus atratus	Introduced species
Australian Shelduck	Tadorna tadornoides	Rare/Accidental
Paradise Shelduck	Tadorna variegata	Rare/Accidental
Australasian Shoveler	Spatula rhynchotis	Rare/Accidental
Pacific Black Duck	Anas superciliosa
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Introduced species
Brown Teal	Anas chlorotis	Endemic (country/region) Near-threatened
New Zealand Scaup	Aythya novaeseelandiae	Endemic (country/region)
Auckland Islands Merganser	Mergus australis	Endemic (country/region) Extinct
GALLIFORMES: Numididae
Helmeted Guineafowl	Numida meleagris	Introduced species
GALLIFORMES: Odontophoridae
California Quail	Callipepla californica	Introduced species
COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae
Rock Pigeon	Columba livia	Rare/Accidental
New Zealand Pigeon	Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Chatham Islands Pigeon	Hemiphaga chathamensis	Endemic (country/region) Vulnerable
CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae
Long-tailed Koel	Urodynamis taitensis	Rare/Accidental
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo	Chalcites lucidus
APODIFORMES: Apodidae
White-throated Needletail	Hirundapus caudacutus	Rare/Accidental
Pacific Swift	Apus pacificus	Rare/Accidental
GRUIFORMES: Rallidae
Weka	Gallirallus australis	Endemic (country/region) Vulnerable
Buff-banded Rail	Gallirallus philippensis
Chatham Islands Rail	Gallirallus modestus	Endemic (country/region) Extinct
Dieffenbach's Rail	Gallirallus dieffenbachii	Endemic (country/region) Extinct
Australasian Swamphen	Porphyrio melanotus
Baillon's Crake	Zapornia pusilla	Rare/Accidental
Spotless Crake	Zapornia tabuensis	Rare/Accidental
CHARADRIIFORMES: Recurvirostridae
Pied Stilt	Himantopus leucocephalus
CHARADRIIFORMES: Haematopodidae
South Island Oystercatcher	Haematopus finschi	Rare/Accidental
Chatham Islands Oystercatcher	Haematopus chathamensis	Endemic (country/region) Endangered
CHARADRIIFORMES: Charadriidae
Black-bellied Plover	Pluvialis squatarola	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Pacific Golden-Plover	Pluvialis fulva
Black-fronted Dotterel	Thinornis melanops
Shore Plover	Thinornis novaeseelandiae	Endemic (country/region) Endangered
Masked Lapwing	Vanellus miles
Oriental Plover	Anarhynchus veredus	Rare/Accidental
Siberian Sand-Plover	Anarhynchus mongolus	Rare/Accidental Endangered
Double-banded Plover	Anarhynchus bicinctus	Near-threatened
Wrybill	Anarhynchus frontalis	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae
Eurasian Whimbrel	Numenius phaeopus	Rare/Accidental
Far Eastern Curlew	Numenius madagascariensis	Rare/Accidental Endangered
Bar-tailed Godwit	Limosa lapponica	Near-threatened
Black-tailed Godwit	Limosa limosa	Rare/Accidental Near-threatened
Hudsonian Godwit	Limosa haemastica	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Chatham Islands Snipe	Coenocorypha pusilla	Endemic (country/region) Vulnerable
Terek Sandpiper	Xenus cinereus	Rare/Accidental
Gray-tailed Tattler	Tringa brevipes	Rare/Accidental
Wandering Tattler	Tringa incana	Rare/Accidental
Marsh Sandpiper	Tringa stagnatilis	Rare/Accidental
Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Common Greenshank	Tringa nebularia	Rare/Accidental
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	Near-threatened
Red Knot	Calidris canutus	Near-threatened
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper	Calidris acuminata	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Curlew Sandpiper	Calidris ferruginea	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Red-necked Stint	Calidris ruficollis	Rare/Accidental Near-threatened
Sanderling	Calidris alba	Rare/Accidental
Pectoral Sandpiper	Calidris melanotos	Rare/Accidental
CHARADRIIFORMES: Stercorariidae
Long-tailed Jaeger	Stercorarius longicaudus	Rare/Accidental
Parasitic Jaeger	Stercorarius parasiticus
Pomarine Jaeger	Stercorarius pomarinus	Rare/Accidental
Brown Skua	Stercorarius antarcticus
South Polar Skua	Stercorarius maccormicki	Rare/Accidental
CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae
Silver Gull	Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Kelp Gull	Larus dominicanus
Sooty Tern	Onychoprion fuscatus
Little Tern	Sternula albifrons	Rare/Accidental
Caspian Tern	Hydroprogne caspia	Rare/Accidental
Black-fronted Tern	Chlidonias albostriatus	Rare/Accidental Endangered
Arctic Tern	Sterna paradisaea	Rare/Accidental
Antarctic Tern	Sterna vittata	Rare/Accidental
White-fronted Tern	Sterna striata	Endemic (country/region) Near-threatened
SPHENISCIFORMES: Spheniscidae
King Penguin	Aptenodytes patagonicus	Rare/Accidental
Yellow-eyed Penguin	Megadyptes antipodes	Rare/Accidental Endangered
Little Penguin	Eudyptula minor
Erect-crested Penguin	Eudyptes sclateri	Endangered
Royal Penguin	Eudyptes schlegeli	Rare/Accidental
Eastern Rockhopper Penguin	Eudyptes filholi	Rare/Accidental
Moseley's Rockhopper Penguin	Eudyptes moseleyi	Rare/Accidental Endangered
Snares Penguin	Eudyptes robustus	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Diomedeidae
Northern Royal Albatross	Diomedea sanfordi	Endangered
Southern Royal Albatross	Diomedea epomophora	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Snowy Albatross	Diomedea exulans	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Antipodean Albatross	Diomedea antipodensis	Endangered
Sooty Albatross	Phoebetria fusca	Rare/Accidental Endangered
Light-mantled Albatross	Phoebetria palpebrata	Rare/Accidental Near-threatened
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross	Thalassarche chlororhynchos	Rare/Accidental Endangered
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross	Thalassarche carteri	Endangered
Gray-headed Albatross	Thalassarche chrysostoma	Rare/Accidental Endangered
Buller's Albatross	Thalassarche bulleri	Near-threatened
White-capped Albatross	Thalassarche cauta
Salvin's Albatross	Thalassarche salvini	Vulnerable
Chatham Albatross	Thalassarche eremita	Endemic (country/region) Vulnerable
Black-browed Albatross	Thalassarche melanophris
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Oceanitidae
Wilson's Storm-Petrel	Oceanites oceanicus	Rare/Accidental
Gray-backed Storm-Petrel	Garrodia nereis
White-faced Storm-Petrel	Pelagodroma marina
Black-bellied Storm-Petrel	Fregetta tropica
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Hydrobatidae
Leach's Storm-Petrel	Hydrobates leucorhous	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Procellariidae
Southern Giant-Petrel	Macronectes giganteus	Rare/Accidental
Northern Giant-Petrel	Macronectes halli
Southern Fulmar	Fulmarus glacialoides	Rare/Accidental
Antarctic Petrel	Thalassoica antarctica	Rare/Accidental
Pintado Petrel	Daption capense
Kerguelen Petrel	Aphrodroma brevirostris	Rare/Accidental
Gray-faced Petrel	Pterodroma gouldi	Rare/Accidental
Kermadec Petrel	Pterodroma neglecta	Rare/Accidental
Magenta Petrel	Pterodroma magentae	Endemic (country/region) Critically endangered
Soft-plumaged Petrel	Pterodroma mollis	Rare/Accidental
White-headed Petrel	Pterodroma lessonii	Rare/Accidental
Mottled Petrel	Pterodroma inexpectata	Rare/Accidental Near-threatened
Juan Fernandez Petrel	Pterodroma externa	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Black-winged Petrel	Pterodroma nigripennis
Chatham Islands Petrel	Pterodroma axillaris	Endemic (country/region) Vulnerable
Cook's Petrel	Pterodroma cookii	Endemic (country/region) Vulnerable
Gould's Petrel	Pterodroma leucoptera	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Pycroft's Petrel	Pterodroma pycrofti	Breeding endemic Vulnerable
Blue Petrel	Halobaena caerulea	Rare/Accidental
Fairy Prion	Pachyptila turtur
Broad-billed Prion	Pachyptila vittata
Salvin's Prion	Pachyptila salvini	Rare/Accidental
Antarctic Prion	Pachyptila desolata	Rare/Accidental
Fulmar Prion	Pachyptila crassirostris
Gray Petrel	Procellaria cinerea	Rare/Accidental Near-threatened
White-chinned Petrel	Procellaria aequinoctialis	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Parkinson's Petrel	Procellaria parkinsoni	Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Westland Petrel	Procellaria westlandica	Rare/Accidental Endangered
Flesh-footed Shearwater	Ardenna carneipes	Rare/Accidental Near-threatened
Great Shearwater	Ardenna gravis	Rare/Accidental
Buller's Shearwater	Ardenna bulleri	Vulnerable
Sooty Shearwater	Ardenna grisea	Near-threatened
Short-tailed Shearwater	Ardenna tenuirostris	Rare/Accidental
Fluttering Shearwater	Puffinus gavia	Rare/Accidental
Little Shearwater	Puffinus assimilis
Subantarctic Shearwater	Puffinus elegans
Common Diving-Petrel	Pelecanoides urinatrix
South Georgia Diving-Petrel	Pelecanoides georgicus
SULIFORMES: Fregatidae
Lesser Frigatebird	Fregata ariel	Rare/Accidental
SULIFORMES: Sulidae
Australasian Gannet	Morus serrator	Rare/Accidental
Brown Booby	Sula leucogaster
SULIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae
Little Pied Cormorant	Microcarbo melanoleucos	Rare/Accidental
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
Spotted Shag	Phalacrocorax punctatus	Endemic (country/region)
Pitt Island Shag	Phalacrocorax featherstoni	Endemic (country/region) Endangered
Little Black Cormorant	Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Chatham Islands Shag	Leucocarbo onslowi	Endemic (country/region) Critically endangered
PELECANIFORMES: Threskiornithidae
Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus	Rare/Accidental
Royal Spoonbill	Platalea regia	Rare/Accidental
PELECANIFORMES: Ardeidae
Australasian Bittern	Botaurus poiciloptilus	Vulnerable
New Zealand Bittern	Botaurus novaezelandiae	Endemic (country/region) Extinct
Pacific Reef-Heron	Egretta sacra	Rare/Accidental
White-faced Heron	Egretta novaehollandiae
Eastern Cattle-Egret	Ardea coromanda	Rare/Accidental
Great Egret	Ardea alba
ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae
Swamp Harrier	Circus approximans
STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae
Morepork	Ninox novaeseelandiae
CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae
Sacred Kingfisher	Todiramphus sanctus	Rare/Accidental
FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae
New Zealand Falcon	Falco novaeseelandiae	Endemic (country/region)
PSITTACIFORMES: Strigopidae
New Zealand Kaka	Nestor meridionalis	Extirpated Vulnerable
PSITTACIFORMES: Psittaculidae
Red-crowned Parakeet	Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
Chatham Islands Parakeet	Cyanoramphus forbesi	Endemic (country/region) Vulnerable
PASSERIFORMES: Meliphagidae
Tui	Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae	Endemic (country/region)
Chatham Islands Bellbird	Anthornis melanocephala	Endemic (country/region) Extinct
PASSERIFORMES: Acanthizidae
Gray Gerygone	Gerygone igata	Endemic (country/region)
Chatham Islands Gerygone	Gerygone albofrontata	Endemic (country/region)
PASSERIFORMES: Rhipiduridae
Willie-wagtail	Rhipidura leucophrys	Rare/Accidental
New Zealand Fantail	Rhipidura fuliginosa	Endemic (country/region)
PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae
Rook	Corvus frugilegus	Rare/Accidental
PASSERIFORMES: Petroicidae
Tomtit	Petroica macrocephala	Endemic (country/region)
Black Robin	Petroica traversi	Endemic (country/region) Vulnerable
PASSERIFORMES: Alaudidae
Eurasian Skylark	Alauda arvensis	Introduced species
PASSERIFORMES: Locustellidae
Chatham Islands Fernbird	Poodytes rufescens	Endemic (country/region) Extinct
PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae
Welcome Swallow	Hirundo neoxena
Tree Martin	Petrochelidon nigricans	Rare/Accidental
PASSERIFORMES: Zosteropidae
Silvereye	Zosterops lateralis
PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae
European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Introduced species
PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae
Song Thrush	Turdus philomelos	Introduced species
Eurasian Blackbird	Turdus merula	Introduced species
PASSERIFORMES: Prunellidae
Dunnock	Prunella modularis	Introduced species
PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Introduced species
PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae
New Zealand Pipit	Anthus novaeseelandiae	Endemic (country/region)
PASSERIFORMES: Fringillidae
Common Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs	Introduced species
European Greenfinch	Chloris chloris	Introduced species
Redpoll	Acanthis flammea	Introduced species
European Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis	Introduced species
PASSERIFORMES: Emberizidae
Yellowhammer	Emberiza citrinella	Rare/Accidental

References (partial list)