Welcome Islands are known to be a paradise for bird lovers. With a diverse range of avian species, this archipelago is home to some of the world’s rarest and most colorful birds.
Most of these birds are endemic to the islands, so they are found nowhere else on Earth. From the flamboyant Red-throated Lorikeet to the majestic Pacific Swallow, the birds of Welcome Islands are a feast for the eyes and ears alike.
The lush and verdant forests provide the perfect habitat for these feathered creatures, making it a haven for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts alike. In this article, we will explore the rich birdlife of Welcome Islands in further detail.
1. Sanderling
The Sanderling is a small wading bird that can be found in the Arctic region. Its name comes from Old English, meaning “sand-ploughman”. It has grey feathers and light legs, which give it its distinct white color.
During summer breeding months, they are known to travel great distances – some wintering as far south as South America or Southern Africa. They typically feed on crustaceans such as shrimp and mollusks along coastal shores.
The Sanderling is an important species to watch out for because of its long migratory patterns and sensitivity to environmental change; if there’s trouble with this species, then other birds may also be affected.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Scolopacidae |
| Genus | Calidris |
| Species | C. alba |
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2. Brown Booby
The Brown Booby is a large seabird from the booby family Sulidae. It has a pantropical range and can be found in many areas of the world.
This bird lives in flocks and forages by plunging into shallow waters to catch small fish that are driven near the surface by predators or storms.
The brown booby is known for its short wings, which make it highly maneuverable when hunting; this allows it to pursue prey quickly with sudden turns and dives.
Its diet also includes squid, crustaceans, eggs of other birds, and scraps from boats or ships they may come across while flying around coastlines.
They sometimes rest on floating objects during their long flights over open water between islands or continents.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Suliformes |
| Family | Sulidae |
| Genus | Sula |
| Species | S. leucogaster |
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3. Great Cormorant
The Great Cormorant is a large seabird belonging to the Cormorant family. It has many names, including Black Shag in New Zealand and Large Cormorant in India.
Its striking black feathers make it easy to recognize along coastlines or near bodies of water. The bird can measure up to 1 meter long with a wingspan of around two meters and weighs roughly 3 kilograms.
In flight, its neck is stretched out straight ahead while its bill points downwards – an unmistakable sight for any keen observer.
Cormorants are strong swimmers and excellent divers, frequently going underwater for food, such as fish or crustaceans that they scavenge from the ocean floor.
They live primarily on coasts but have also been seen inland where suitable waterways are available – providing another opportunity for nature lovers hoping to catch a glimpse of this impressive species.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Suliformes |
| Family | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Genus | Phalacrocorax |
| Species | P. carbo |
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4. Wilson’s Storm Petrel
Wilson’s storm petrel is a small seabird of the Oceanitidae family. A circumpolar species, it can be found in both northern and southern hemispheres during summertime.
Its abundance population is estimated to be around 20 million birds as of 2022, making it one of Earth’s most populous bird species.
This nocturnal creature loves to feed on crustaceans, fish eggs, and larval fishes that they catch while flying over open waters near coasts or islands at night.
During daylight hours, Wilson’s Storm Petrel will rest in large groups and form colonies with fellow members for protection against predators like gulls and skuas, which steal their food supplies if given the opportunity.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Oceanitidae |
| Genus | Oceanites |
| Species | O. oceanicus |
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5. Albatrosses
Albatrosses are majestic, large seabirds belonging to the Diomedeidae family in the Procellariiformes order.
These birds have impressive wingspan and can fly far over oceans with minimal effort.
They inhabit all of the world’s southern oceans, ranging from Antarctica to New Zealand and Australia, and parts of the northern Pacific Ocean region.
Albatross populations were once abundant throughout much of their range, but they now face threats such as longline fishing gear entanglement, which has caused a significant decline in numbers in some areas.
Furthermore, occasional vagrants have been found outside their native ranges, including fossil remains suggesting that albatrosses previously existed in other regions, too.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Diomedeidae G.R. Gray 1840[1] |
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6. Magenta Petrel
The magenta petrel is a rare and endangered species of seabird found exclusively on Chatham Island, New Zealand.
It has an unmistakable plumage with a brownish-grey head, neck, and upper breast, while the underparts are white.
This medium-sized petrel was believed to be extinct for over 100 years until its rediscovery in the 1970s, when conservation efforts began to help protect it from extinction.
The bird’s diet consists mainly of small fish caught by surface feeding or midwater plunging dives at night when they also perform their courtship flights and display aerial singing behavior.
For many years now, local communities have been working hard towards protecting this special species, which remains one of the world’s rarest birds today
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Genus | Pterodroma |
| Species | P. magentae |
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7. White-Tailed Tropicbird
The White-tailed Tropicbird is a beautiful seabird that lives in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
It is the smallest member of its order Phaethontiformes, measuring only 28 inches from head to tail.
Its wingspan can reach up to 45 inches wide. The bird has white plumage with black markings on its wings and tail feathers.
It also has an unmistakable long streamer, which trails out behind them when they are in flight – a characteristic feature for all tropicbirds.
They nest mainly on remote islands throughout their range but have also recently begun nesting on Little Tobago.
These birds feed primarily off flying fish or squid near the ocean’s surface during daylight hours before returning back home at nightfall.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Phaethontiformes |
| Family | Phaethontidae |
| Genus | Phaethon |
| Species | P. lepturus |
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8. Lesser Frigatebird
The Lesser Frigatebird is a seabird of the Fregatidae family and is known to be the smallest species in this group. It has brownish-black plumage, long, narrow wings, and a forked tail.
This bird inhabits tropical and subtropical regions across the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, as well as off Brazil’s Atlantic Coast.
It feeds on fish taken from surface water or by plunge diving while flying low over shallow waters.
Its primary breeding grounds are located around islands with steep cliffs where it builds its nests out of twigs and grasses high up near ledges or crevices.
The lesser frigatebird can live for about 25 years due to their strong aerodynamic abilities, which allow them to glide through air currents effortlessly, thus conserving energy during flights that last days at a time.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Suliformes |
| Family | Fregatidae |
| Genus | Fregata |
| Species | F. ariel |
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9. Red-Tailed Tropicbird
The Red-tailed Tropicbird is an exotic seabird found in tropical areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It has a striking appearance, with mostly white feathers and a black mask covering its eyes.
Its bright red bill makes it stand out against its pale plumage. Both males and females have similar looks to one another – unlike many other bird species where the male looks significantly different from that of the female.
As described by Pieter Boddaert in 1783, this impressive bird can be seen soaring through tropical skies, looking for food alone or within small flocks made up of several individuals at once.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Phaethontiformes |
| Family | Phaethontidae |
| Genus | Phaethon |
| Species | P. rubricauda |
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10. Red-Footed Booby
The Red-footed Booby is a large seabird of the Sulidae family, easily distinguished by its bright red feet. These birds are strong and agile fliers but can be clumsy in takeoffs and landings.
They live mostly in tropical areas and breed colonially on coastal islands worldwide.
The species faces few threats from either nature or humans, however their population has decreased slightly due to disturbances near breeding sites.
Despite this mild decline, they remain an incredibly common sight across many parts of the tropics – so much so that they have become symbolic of island life.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Suliformes |
| Family | Sulidae |
| Genus | Sula |
| Species | S. sula |
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11. White Tern
The White tern, also known as the common white tern or Fairy Tern, is a small seabird species found across tropical oceans worldwide.
Known for its elegance and beauty by humans and other animals alike, these birds are mesmerizing with snow-white feathers.
They can be seen soaring in high altitudes or circling around ships at sea looking for food. The Hawaiian name ‘manu-o-Kū’ translates to ‘bird of heaven,’ reflecting how majestic this bird looks when it flies through the sky.
These lovely creatures often breed on isolated islands away from predators, along with another smaller species called Little White Terns (Gygis microrhyncha).
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Gygis |
| Species | G. alba |
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12. Wedge-Tailed Shearwater
The wedge-tailed shearwater is a medium-large seabird found in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is one of several species called muttonbirds and the sooty and short-tailed shearwaters.
These birds have long wings that allow them to soar for extended periods over large bodies of water while searching for food, such as fish, squid, crustaceans, cephalopods, and other marine invertebrates.
During mating season, they nest on islands or small sandy beaches where both parents take turns caring for their chicks until they fledge at around two months old.
Wedge-tailed are an important part of many island cultures that traditionally hunt these birds during certain times of the year when populations peak due to migration patterns.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Genus | Ardenna |
| Species | A. pacifica |
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13. Cape Petrel
The Cape petrel is a seabird from the Procellariidae family that lives in the Southern Ocean. It is the only species of its genus with many allies, including fulmarine and giant petrels.
This species is abundant, with an estimated population of around two million individuals. Its plumage consists mainly of dark grey on top and white underneath, making it easily identifiable when flying overhead or perched atop rocks along shorelines.
They usually feed at night while searching for fish, crustaceans, squid, and other marine life near surface waters, using their strong sense of smell to find prey in low-light conditions.
Cape Petrels are often seen gathering into large flocks as they migrate between Antarctic seas during winter months before returning home to breed during summertime where they form large colonies along coastlines throughout southern oceans such as New Zealand’s South Island coasts.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Genus | Daption Stephens, 1826 |
| Species | D. capense |
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14. White-Chinned Petrel
The White-chinned Petrel is a large seabird belonging to the Procellariidae family. It can be found in oceans around the Southern Hemisphere, ranging from Australia to Peru and Namibia.
These birds breed colonially on scattered islands, sometimes called Cape hens or Shoemakers.
Their unique white chins distinguish them from other petrels, such as their former species, the Spectacled Petrel.
Their wingspan averages about 115 cm across and travel up to 4400 km during migration season.
The White-chinned Petrel feeds mainly on small fish, squid, and zooplankton; it dives into the ocean for its prey using its strong webbed feet.
This species has an impressive lifespan of more than 35 years – making these majestic creatures some of our oldest avian companions.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Genus | Procellaria |
| Species | P. aequinoctialis |
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15. Broad-Billed Prion
The Broad-billed Prion is an impressive seabird with a wingspan of up to 28 inches. Its grey upperparts are contrasted by white underparts, and both sexes look alike.
It inhabits the southeast Atlantic Ocean, near the Antarctic Convergence, all the way to New Zealand.
They breed mainly on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Islands in the South Atlantic and South Pacific areas, such as Macquarie Island, Chatham Islands, Auckland Islands, etc.
During breeding season, they build their nests out of vegetation or mud burrows dug into cliffsides or slopes.
These birds eat crustaceans and small fish, which they catch while flying low over surface water at night along coastlines.
Their population numbers have been decreasing due to marine pollution caused by human activities like fishing trawlers that often discard plastic materials, which can cause entanglement for these birds, leading them towards death unless rescued quickly enough.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Genus | Pachyptila |
| Species | P. vittata |
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16. White-Headed Petrel
The White-headed Petrel is an adorable seabird from the petrel family Procellariidae. It has a length of about 400 mm (16 in) and can be found on subantarctic islands where it breeds either alone or colonially in burrows dug among tussocks and fields.
The diet mainly comprises cephalopods and crustaceans, which they feed upon pelagically.
These birds have white heads with dark eyes surrounded by a circular black patch near their bill; the rest of their body is greyish blue except for their wings, which are black-edged with silver-grey tips.
They tend to use dynamic soaring during migration when flying long distances over water and land while searching for food sources along their route.
In addition, they also rely heavily on winds blowing from east to west across oceans because they can fly further faster while conserving energy simultaneously.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Genus | Pterodroma |
| Species | P. lessonii |
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17. Great Frigatebird
The Great Frigatebird is a large seabird found in tropical regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the South Atlantic.
It can grow up to 105 cm long with black plumage, making it one of the largest frigatebirds around.
The species also exhibits sexual dimorphism; males have bright red throat pouches, while females have white or grey ones instead.
These birds nest in colonies on islands or near coastal areas, feeding off fish schools, squid, and other marine life that they snatch from their dive-bombing prey.
They are adept at soaring for hours above oceanic waters, searching for food sources below them before diving into shallow water to catch unsuspecting meals.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Suliformes |
| Family | Fregatidae |
| Genus | Fregata |
| Species | F. minor |
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18. Pacific Golden Plover
The Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva) is an attractive migratory shorebird known for its breeding habits in Alaska and Siberia.
During the non-breeding season, these medium-sized birds migrate widely across the Pacific.
It was formally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789 as part of his revised edition of Carl Linnaeus’s Systema Naturae.
The species has a unique yellowish coloration with dark markings on their wings and back, which gives them splendid camouflage against coastal rocks or sand beaches during migration periods.
They are omnivorous feeders who primarily eat insects, small crustaceans, worms, and plant material like seeds or berries found along coastlines while migrating through various islands such as Hawaii, New Zealand, etc. A remarkable bird that possesses both beauty and resilience.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Charadriidae |
| Genus | Pluvialis |
| Species | P. fulva |
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19. Sooty Shearwater
The sooty shearwater is a medium-large seabird in the Procellariidae family. Like its relatives, it is also known as tītī in New Zealand and muttonbird.
Johann Friedrich formally described the bird in 1789.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Genus | Ardenna |
| Species | A. grisea |
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20. Short-Tailed Shearwater
The Short-tailed Shearwater, also known as the Slender-billed Shearwater or Muttonbird, is a migratory seabird species that is native to Australia. It is the most common seabird in Australian waters and is commercially harvested for its chicks.
The bird mainly breeds on small offshore islands and feeds on fish, squid, and zooplankton. Its distinctive call can be heard from far away as it flies low over the ocean.
The Short-tailed Shearwater is an important species for both the ecosystem and the economy, providing food for predators such as foxes and eagles and supporting a small-scale commercial fishery.
The species faces threats from climate change, pollution, and overfishing, highlighting the need for conservation efforts to protect this important bird.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Genus | Ardenna |
| Species | A. tenuirostris |
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Conclusion
The Welcome Islands have proven to be a true birdwatcher’s paradise, offering a remarkable diversity of avian species for enthusiasts to discover and admire.
Our journey through these unique islands has provided a glimpse into the rich tapestry of birdlife, from the vibrant plumage of the Welcome Parrot to the graceful flight of the Silver-winged Tern.
Exploring various habitats, we’ve witnessed the importance of these islands as critical stopover points for migratory birds, highlighting the need for their conservation.
As we conclude our birdwatching adventure in the Welcome Islands, it is evident that these pristine ecosystems deserve protection.
Our encounters with these 20 bird species remind us of the natural wonders that await those who appreciate the beauty and wonder of avian life.
It is our responsibility to ensure the preservation of these habitats, fostering a continued haven for both resident and migratory birds and ensuring that future generations can revel in the splendor of this avian haven.