The terrestrial fauna of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is depauperate because of the small land area of the islands, their lack of diverse habitats, and their isolation from large land-masses. However, the fauna dependent on marine resources is much richer.
Birds As a small and isolated group of islands in two atolls apart in the eastern Indian Ocean, the number of species of resident landbirds (as opposed to seabirds and waders) is very small. These comprise the endemic subspecies of buff-banded rail, the introduced green junglefowl and helmeted guineafowl, the white-breasted waterhen, eastern reef egret, nankeen night heron and the introduced Christmas white-eye. Four other introduced species are now extinct in the Islands. Several other landbird species have been recorded occasionally, but none has established a breeding population.
Migratory waders recorded in the islands include some regular visitors as well as vagrants, though none of which breed on the islands. However, North Keeling is important for breeding seabirds, with sizeable numbers of red-footed boobies, great and lesser frigatebirds, common noddies and white terns. Other breeding seabirds include wedge-tailed shearwaters, masked boobies, brown boobies, red-tailed and white-tailed tropicbirds, and sooty terns. It is possible that the herald petrel breeds there as well.
Presumably, before human occupation of the islands in the 19th century, seabirds bred on both atolls. However, with the establishment of a human population and the introduction of rodents to the southern atoll, significant seabird colonies are now restricted to the northern atoll of North Keeling. Although the Cocos islanders used to visit North Keeling regularly to harvest seabirds, this practice largely ceased with the establishment of Pulu Keeling National Park in 1995.
List of birds Phasianidae Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus - feral domestic fowl Green junglefowl, Gallus varius - introduced, breeding Anatidae Pacific black duck, Anas superciliosa - vagrant Green-winged teal, Anas crecca - vagrant Hardhead, Aythya australis - vagrant Procellariidae Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii - vagrant Herald petrel, Pterodroma arminjoniana - possibly breeding Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus - breeding Diomedeidae Yellow-nosed albatross, Thalassarche chlororhynchos - vagrant Phaethontidae White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus - breeding Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda - breeding Sulidae Masked booby, Sula dactylatra - breeding Brown booby, Sula leucogaster - breeding Red-footed booby, Sula sula - breeding Phalacrocoracidae Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo - vagrant Little black cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris - vagrant Little pied cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos - vagrant Fregatidae Christmas frigatebird, Fregata andrewsi - vagrant Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel - breeding Great frigatebird, Fregata minor - breeding Ardeidae Great egret, Ardea alba - vagrant Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis - vagrant Intermediate egret, Ardea intermedia - vagrant Chinese pond-heron, Ardeola bacchus - vagrant Javan pond-heron, Ardeola speciosa - vagrant Striated heron, Butorides striatus - vagrant Little egret, Egretta garzetta - vagrant White-faced heron, Egretta novaehollandiae - vagrant Pacific reef-heron, Egretta sacra - breeding Western reef-heron, Egretta gularis Malayan night-heron, Gorsachius melanolophus - vagrant Nankeen night-heron, Nycticorax caledonicus - breeding Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax - vagrant Black bittern, Ixobrychus flavicollis - vagrant Cinnamon bittern, Ixobrychus cinnamomeus - vagrant Schrenck's bittern, Ixobrychus eurhythmus - vagrant Yellow bittern, Ixobrychus sinensis - vagrant Threskiornithidae Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus - vagrant Phoenicopteridae Greater flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber - vagrant Accipitridae Oriental honey-buzzard, Pernis ptilorhynchus - vagrant Swamp harrier, Circus approximans - vagrant Chinese sparrowhawk, Accipiter soloensis - vagrant Japanese sparrowhawk, Accipiter gularis - vagrant Falconidae Nankeen kestrel, Falco cenchroides - vagrant Rallidae Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus - vagrant White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus - breeding Cocos buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis andrewsi - endemic subspecies Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea - vagrant Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla - vagrant Scolopacidae Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos - regular visitor Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres - regular visitor Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata - vagrant Sanderling, Calidris alba - vagrant Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea - vagrant Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis - vagrant Red knot, Calidris canutus - vagrant Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris - vagrant Pin-tailed snipe, Gallinago stenura - vagrant Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica - vagrant Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa - vagrant Little curlew, Numenius minutus - vagrant Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus - regular visitor Grey-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes - vagrant Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia - regular visitor Common redshank, Tringa totanus - regular visitor Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus - vagrant Recurvirostridae Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus - vagrant Charadriidae Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus - vagrant Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii - vagrant Caspian plover, Charadrius asiaticus - vagrant Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus - vagrant Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva - regular visitor Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola - vagrant Glareolidae Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum - vagrant Laridae Common noddy, Anous stolidus - breeding Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris - vagrant White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus - vagrant White tern, Gygis alba - breeding Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus - vagrant Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus - breeding Common tern, Sterna hirundo - vagrant Lesser crested tern, Thalasseus bergii - vagrant Greater crested tern, Thalasseus bengalensis - vagrant Saunders's tern Sternula saundersi - vagrant Columbidae Christmas imperial pigeon, Ducula whartoni - introduced, extinct Cuculidae Large hawk-cuckoo, Hierococcyx sparverioides - vagrant Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus saturatus - vagrant Indian cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus - vagrant Asian koel, Eudynamys scolopaceus - vagrant Strigidae Buffy fish owl, Ketupa ketupu - vagrant Caprimulgidae Nightjar species, Caprimulgus - vagrant Apodidae Pacific swift, Apus pacificus - vagrant White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus - vagrant Alcedinidae Collared kingfisher, Todiramphus chloris - vagrant Meropidae Rainbow bee-eater, Merops ornatus - vagrant Coraciidae Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis - vagrant Motacillidae Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea - vagrant Yellow wagtail, Motacilla flava - vagrant Passeridae Java sparrow, Padda oryzivora - introduced, extinct Ploceidae Asian golden weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus - introduced, extinct Hirundinidae Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica - regular visitor Tree martin, Petrochelidon nigricans Asian house-martin, Delichon dasypus - vagrant Zosteropidae Christmas white-eye, Zosterops natalis - introduced, breeding Turdidae Christmas thrush, Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus - introduced, extinct Muscicapidae Gray-streaked flycatcher, Muscicapa griseisticta - vagrant Dark-sided flycatcher, Muscicapa sibirica - vagrant Asian brown flycatcher, Muscicapa dauurica - vagrantBirding-Aus mailing list archives Blue-and-white flycatcher, Cyanoptila cyanomelana - vagrant Narcissus flycatcher, Ficedula narcissina - vagrant Mugimaki flycatcher, Ficedula mugimaki - vagrant Blue rock-thrush, Monticola solitarius - vagrant Sturnidae Rosy starling, Pastor roseus - vagrant
Mammals
There are no native land mammals. Two species of rodent, the house mouse and black rat, have been introduced to the southern atoll but are absent from North Keeling. Rabbits were introduced but have become extinct. Two species of Asian deer, the Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), and Sambar (Cervus unicolor), were introduced but did not persist. Marine mammals recorded stranding on, or seen passing by, the islands include: Sirenia Dugong, Dugong dugon – seen in the lagoon of the southern atoll Cetacea Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus – regularly seen Common dolphin, Delphinus delphis – regularly seen Pilot whale, Globicephala species Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
Reptiles Terrestrial reptiles include three geckos and a blind-snake, all of which may have been inadvertently transported to the islands by humans: Gekkonidae Mourning gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris Four-clawed gecko, Gehyra mutilata Common house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus Typhlopidae Brahminy blind snake, Typhlops braminus
Marine reptiles include: Hydrophiidae Yellow-bellied sea snake, Pelamis platurus Banded sea krait, Laticauda colubrina Chelonioidea Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas - breeding Hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata Olive ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta Leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea
Fish Over species of fish have been recorded around the islands.
See also Flora of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands List of mammals of Christmas Island
References Notes
Sources Anon. (2004). Pulu Keeling National Park Management Plan. Australian Government. Birding-Aus Mailing List Archives Carter, Mike. (1994). Birds of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Wingspan 15: 14-18. Gibson-Hill, C.A. (1950). A note on the reptiles occurring on the Cocos-Keeling Islands. Bulletin of the Raffles Museum 22: 206-211. Gibson-Hill, C.A. (1950). Notes on the birds of the Cocos-Keeling Islands. Bulletin of the Raffles Museum 22: 212-270. Gibson-Hill, C.A. (1950). The Muridae of the Cocos-Keeling Islands. Bulletin of the Raffles Museum 22: 271-277. Gibson-Hill, C.A. (1950). A note on the Cetacea stranded on the Cocos-Keeling Islands. Bulletin of the Raffles Museum 22: 278-279. Hadden, Don. (2006). Cocos (Keeling) Island birds. Wingspan 16(4): 34-37. Stokes, Tony, Wendy Shiels and Kevin Dunn (1984). Birds of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. 'The Emu' 84 (1): 23-29. Stokes, Tony and Peter Goh (1987). Records of Herald Petrels and the Christmas Frigatebird from North Keeling Island, Indian Ocean. 'Australian Bird Watcher' 12 (4) 132-133. Woodroffe, Colin D. (Editor) (1994). Ecology and Geomorphology of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. 'Atoll Research Bulletins' 399-414. Compilation of 14 individual papers by different authors published in a single volume. The papers include an introduction to scientific studies on the Islands, and detailed reports o the climate, hydrology and water resources; Late Quaternary Morphology; Geomorphology; Reef Islands; Vegetation; Update on Birds; Marine habitats; Sediment Facies; Hydrodynamic observations; Hermatypic corals; Marine molluscs; Echindoderms; Fishes; Barnacles; and Decapod crustaceans.