This is a list of the bird species recorded in Ashmore Reef. The territory comprises Ashmore Reef, which includes West, Middle, and East islands, two lagoons, and Cartier Reef, which includes Cartier Island. The avifauna of Ashmore Reef include a 174 species, of which 1 has been introduced by humans.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Ashmore Reef.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Ashmore Reef (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Ashmore Reef as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
Magpie goose Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anseranatidae
The family contains a single species, the magpie goose. It was an early and distinctive offshoot of the anseriform family tree, diverging after the screamers and before all other ducks, geese and swans, sometime in the late Cretaceous.
Magpie goose, Anseranas semipalmata
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These are adapted for an aquatic existence, with webbed feet, bills that are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.
Hardhead, Aythya australis (A)
Pigeons and doves Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Peaceful dove, Geopelia placida Nicobar pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica (A) Rose-crowned fruit-dove, Ptilinopus regina
Cuckoos Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Lesser coucal, Centropus bengalensis (A) Pacific koel, Eudynamys orientalis Channel-billed cuckoo, Scythrops novaehollandiae Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo, Chrysococcyx basalis Black-eared cuckoo, Chrysococcyx osculans Shining bronze-cuckoo, Chrysococcyx lucidus Little bronze-cuckoo, Chrysococcyx minutillus (A) Pallid cuckoo, Cacomantis pallidus Brush cuckoo, Cacomantis variolosus Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus optatus
Nightjars and allies Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Large-tailed nightjar, Caprimulgus macrurus
Swifts Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus White-nest swiftlet, Aerodramus fuciphagus (A) Pacific swift, Apus pacificus House swift, Apus affinis (A)
Rails, gallinules, and coots Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea (A) White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus (A) Red-legged crake, Rallina fasciata (A)
Thick-knees Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Beach thick-knee, Esacus magnirostris
Stilts and avocets Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin straight bills.
Pied stilt, Himantopus leucocephalus
Plovers and lapwings Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii Red-capped plover, Charadrius ruficapillus (A) Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus
Sandpipers and allies Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Little curlew, Numenius minutus Far Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris Red knot, Calidris canutus Broad-billed sandpiper, Calidris falcinellus Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea Long-toed stint, Calidris subminuta Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina (A) Little stint, Calidris minuta (A) Asian dowitcher, Limnodromus semipalmatus Swinhoe's snipe, Gallinago megala (A) Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (A) Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos Gray-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola Common redshank, Tringa totanus (A)
Buttonquail Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Turnicidae
The buttonquail are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young.
Red-backed buttonquail, Turnix maculosa (A)
Pratincoles and coursers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings, and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings, and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.
Australian pratincole, Stiltia isabella Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum
Skuas and jaegers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus (A) Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (A) Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus (A)
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.
Brown noddy, Anous stolidus Black noddy, Anous minutus Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris White tern, Gygis alba Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus Little tern, Sternula albifrons Gull-billed tern, Gelochelidon nilotica White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus Whiskered tern, Chlidonias hybrida (A) Roseate tern, Sterna dougallii Common tern, Sternula hirundo Arctic tern, Sternula paradisaea (A) Great crested tern, Thalasseus bergii Lesser crested tern, Thalasseus bengalensis
Tropicbirds Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does the head.
White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus Red-billed tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus (A) Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda
Southern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The southern storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus
Northern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.
Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous (A) Swinhoe's storm-petrel, Hydrobates monorhis (A) Matsudaira's storm-petrel, Hydrobates matsudairae
Shearwaters and petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium nasal septum, and a long outer functional primary flight feather.
Trindade petrel, Pterodroma arminjoniana (A) Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii (A) Jouanin's petrel, Bulweria fallax (A) Tahiti petrel, Pseudobulweria rostrata Streaked shearwater, Calonectris leucomelas Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacifica Hutton's shearwater, Puffinus huttoni
Frigatebirds Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black, or black-and-white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.
Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel Great frigatebird, Fregata minor
Boobies and gannets Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Masked booby, Sula dactylatra