This is a list of the bird species recorded on Saint Helena. The avifauna of Saint Helena Island include a total of 209 species. Only one endemic species survives today, the Saint Helena plover. Several more endemics are extinct and known only from subfossil remains: the Saint Helena petrel, Olson's petrel, Saint Helena shearwater, Saint Helena crake, Saint Helena rail, Saint Helena dove, Saint Helena cuckoo and Saint Helena hoopoe. At least five non-endemics have been extirpated from Saint Helena but still occur elsewhere. 34 species have been introduced by humans and formed established breeding populations while many more species were introduced in the past but failed to become established.
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 found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Saint Helena.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories, but not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring native species.
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Saint Helena (E) Endemic - a species endemic to Saint Helena (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Saint Helena as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions (Ex) Extirpated - a species that no longer breeds in Saint Helena although populations exist elsewhere (X) Extinct - a species that was formerly endemic to Saint Helena but has now been wiped out
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor Knob-billed duck, Sarkidiornis melanotos (A) Yellow-billed teal, Anas flavirostris (A)
Guineafowl Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae
Guineafowl are a group of African, seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage.
Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris (I)
Pheasants, grouse, and allies
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls and junglefowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (I) Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus (I) Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus (I) Gray francolin, Ortygornis pondicerianus (I) Common quail, Coturnix coturnix (I) Chukar, Alectoris chukar (I) Rock partridge, Alectoris graeca (I) Cape francolin, Pternistis capensis (I) Red-necked francolin, Pternistis afer (I)
Grebes Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Little grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis
Pigeons and doves
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I) Malagasy turtle-dove, Nesoenas picturatus (I) Zebra dove, Geopelia striata (I) Saint Helena dove, Dysmoropelia dekarchiskos (X)
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.
Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (A) St. Helena cuckoo, Nannococcyx psix (X) Common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus (A)
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.
Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (A) Eurasian nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus (A)
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.
Common swift, Apus apus (A) Little swift, Apus affinis (A)
Rails, crakes, and gallinules
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.
Corn crake, Crex crex (A) St. Helena crake, Zapornia astrictocarpus (X) Paint-billed crake, Mustelirallus erythrops (A) Spotted crake, Porzana porzana (A) Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus Red-gartered coot, Fulica armillata (A) Red-knobbed coot, Fulica cristata Allen's gallinule, Porphyrio alleni (A) Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus (A) African swamphen, Porphyrio madagascariensis St. Helena rail, Aphanocrex podarces (X)
Sheathbills Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Chionididae
The sheathbills are scavengers of the Antarctic regions. They have white plumage and look plump and dove-like but are believed to be similar to the ancestors of the modern gulls and terns.
Snowy sheathbill, Chionis albus (A)
Oystercatchers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus (A)
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 (A) Blacksmith lapwing, Vanellus armatus (A) Greater sand-plover, Anarhynchus leschenaultii (A) Kittlitz's plover, Anarhynchus pecuarius Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (A) St. Helena plover (known locally as the wirebird), Anarhynchus sanctaehelenae (E) Rufous-chested dotterel, Zonibyx modestus (A)
Jacanas Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
The jacanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.
African jacana, Actophilornis africanus
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.
Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (A) Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus (A) Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica (A) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres (A) Red knot, Calidris canutus (A) Ruff, Calidris pugnax (A) Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata (A) Sanderling, Calidris alba Little stint, Calidris minuta (A) White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis (A) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (A) Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla (A) Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius (A) Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos (A) Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius (A) Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus (A) Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (A) Spotted redshank, Tringa erythropus (A) Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia (A) Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes (A) Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola (A) Common redshank, Tringa totanus (A)
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.
Great skua, Stercorarius skua (A) Brown skua, Stercorarius antarctica Chilean skua, Stercorarius chilensis (A) South polar skua, Stercorarius maccormicki (A) 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.
Franklin's gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan (A) Kelp gull, Larus dominicanus (A) Brown noddy, Anous stolidus Black noddy, Anous minutus Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris White tern, Gygis alba Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea (A) Antarctic tern, Sterna vittata (A)
Tropicbirds
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.
White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus (A) Red-billed tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda (A)
Penguins Order: SphenisciformesFamily: Spheniscidae
The penguins are a group of flightless aquatic birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of marine life caught while swimming underwater.
King penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus (A) Gentoo penguin, Pygoscelis papua (A) Chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis antarcticus (A) African penguin, Spheniscus demersus Macaroni penguin, Eudyptes chrysolophus (A) Western rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome Moseley's rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes moseleyi (A)
Albatrosses Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.
Yellow-nosed albatross, Thalassarche chlororhynchos (A) Gray-headed albatross, Thalassarche chrysostoma White-capped albatross, Thalassarche cauta Salvin's albatross, Thalassarche salvini Black-browed albatross, Thalassarche melanophris (A) Sooty albatross, Phoebetria fusca (A) Light-mantled albatross, Phoebetria palpebrata Wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans (A)
Southern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae