This is a list of the bird species of Easter Island. The avifauna of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) include 51 species, of which 6 have 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 found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Easter Island.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. 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 on Easter Island Extinct - a species extinct to Easter Island (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Easter Island as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions (Ex) Extirpated - a species that no longer occurs in Easter Island although populations exist elsewhere
Tinamous Order: TinamiformesFamily: Tinamidae
Tinamous are a type of ground-dwelling bird that resemble landfowl. Despite the similarity, they are only distantly related. Tinamous are actually a ratite, a group of birds that includes ostriches, kiwis, and moas. While traditionally excluded from the group, this was later disproved by genetic evidence. Unlike other ratites, tinamous possess a keel and are still capable of flight. However, they only do this as a last resort, preferring to stay on the ground.
Common name Binomial Notes Chilean tinamou Nothoprocta perdicaria (I)
Pheasants, grouse, and allies Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.
Common name Binomial Notes Red junglefowl Gallus gallus (I)
Pigeons and doves Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Common name Binomial Notes Rock pigeon Columba livia (I)
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.
Common name Binomial Notes Easter Island crake Porzana sp. †Extinct Easter Island rail gen. et sp. indet. †Extinct
Plovers and lapwings Order: TinamiformesFamily: 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.
Common name Binomial Notes Pacific golden-plover Pluvialis fulva (A)
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.
Common name Binomial Notes Bristle-thighed curlew Numenius tahitiensis (A) Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus (A) Sharp-tailed sandpiper Calidris acuminata (A) Sanderling Caldris alba (A) Wandering tattler Tringa incana (A)
Skuas and jaegers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with gray 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.
Common name Binomial Notes Pomarine jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus (A)
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, terns and skimmers. Gulls are typically gray or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have 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.
Common name Binomial Notes Franklin's gull Leucophaeus pipixcan (A) Brown noddy Anous stolidus Gray noddy Anous albivitta White tern Gygis alba Sooty tern Onychoprion fuscatus Gray-backed tern Onychoprion lunatus Inca tern Larosterna inca (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.
Common name Binomial Notes White-tailed tropicbird Phaethon lepturus Red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda
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.
Common name Binomial Notes Chatham albatross Thalassarche eremita Black-browed albatross Thalassarche melanophris (A)
Shearwaters and petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterized by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Common name Binomial Notes Southern giant-petrel Macronectes giganteus (A) Northern giant-petrel Macronectes halli (A) Cape petrel Daption capense (A) Kermadec petrel Pterodroma neglecta Herald petrel Pterodroma heraldica Murphy's petrel Pterodroma ultima (A) Henderson petrel Pterodroma atrata Black-winged petrel Pterodroma nigripennis (A) Phoenix petrel Pterodroma alba (A) Wedge-tailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica (A) Christmas shearwater Puffinus nativitatis Tropical shearwater Puffinus bailloni (A)
Frigatebirds Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black-and-white, or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colored 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.
Common name Binomial Notes Great frigatebird Fregata minor
Boobies and gannets Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Common name Binomial Notes Masked booby Sula dactylatra Peruvian booby Sula variegata (A) Brown booby Sula leucogaster Red-footed booby Sula sula (A)
Herons, egrets, and bitterns Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.
Common name Binomial Notes Pacific reef-heron Egretta sacra (A) Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis (A)
Hawks, eagles, and kites Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.
Common name Binomial Notes Cinereous harrier Circus cinereus (A) Black-chested buzzard-eagle Geranoaetus melanoleucus
Barn-owls Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. One species has been recorded in Colombia.
Common name Binomial Notes Barn owl Tyto alba (Ex)
Falcons and caracaras Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
Common name Binomial Notes Chimango caracara Milvago chimango (I)
Wrens Order: PasseriformesFamily: Troglodytidae
The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.
Common name Binomial Notes House wren Troglodytes aedon (A)
Old World sparrows Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or gray birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Common name Binomial Notes House sparrow Passer domesticus (I)
New World sparrows Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passerellidae
Most of the species are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many of these have distinctive head patterns.
Common name Binomial Notes Rufous-collared sparrow Zonotrichia capensis (A)
Troupials and allies Order: PasseriformesFamily: Icteridae
The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. Most species have black as the predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red.
Common name Binomial Notes Long-tailed meadowlark Leistes loyca (Ex) Austral blackbird Curaeus curaeus
Tanagers and allies Order: PasseriformesFamily: Thraupidae
The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly colored. As a family they are omnivorous, but individual species specialize in eating fruits, seeds, insects, or other types of food. Most have short, rounded wings.
Common name Binomial Notes Diuca finch Diuca diuca (I)
See also List of birds of Chile List of birds Lists of birds by region
References Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World, Easter Island A. Jaramillo, M. T. J Johnson, C. J. Rothfels & R. A. Johnson. 2008. The native and exotic avifauna of Easter Island: then and now. Boletín Chileno de Ornitología, 14 (1): 8-21.