This is a list of the bird species recorded on Lord Howe Island. The avifauna of Lord Howe Island, a part of Australia in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, include a total of 214 species.
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 Lord Howe Island.
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 on Lord Howe Island. (E) Endemic - a species endemic to Lord Howe Island (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Lord Howe Island as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions (Ex) Extirpated – a species that no longer occurs in Lord Howe Island although populations exist elsewhere
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.
Plumed whistling-duck, Dendrocygna eytoni Canada goose, Branta canadensis (A) Black swan, Cygnus atratus (A) Australian shelduck, Tadorna tadornoides (A) Paradise shelduck, Tadorna variegata (A) Australian wood duck, Chenonetta jubata (A) Australian shoveler, Spatula rhynchotis Pacific black duck, Anas superciliosa Pacific black duck × mallard hybrid, Anas superciliosa × Anas platyrhynchos Domestic mallard, Anas platyrhynchos domesticus (I) Gray teal, Anas gracilis (A) Chestnut teal, Anas castanea (A)
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.
Australasian grebe, Tachybaptus novaehollandiae (A) Hoary-headed grebe, Poliocephalus poliocephalus (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.
Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I) Metallic pigeon, Columba vitiensis (Ex) Spotted dove, Streptopelia chinensis (A) Pacific emerald dove, Chalcophaps longirostris Brush bronzewing, Phaps elegans (A) Peaceful dove, Geopelia placida (A) Torresian imperial-pigeon, Ducula spilorrhoa
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.
Long-tailed koel, Urodynamis taitensis Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo, Chrysococcyx basalis (A) Shining bronze-cuckoo, Chrysococcyx lucidus Pallid cuckoo, Cacomantis pallidus (A) Fan-tailed cuckoo, Cacomantis flabelliformis (A) Brush cuckoo, Cacomantis variolosus (A) Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus optatus (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.
White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus (A) Pacific swift, Apus pacificus
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.
Lord Howe rail, Gallirallus sylvestris (E) Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis Dusky moorhen, Gallinula tenebrosa (A) Eurasian coot, Fulica atra (A) Australasian swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus Lord Howe swamphen, Porphyrio albus (E) Extinct Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla (A) Spotless crake, Zapornia tabuensis
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 (A)
Oystercatchers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Pied oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris (A) South Island oystercatcher, Haematopus finschi (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) Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva Banded lapwing, Vanellus tricolor (A) Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus (A) Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii (A) Double-banded plover, Charadrius bicinctus Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus (A) Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus (A) Hooded plover, Thinornis cucullatus
Painted-snipes Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rostratulidae
Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured.
Australian painted-snipe, Rostratula australis (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.
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Little curlew, Numenius minutus (A) Far Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (A) Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica (A) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris Red knot, Calidris canutus (A) Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata (A) Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (A) Red-necked stint, Tringa incana Sanderling, Calidris alba Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (A) Latham's snipe, Gallinago hardwickii Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus (A) Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos (A) Gray-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes Wandering tattler, Tringa incana Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis (A) Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola (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 (A) Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum (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.
Brown skua, Stercorarius antarcticus Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus 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.
Silver gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla (A) Kelp gull, Larus dominicanus (A) Brown noddy, Anous stolidus Black noddy, Anous minutus Gray noddy, Anous albivitta White tern, Gygis alba Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus Little tern, Sternula albifrons (A) Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (A) White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus (A) White-fronted tern, Sterna striata Black-naped tern, Sterna sumatrana (A) Common tern, Sterna hirundo (A) Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea (A) Great crested tern, Thalasseus bergii (A)
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 (A) Red-billed tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus (A) Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda
Penguins Order: SphenisciformesFamily: Spheniscidae
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Only one species, the little penguin, breeds on the Australian coast.
Little penguin, Eudyptula minor Southern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome (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 Buller's albatross, Thalassarche bulleri White-capped albatross, Thalassarche cauta Black-browed albatross, Thalassarche melanophris Wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans (A)
Southern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The southern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus White-faced storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina White-bellied storm-petrel, Fregetta grallaria New Zealand storm-petrel, Fregetta maoriana Black-bellied storm-petrel, Fregetta tropica
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.
Band-rumped storm-petrel, Hydrobates castro (A)
Shearwaters and petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Southern giant-petrel, Macronectes giganteus Northern giant-petrel, Macronectes halli Cape petrel, Daption capense (A) Great-winged petrel, Pterodroma macroptera Gray-faced petrel, Pterodroma gouldi (A) Kermadec petrel, Pterodroma neglecta Providence petrel, Pterodroma solandri White-headed petrel, Pterodroma lessonii (A)