Vatthe is good habitat for lowland rainforest birds and the Jordan River, runs through it. The tourist literature often states that something like 80% (around 60) of Vanuatu's land and freshwater bird species have been recorded at Vatthe. A more realistic number is 44 species (Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand). The VanBirds database has recorded 36 species in and around Vatthe including 5 Vanuatu endemics (e):

Vanuatu Scrubfowl Megapodius layardi (e)
Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Chestnut-bellied Kingfisher Todirhamphus farquhari (e)
Collared Kingfisher Todirhamphus chloris
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus
Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta
Uniform Swiftlet Collocalia vanikorensis
Metallic Pigeon Columba vitiensis
Mackinlay's Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia mackinlayi
Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
Tanna Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus tannensis (e)
Red-bellied Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus greyii
Pacific Imperial-Pigeon Ducula pacifica
Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis
Swamp Harrier Circus approximans
Pacific Reef-Egret Egretta sacra
Cardinal Myzomela Myzomela cardinalis
Fan-tailed Gerygone Gerygone flavolateralis
Scarlet Robin Petroica multicolor
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus
Melanesian Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina caledonica
Long-tailed Triller Lalage leucopyga
Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa
Streaked Fantail Rhipidura spilodera
Buff-bellied Monarch Neolalage banksiana (e)
Southern Shrikebill Clytorhynchus pachycephaloides
Melanesian Flycatcher Myiagra caledonica
Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica
Silver-Eye Zosterops lateralis
Yellow-fronted White-Eye Zosterops flavifrons (e)
Black-headed Munia Lonchura malacca

Taxonomy of this list follows Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).
Last updated: October 2011.