Master Bird List for Vanuatu Go back

This master list is based on Bregulla's (1992) and simplified. The recent records column shows the number of records for a species in our database. Our current Vanuatu list is a more concise summary of birds likely to be seen in Vanuatu today (ie birds with records in our database).

English common names, scientific names and sequence from Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).
Restricted range (rr) and red list data (NT=Near threatened, VU=Vulnerable, EN=Endangered, CR=Critically endangered) from BirdLife (2004b, 2004c, 2007). CITES data (App I, App II, App III) from CITES appendices (2003). Restricted range species are landbirds with a global breeding range less than 50,000 km2 (BirdLife, 2004a). Number of species listed = 116

English name Scientific name Status in Vanuatu Conservation Status Recent Records
Vanuatu Scrubfowl Megapodius layardi Endemic species rr , VU 86
Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus Introduced species 92
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa Breeds in Vanuatu 27
Grey Teal Anas gracilis Breeds in Vanuatu 2
Hardhead Aythya australis Breeds in Vanuatu 15
Chestnut-bellied Kingfisher Todirhamphus farquhari Endemic species rr , VU 51
Collared Kingfisher Todirhamphus chloris Breeds in Vanuatu 455
Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis Breeds in Vanuatu 0
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus Breeds in Vanuatu 41
Long-tailed Koel Eudynamys taitensis Non-breeding regular visitor 0
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus Breeds in Vanuatu App II 374
Palm Lorikeet Charmosyna palmarum Breeds in Vanuatu rr , VU , App II 30
Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta Breeds in Vanuatu 421
White-rumped Swiftlet Collocalia spodiopygius Breeds in Vanuatu 0
Uniform Swiftlet Collocalia vanikorensis Breeds in Vanuatu 34
Barn Owl Tyto alba Breeds in Vanuatu App II 21
Metallic Pigeon Columba vitiensis Breeds in Vanuatu 70
Mackinlay's Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia mackinlayi Breeds in Vanuatu 128
Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica Breeds in Vanuatu 313
Santa Cruz Ground-Dove Gallicolumba santaecrusis Breeds in Vanuatu rr , EN 0
Tanna Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus tannensis Endemic species rr , NT 178
Red-bellied Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus greyii Breeds in Vanuatu rr 439
Pacific Imperial-Pigeon Ducula pacifica Breeds in Vanuatu 306
Baker's Imperial-Pigeon Ducula bakeri Endemic species rr , VU 18
Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis Breeds in Vanuatu 94
Spotless Crake Porzana tabuensis Breeds in Vanuatu 0
White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea Breeds in Vanuatu 0
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Breeds in Vanuatu 17
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Non-breeding regular visitor 11
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Non-breeding regular visitor 36
Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis Vagrant species 0
Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos Non-breeding regular visitor 5
Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes Non-breeding regular visitor 21
Wandering Tattler Tringa incana Non-breeding regular visitor 44
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Non-breeding regular visitor 22
Rufous-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis Vagrant species 0
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata Non-breeding regular visitor 3
Beach Thick-Knee Burhinus giganteus Breeds in Vanuatu NT 0
South Island Oystercatcher Haematopus finschi Vagrant species 0
Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva Non-breeding regular visitor 47
Mongolian Plover Charadrius mongolus Non-breeding regular visitor 1
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii Non-breeding irregular visitor 4
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles Status uncertain 1
Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae Vagrant species 0
Great Crested Tern Sterna bergii Breeds in Vanuatu? 41
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii Vagrant species 0
Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana Breeds in Vanuatu 5
Common Tern Sterna hirundo Vagrant species 0
Little Tern Sterna albifrons Non-breeding irregular visitor 4
Fairy Tern Sterna nereis Not recorded 0
Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata Breeds in Vanuatu 0
Brown Noddy Anous stolidus Status uncertain 0
Black Noddy Anous minutus Status uncertain 0
Common White Tern Gygis alba Status uncertain 0
Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus Vagrant species 0
Swamp Harrier Circus approximans Breeds in Vanuatu 82
Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus Breeds in Vanuatu 9
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Breeds in Vanuatu App I 13
Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae Breeds in Vanuatu 15
Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda Breeds in Vanuatu? 1
White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus Breeds in Vanuatu 0
Masked Booby Sula dactylatra Status uncertain 0
Red-footed Booby Sula sula Breeds in Vanuatu? 0
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster Breeds in Vanuatu 6
Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos Non-breeding regular visitor 0
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae Breeds in Vanuatu? 6
Pacific Reef-Egret Egretta sacra Breeds in Vanuatu 84
Great Egret Casmerodius albus Vagrant species 2
Striated Heron Butorides striatus Breeds in Vanuatu 9
Rufous Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus Vagrant species 0
Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus Vagrant species 0
Great Frigatebird Fregata minor Vagrant species 0
Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel Breeds in Vanuatu 4
Tahiti Petrel Pterodroma rostrata Vagrant species NT 0
White-necked Petrel Pterodroma cervicalis Status uncertain VU 0
Gould's Petrel Pterodroma leucoceptera Non-breeding regular visitor VU 0
Collared Petrel Pterodroma brevipes Breeds in Vanuatu? NT 1
Antarctic Prion Pachyptila desolata Vagrant species 0
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus Breeds in Vanuatu 10
Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris Passage migrant 0
Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia Vagrant species 0
Audubon's Shearwater Puffinus lherminieri Breeds in Vanuatu 2
Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans Vagrant species VU 0
Wilson's Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus Vagrant species 0
Black-bellied Storm-Petrel Fregetta tropica Vagrant species 0
Polynesian Storm-Petrel Nesofregetta fuliginosa Breeds in Vanuatu? VU 0
Cardinal Myzomela Myzomela cardinalis Breeds in Vanuatu rr 359
Dark-brown Honeyeater Lichmera incana Breeds in Vanuatu rr 145
New Hebrides Honeyeater Phylidonyris notabilis Endemic species rr 60
Fan-tailed Gerygone Gerygone flavolateralis Breeds in Vanuatu rr 67
Scarlet Robin Petroica multicolor Breeds in Vanuatu 64
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis Breeds in Vanuatu 235
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus Breeds in Vanuatu 78
Melanesian Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina caledonica Breeds in Vanuatu rr 73
Polynesian Triller Lalage maculosa Breeds in Vanuatu rr 7
Long-tailed Triller Lalage leucopyga Breeds in Vanuatu rr 216
Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa Breeds in Vanuatu 293
Streaked Fantail Rhipidura spilodera Breeds in Vanuatu rr 157
Buff-bellied Monarch Neolalage banksiana Endemic species rr 124
Southern Shrikebill Clytorhynchus pachycephaloides Breeds in Vanuatu rr 35
Melanesian Flycatcher Myiagra caledonica Breeds in Vanuatu rr 308
Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus Breeds in Vanuatu 36
Rusty-winged Starling Aplonis zelandica Breeds in Vanuatu rr , NT 3
Mountain Starling Aplonis santovestris Endemic species rr , VU 0
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Introduced species 106
Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica Breeds in Vanuatu 52
Silver-Eye Zosterops lateralis Breeds in Vanuatu 247
Yellow-fronted White-Eye Zosterops flavifrons Vagrant species rr 434
Guadalcanal Thicketbird Megalurulus whitneyi Breeds in Vanuatu rr , NT 4
House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced species 6
Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Introduced species 10
Red-browed Firetail Neochmia temporalis Introduced species 0
Blue-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura trichroa Breeds in Vanuatu 12
Royal Parrotfinch Erythrura regia Endemic species rr , VU 7
Black-headed Munia Lonchura malacca Introduced species 35
Chestnut-breasted Munia Lonchura castaneothorax Introduced species 1
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