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 = 120

English name Scientific name Status in Vanuatu Conservation Status Recent Records
Vanuatu Scrubfowl Megapodius layardi Endemic species rr , VU 101
Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus Introduced species 96
Mallard Anas platyrhyncos Introduced species 2
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa Breeds in Vanuatu 32
Grey Teal Anas gracilis Breeds in Vanuatu 2
Hardhead Aythya australis Breeds in Vanuatu 19
Chestnut-bellied Kingfisher Todirhamphus farquhari Endemic species rr , VU 58
Collared Kingfisher Todirhamphus chloris Breeds in Vanuatu 540
Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis Breeds in Vanuatu 1
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus Breeds in Vanuatu 44
Long-tailed Koel Eudynamys taitensis Non-breeding regular visitor 0
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus Breeds in Vanuatu App II 463
Palm Lorikeet Charmosyna palmarum Breeds in Vanuatu rr , VU , App II 56
Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta Breeds in Vanuatu 504
White-rumped Swiftlet Collocalia spodiopygius Breeds in Vanuatu 0
Uniform Swiftlet Collocalia vanikorensis Breeds in Vanuatu 54
Barn Owl Tyto alba Breeds in Vanuatu App II 27
Metallic Pigeon Columba vitiensis Breeds in Vanuatu 75
Mackinlay's Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia mackinlayi Breeds in Vanuatu 153
Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica Breeds in Vanuatu 382
Santa Cruz Ground-Dove Gallicolumba santaecrusis Breeds in Vanuatu rr , EN 1
Tanna Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus tannensis Endemic species rr , NT 222
Red-bellied Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus greyii Breeds in Vanuatu rr 535
Pacific Imperial-Pigeon Ducula pacifica Breeds in Vanuatu 390
Baker's Imperial-Pigeon Ducula bakeri Endemic species rr , VU 42
Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis Breeds in Vanuatu 123
Spotless Crake Porzana tabuensis Breeds in Vanuatu 0
White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea Breeds in Vanuatu 0
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Breeds in Vanuatu 19
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Non-breeding regular visitor 11
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Non-breeding regular visitor 38
Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis Vagrant species 0
Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos Non-breeding regular visitor 7
Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes Non-breeding regular visitor 21
Wandering Tattler Tringa incana Non-breeding regular visitor 52
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Non-breeding regular visitor 23
Rufous-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis Vagrant species 0
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata Non-breeding regular visitor 4
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 54
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola Vagrant species 1
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? 47
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 98
Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus Breeds in Vanuatu 11
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Breeds in Vanuatu App I 15
Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae Breeds in Vanuatu 17
Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda Breeds in Vanuatu? 1
White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus Breeds in Vanuatu 1
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? 7
Pacific Reef-Egret Egretta sacra Breeds in Vanuatu 92
Great Egret Casmerodius albus Vagrant species 2
Striated Heron Butorides striatus Breeds in Vanuatu 10
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 5
Tahiti Petrel Pterodroma rostrata Vagrant species NT 0
White-necked Petrel Pterodroma cervicalis Status uncertain VU 0
Vanuatu Petrel Pterodroma occulta Breeds in Vanuatu VU 2
Gould's Petrel Pterodroma leucoceptera Non-breeding regular visitor VU 0
Collared Petrel Pterodroma brevipes Breeds in Vanuatu NT 2
Antarctic Prion Pachyptila desolata Vagrant species 0
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus Breeds in Vanuatu 15
Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris Passage migrant 0
Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia Vagrant species 0
Audubon's Shearwater Puffinus lherminieri Breeds in Vanuatu 3
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 461
Dark-brown Honeyeater Lichmera incana Breeds in Vanuatu rr 180
New Hebrides Honeyeater Phylidonyris notabilis Endemic species rr 94
Fan-tailed Gerygone Gerygone flavolateralis Breeds in Vanuatu rr 110
Scarlet Robin Petroica multicolor Breeds in Vanuatu 81
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis Breeds in Vanuatu 287
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus Breeds in Vanuatu 103
Melanesian Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina caledonica Breeds in Vanuatu rr 82
Polynesian Triller Lalage maculosa Breeds in Vanuatu rr 8
Long-tailed Triller Lalage leucopyga Breeds in Vanuatu rr 266
Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa Breeds in Vanuatu 353
Streaked Fantail Rhipidura spilodera Breeds in Vanuatu rr 223
Buff-bellied Monarch Neolalage banksiana Endemic species rr 149
Southern Shrikebill Clytorhynchus pachycephaloides Breeds in Vanuatu rr 68
Melanesian Flycatcher Myiagra caledonica Breeds in Vanuatu rr 381
Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus Breeds in Vanuatu 58
Rusty-winged Starling Aplonis zelandica Breeds in Vanuatu rr , NT 4
Mountain Starling Aplonis santovestris Endemic species rr , VU 0
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Introduced species 144
Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica Breeds in Vanuatu 65
Silver-Eye Zosterops lateralis Breeds in Vanuatu 292
Yellow-fronted White-Eye Zosterops flavifrons Vagrant species rr 573
Guadalcanal Thicketbird Megalurulus whitneyi Breeds in Vanuatu rr , NT 6
House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced species 7
Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Introduced species 12
Red-browed Firetail Neochmia temporalis Introduced species 0
Blue-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura trichroa Breeds in Vanuatu 16
Royal Parrotfinch Erythrura regia Endemic species rr , VU 7
Black-headed Munia Lonchura malacca Introduced species 45
Chestnut-breasted Munia Lonchura castaneothorax Introduced species 1
Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea Vagrant species 1
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