Birds of Ashmore Reef

The Birds of Ashmore Reef comprise three main groups:

1. Seabirds, including at least five species of breeding terns, with several other seabirds, including petrels, recorded in the surrounding waters
2. Migratory shorebirds en route from northern Asia to Australia
3. Landbirds, only three breeding species (two herons and a rail) but several others, including passerines, visit, either on migration to northern Australia or as vagrants

List of birds

Procellariidae

• Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii - vagrant
• Jouanin's petrel, Bulweria fallax - vagrant
• Tahiti petrel, Pseudobulweria rostrata - vagrant
• Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus - regular visitor
• Swinhoe's storm-petrel, Oceanodroma monorhis – vagrant

Phaethontidae

• White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus - regular visitor
• Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda - regular visitor

Sulidae

• Abbott's booby, Papasula abbotti - vagrant
• Masked booby, Sula dactylatra - regular visitor
• Brown booby, Sula leucogaster - regular visitor
• Red-footed booby, Sula sula - regular visitor

Fregatidae

• Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel - regular visitor
• Great frigatebird, Fregata minor - regular visitor

Ardeidae

• Great egret, Ardea alba - vagrant
• Little egret, Egretta garzetta - breeding
• Eastern reef egret, Egretta sacra - breeding
• Nankeen night heron, Nycticorax caledonicus – vagrant

Rallidae

• White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus - vagrant
• Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis – breeding

Turnicidae

• Red-backed buttonquail, Turnix maculosa – vagrant

Scolopacidae

• Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos - passage migrant
• Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres - passage migrant
• Sanderling, Calidris alba - passage migrant
• Red knot, Calidris canutus - passage migrant
• Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea - passage migrant
• Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis - passage migrant
• Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris - passage migrant
• ?Snipe, Gallinago sp. - passage migrant
• Grey-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes - passage migrant
• Asian dowitcher, Limnodromus semipalmatus - passage migrant
• Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica - passage migrant
• Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa - passage migrant
• Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis - passage migrant
• Little curlew, Numenius minutus - passage migrant
• Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus - passage migrant
• Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia - passage migrant
• Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis - passage migrant
• Common redshank, Tringa totanus - passage migrant

Charadriidae

• Greater sand plover, Charadrius leschenaultii - passage migrant
• Lesser sand plover, Charadrius mongolus - passage migrant
• Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus - passage migrant
• Pacific golden plover, Pluvialis fulva - passage migrant
• Grey plover, Pluvialis squatarola – vagrant

Laridae

• Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus - vagrant
• Arctic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus - vagrant
• Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus - vagrant
• Black noddy, Anous minutus - breeding
• Common noddy, Anous stolidus - breeding
• Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris - possibly breeding
• Little tern, Sternula albifrons - vagrant
• Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus - breeding
• Greater crested tern, Thalasseus bergii - breeding
• Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus – breeding

Cuculidae

• Horsfield's bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx basalis - vagrant
• Little bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx minutillus - vagrant
• Gould's bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx russatus - vagrant
• Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus saturatus - vagrant
• Common koel, Eudynamys scolopacea – vagrant

Centropodidae

• Lesser coucal, Centropus bengalensis – vagrant

Caprimulgidae

• Grey nightjar, Caprimulgus indicus – vagrant

Apodidae

• House swift, Apus affinis - vagrant
• Pacific swift, Apus pacificus – vagrant

Halcyonidae

• Torresian kingfisher, Todiramphus sordidus – vagrant
• Sacred kingfisher, Todiramphus sanctus – vagrant

Meropidae

• Rainbow bee-eater, Merops ornatus – vagrant

Coraciidae

• Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis

Monarchidae

• Island monarch, Monarcha cinerascens – vagrant

Motacillidae

• Pechora pipit, Anthus gustavi - vagrant
• Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea - vagrant
• Yellow wagtail, Motacilla flava - passage migrant

Estrildidae

• Pale-headed munia, Lonchura pallida – vagrant

Passeridae

• Eurasian tree sparrow, Passer montanus - resident^[1]

Hirundinidae

• Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica – vagrant

Acrocephalidae

• Oriental reed warbler, Acrocephalus orientalis - vagrant

Locustellidae

• Middendorff's grasshopper warbler, Locustella ochotensis - vagrant
• Pallas's grasshopper warbler, Locustella certhiola - vagrant^[1]
• Tawny grassbird, Megalurus timoriensis - vagrant

Phylloscopidae

• Arctic warbler, Phylloscopus borealis - regular visitor
• Yellow-browed warbler, Phylloscopus inornatus - vagrant^[1]

Muscicapidae

• Asian brown flycatcher, Muscicapa dauurica - vagrant

References

Notes

1. Birding-Aus Mailing List Archives.

Sources

• Birds Australia Rarities Committee – decisions and case summaries
• Birding-Aus Mailing List Archives
• Birds WA sightings
• Commonwealth of Australia. (2002). Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) Management Plans. Environment Australia: Canberra.