This is a list of the bird species recorded in New Caledonia. The avifauna of New Caledonia

New Caledonia

New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...

 includes a total of 189 species, of which 23 are endemic

Endemism in birds

An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....

, 14 have been introduced

Introduced species

An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...

 by humans, and 48 are rare or accidental. 3 species listed are extirpated

Local extinction

Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...

 in New Caledonia and are not included in the species count. 12 species are globally threatened.

This list's taxonomic

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...

 treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of Clements

James Clements

Dr. James Franklin Clements was an ornithologist, author and very successful businessman. He was born in New York....

's 5th edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflects this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for New Caledonia.

The following tags have been used to highlight certain relevant categories. The commonly occurring, native, species do not fall into any of these categories.

• (A) Accidental A species that rarely or accidentally occurs in New Caledonia.
• (E) Endemic A species endemic to New Caledonia.
• (I) Introduced A species introduced to New Caledonia as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions.
• (Ex) Extirpated A species that no longer occurs in New Caledonia although populations exist elsewhere.

Table of contents
Non-passerines: Grebes . Albatrosses . Shearwaters and Petrels . Storm-Petrels . Tropicbirds . Pelicans . Boobies and Gannets . Cormorants . Frigatebirds . Bitterns, Herons and Egrets . Ibises and Spoonbills . Ducks, Geese and Swans . Osprey . Hawks, Kites and Eagles . Falcons . Turkeys . Pheasants and Partridges . Buttonquails . Rails, Crakes, Gallinules, and Coots . Kagus . Oystercatchers . Thick-knees . Pratincoles and Coursers . Plovers and Lapwings . Sandpipers and allies . Skuas and Jaegers . Gulls . Terns . Pigeons and Doves . Parrots and allies . Cuckoos . Barn owls . Owlet-nightjars . Nightjars . Swifts . Kingfishers . Bee-eaters .
Passerines: Swallows and Martins . Cuckoo-shrikes . Bulbuls . Thrushes and allies . Old World warblers . Fantails . Monarch flycatchers . Australasian robins . Whistlers and allies . Thornbills and allies . White-eyes . Honeyeaters . Woodswallows . Crows, Jays, Ravens and Magpies . Starlings . Waxbills and allies . Sparrows .
See also       References

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes. Family: Podicipedidae

Grebe

Grebe

A grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...

s are small to medium-large sized 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. There are 20 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Australasian Grebe
  Australasian Grebe
  The Australasian Grebe is a tiny waterbird common on fresh water lakes and rivers in greater Australia, New Zealand and on nearby Pacific islands. At 25-27 cm in length, it is one of the smallest members of the grebe family...
  
   Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

Albatrosses

Order: Procellariiformes

Procellariiformes

Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...

. Family: 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. There are 21 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Wandering Albatross
  Wandering Albatross
  The Wandering Albatross, Snowy Albatross or White-winged Albatross, Diomedea exulans, is a large seabird from the family Diomedeidae, which has a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean. It was the first species of albatross to be described, and was long considered the same species as the Tristan...
  
   Diomedea exulans
• Royal Albatross
  Royal Albatross
  Royal Albatross may refer to:* Northern Royal Albatross* Southern Royal AlbatrossNote: Some authorities have yet to split this species such as the SACC or James Clements, in that case, Royal Albatross refers to both Species....
  
   Diomedea epomophora (A)
• Black-browed Albatross
  Black-browed Albatross
  The Black-browed Albatross or Black-browed Mollymawk, Thalassarche melanophrys, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae, and it is the most widespread and common albatross.-Taxonomy:...
  
   Thalassarche melanophris (A)

Shearwaters and petrels

Order: Procellariiformes

Procellariiformes

Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...

. Family: Procellariidae

Procellariidae

The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order Procellariiformes , which also includes the albatrosses, the storm-petrels, and the diving petrels.The procellariids are...

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized 'true petrels', characterised by united nostrils with a medium septum, and a long outer functional primary. There are 75 species worldwide and 20 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Antarctic Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus (A)
• Hall's Giant Petrel Macronectes halli (A)
• Cape Petrel
  Cape Petrel
  The Cape Petrel also called Cape Pigeon or Pintado Petrel, is a common seabird of the Southern Ocean from the family Procellariidae. It is the only member of the genus Daption, and is allied to the fulmarine petrels, and the Giant Petrels. It is also sometimes known as the Cape Fulmar...
  
   Daption capense (A)
• Tahiti Petrel
  Tahiti Petrel
  The Tahiti Petrel, Pétrel De Tahiti, or Petrel De Tahití is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae family....
  
   Pterodroma rostrata
• Mottled Petrel
  Mottled Petrel
  The Mottled Petrel is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. The bird is 33-35 cm in size, with a 74-82 cm wingspan....
  
   Pterodroma inexpectata
• Providence Petrel
  Providence Petrel
  The Providence Petrel is a species that burrows in one location; isolated Lord Howe Island, some 800km from the Australian mainland in the Tasman Sea....
  
   Pterodroma solandri (A)
• Herald Petrel
  Herald Petrel
  The Trindade Petrel, Pterodroma arminjoniana, is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. The bird is 35-39 cm in size, with a 88-102 cm wingspan....
  
   Pterodroma arminjoniana
• White-necked Petrel
  White-necked Petrel
  The White-necked Petrel , also known as the White-naped Petrel, is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae family. During non-breeding season it occurs throughout a large part of the Pacific, but it is only known to breed on Macauley Island in New Zealand's Kermadec Islands and the Australian...
  
   Pterodroma cervicalis (A)
• Cook's Petrel
  Cook's Petrel
  Cook's Petrel , one of the smallest petrels, is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. The bird is 25-30 cm in size, with a 65-66 cm wingspan...
  
   Pterodroma cookii (A)
• Gould's Petrel
  Gould's Petrel
  Gould's Petrel is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae family. It is a small petrel, 30 cm long with a wingspan of about 70 cm. It is largely grey above and white below with a blackish crown and hindneck and a black M-shaped band across the wings and rump.The subspecies P. l...
  
   Pterodroma leucoptera
• Black-winged Petrel
  Black-winged Petrel
  The Black-winged Petrel is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae family.It is found in Australia, French Polynesia, Japan, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and the United States.-References:...
  
   Pterodroma nigripennis
• Grey Petrel
  Grey Petrel
  The Grey Petrel , also called the Brown Petrel, Pediunker or Grey Shearwater is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae, or petrel family...
  
   Procellaria cinerea (A)
• Streaked Shearwater
  Streaked Shearwater
  The Streaked Shearwater, Calonectris leucomelas is a species of seabird. The bird is 48 cm in size, with a 122 cm wingspan. This species is pelagic, but also occurs in inshore waters. It occurs in the Pacific Ocean, nesting in Japan and many of its offshore islands. After breeding, the Streaked...
  
   Calonectris leucomelas
• Flesh-footed Shearwater
  Flesh-footed Shearwater
  The Flesh-footed Shearwater, Puffinus carneipes, is a small shearwater. Its plumage is black. It has pale pinkish feet, and a pale bill with a black tip. Together with the equally light-billed Pink-footed Shearwater, it forms the Hemipuffinus group, a superspecies which may or may not have an...
  
   Puffinus carneipes
• Wedge-tailed Shearwater
  Wedge-tailed Shearwater
  The Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It is one of the shearwater species that is sometimes referred to as a Muttonbird, like the Sooty Shearwater of New Zealand and the Short-tailed Shearwater of Australia...
  
   Puffinus pacificus
• Sooty Shearwater
  Sooty Shearwater
  The Sooty Shearwater is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. In New Zealand it is also known by its Māori name tītī and as "muttonbird", like its relatives the Wedge-tailed Shearwater and the Australian Short-tailed Shearwater The Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) is...
  
   Puffinus griseus
• Short-tailed Shearwater
  Short-tailed Shearwater
  The Short-tailed Shearwater or Slender-billed Shearwater , also called Yolla or Moonbird, and commonly known as the muttonbird in Australia, is the most abundant seabird species in Australian waters, and is one of the few Australian native birds in which the chicks are commercially harvested...
  
   Puffinus tenuirostris
• Fluttering Shearwater
  Fluttering Shearwater
  The Fluttering Shearwater is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae family.It is found in New Zealand and Solomon Islands.Its natural habitats are open seas and rocky shores.-References:...
  
   Puffinus gavia
• Little Shearwater
  Little Shearwater
  The Little Shearwater is a small shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae.mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data indicates that the former North Atlantic Little Shearwater group is closer to Audubon's Shearwater , and myrtae being closer to the Newell's and possibly Townsend's Shearwater...
  
   Puffinus assimilis
• Audubon's Shearwater
  Audubon's Shearwater
  Audubon's Shearwater, Puffinus lherminieri, is a common tropical seabird from the family Procellariidae. Sometimes called Dusky-backed Shearwater, the scientific name of this species commemorates the French naturalist Félix Louis L'Herminier....
  
   Puffinus lherminieri

Storm-Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes

Procellariiformes

Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...

. Family: Hydrobatidae

The storm-petrel

Storm-petrel

Storm petrels are seabirds in the family Hydrobatidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. These smallest of seabirds feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.Storm petrels have a cosmopolitan...

s are relatives of the petrel

Petrel

Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...

s, and are the smallest of sea-birds. They feed on plankton

Plankton

Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...

ic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat

Bat

Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...

-like. There are 21 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Wilson's Storm-petrel
  Wilson's Storm-petrel
  Wilson's Storm Petrel , also known as Wilson's Petrel, is a small seabird of the storm-petrel family. It is one of the most abundant bird species in the world and has a circumpolar distribution mainly in the seas of the southern hemisphere but extending northwards during the summer of the northern...
  
   Oceanites oceanicus (A)
• White-bellied Storm-petrel
  White-bellied Storm-petrel
  The White-bellied Storm Petrel is a species of seabird in the Hydrobatidae family.It is found in Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Maldives, Namibia, New Zealand, Saint Helena, South Africa, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich...
  
   Fregetta grallaria (A)
• Polynesian Storm-petrel
  Polynesian Storm-petrel
  The Polynesian Storm Petrel is a species of seabird in the Hydrobatidae family. It is placed in the monotypic genus Nesofregetta....
  
   Nesofregetta fuliginosa
• Band-rumped Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro (A)

Tropicbirds

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

. Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbird

Tropicbird

Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic seabirds now classified in their own order Phaethontiformes. Their relationship to other living birds is unclear, and they appear to have no close relatives. There are three species in one genus, Phaethon...

s are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings. There are 3 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Red-tailed Tropicbird
  Red-tailed Tropicbird
  The Red-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, is a seabird that nests across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the rarest of the tropicbirds, yet is still a widespread bird that is not considered threatened. It nests in colonies on oceanic islands....
  
   Phaethon rubricauda
• White-tailed Tropicbird
  White-tailed Tropicbird
  The White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus, is a tropicbird, smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It occurs in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans...
  
   Phaethon lepturus

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

. Family: Pelecanidae

Pelican

Pelican

A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....

s are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes. There are 8 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Australian Pelican
  Australian Pelican
  The Australian Pelican is a large water bird, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant to New Zealand.-Taxonomy:...
  
   Pelecanus conspicillatus (A)

Boobies and gannets

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

. Family: Sulidae

Sulidae

The bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulidas, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. The ten species in this family are often considered congeneric in older sources, placing all in the genus Sula...

The sulids comprise the gannet

Gannet

Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus Morus, in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies.The gannets are large black and white birds with yellow heads. They have long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up...

s and boobies

Booby

A booby is a seabird in the genus Sula, part of the Sulidae family. Boobies are closely related to the gannets , which were formerly included in Sula.-Description:...

. Both groups comprise medium-to-large coastal sea-birds that plunge-dive for fish. There are 9 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Australian Gannet
  Australian Gannet
  The Australasian Gannet is a large seabird of the gannet family Sulidae....
  
   Morus serrator
• Masked Booby
  Masked Booby
  The Masked Booby, Sula dactylatra, is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. This species breeds on islands in tropical oceans, except in the eastern Atlantic; in the eastern Pacific it is replaced by the Nazca Booby, Sula granti, which was formerly regarded as a subspecies of Masked Booby...
  
   Sula dactylatra
• Red-footed Booby
  Red-footed Booby
  The Red-footed Booby, Sula sula, is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. As suggested by the name, adults always have red feet, but the colour of the plumage varies. They are powerful and agile fliers, but they are clumsy in takeoffs and landings...
  
   Sula sula
• Brown Booby
  Brown Booby
  The Brown Booby is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. The adult brown booby reaches about in length. Its head and upper body are covered in dark brown, with the remainder being a contrasting white. The juvenile form is gray-brown with darkening on the head, wings and tail...
  
   Sula leucogaster

Cormorants

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

. Family: Phalacrocoracidae

The Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium-to-large coastal, fish-eating sea-birds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black and white, and a few being colourful. There are 38 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Little Black Cormorant
  Little Black Cormorant
  The Little Black Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout most areas of Australia and northern New Zealand. It is around sixty centimetres long, and is all black with blue-green eyes.-References: Database entry includes...
  
   Phalacrocorax sulcirostris (A)
• Great Cormorant
  Great Cormorant
  The Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds...
  
   Phalacrocorax carbo
• Little Pied Cormorant
  Little Pied Cormorant
  The Little Pied Cormorant, Little Shag or Kawaupaka is a common Australasian waterbird, found around the coasts, islands, estuaries, and inland waters of Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and around the islands of the south-western Pacific and the sub-Antarctic...
  
   Phalacrocorax melanoleucos

Frigatebirds

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

. Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebird

Frigatebird

The frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds. There are five species in the single genus Fregata. They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Since they are related to the pelicans, the term "frigate pelican" is also a name applied to them...

s are large sea-birds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply-forked tails. The males have inflatable coloured throat pouches. They do not swim or walk, and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week. There are 5 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Great Frigatebird
  Great Frigatebird
  The Great Frigatebird is a large dispersive seabird in the frigatebird family. Major nesting populations are found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic....
  
   Fregata minor
• Lesser Frigatebird
  Lesser Frigatebird
  The Lesser Frigatebird, Fregata ariel, is a species of frigatebird.It nests in Australia, among other locations.There is a single record from the Western Palearctic, from Eilat in the Gulf of Aqaba....
  
   Fregata ariel

Bitterns, herons and egrets

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

. Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bittern

Bittern

Bitterns are a classification of birds in the heron family, Ardeidae, a family of wading birds. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family...

s, heron

Heron

The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....

s and egret

Egret

An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...

s. Herons and egrets are medium to large sized wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Unlike other long-necked birds suck as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted. There are 61 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Eastern Great Egret
  Eastern Great Egret
  The Eastern Great Egret is a white heron of the genus Ardea, is considered a subspecies of the Great Egret . Although a study argued for full species status in 2005, most taxonomists consider it to be a subspecies...
  
   Ardea modesta (A)
• White-faced Heron
  White-faced Heron
  The White-faced Heron, Egretta novaehollandiae, also known as the White-fronted Heron, and incorrectly as the Grey Heron, or Blue Crane, is a common bird throughout most of Australasia, including New Guinea, the islands of Torres Strait, Indonesia, New Zealand, the islands of the Subantarctic, and...
  
   Egretta novaehollandiae
• Pacific Reef-Heron Egretta sacra
• Cattle Egret
  Cattle Egret
  The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret...
  
   Bubulcus ibis (A)
• Striated Heron
  Striated Heron
  The Striated Heron, Butorides striata, also known as Mangrove Heron, Little Heron or Green-backed Heron, is a small heron. Striated Herons are mostly non-migratory and noted for some interesting behavioral traits. Their breeding habitat is small wetlands in the Old World tropics from west Africa to...
  
   Butorides striata (A)
• Rufous Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus
• Australasian Bittern
  Australasian Bittern
  The Australasian Bittern , also known as the Brown Bittern, is found in south-western and south-eastern Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Ouvea. Populations in Australia and New Zealand have declined in the 20th century.It is a large bittern, patterned and streaked brown, buff...
  
   Botaurus poiciloptilus (Ex)

Ibises and spoonbills

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

. Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae

The family Threskiornithidae includes 34 species of large terrestrial and wading birds, falling into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills. It was formerly known as Plataleidae. The spoonbills and ibises were once thought to be related to other groups of long-legged wading birds in the...

The Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibis

Ibis

The ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae....

es and spoonbill

Spoonbill

Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side...

s. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers. There are 36 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Glossy Ibis
  Glossy Ibis
  The Glossy Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Americas...
  
   Plegadis falcinellus
• Royal Spoonbill
  Royal Spoonbill
  The Royal Spoonbill, Platalea regia, also known as the Black-billed Spoonbill, occurs in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in New Caledonia...
  
   Platalea regia (A)

Ducks, geese and swans

Order: Anseriformes

Anseriformes

The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds in three extant families: the Anhimidae , Anseranatidae , and the Anatidae, which includes over 140 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans.All species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at...

. Family: Anatidae

Anatidae

Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...

The family Anatidae includes the duck

Duck

Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...

s and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese

Goose

The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....

 and swan

Swan

Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...

s. These are birds that are modified for an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating. There are 131 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Wandering Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna arcuata (A)
• Canada Goose
  Canada Goose
  The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
  
   Branta canadensis (A)
• Gray Teal Anas gracilis (A)
• Mallard
  Mallard
  The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
  
   Anas platyrhynchos (I)
• Pacific Black Duck
  Pacific Black Duck
  The Pacific Black Duck is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east. It is usually called the Grey Duck in New Zealand...
  
   Anas superciliosa
• Australian Shoveler Anas rhynchotis (A)
• White-eyed Duck Aythya australis

Osprey

Order: Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

. Family: Pandionidae

The Pandionidae family contains only one species, the Osprey. The Osprey is a medium large raptor

Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....

 which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.

• Osprey
  Osprey
  The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
  
   Pandion haliaetus

Hawks, kites and eagles

Order: Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

. Family: Accipitridae

Accipitridae

The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey and include hawk

Hawk

The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...

s, eagle

Eagle

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...

s, kites

Kite (bird)

Kites are raptors with long wings and weak legs which spend a great deal of time soaring. Most feed mainly on carrion but some take various amounts of live prey.They are birds of prey which, along with hawks and eagles, are from the family Accipitridae....

, harriers

Harrier (bird)

A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks forming the Circinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds....

 and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight. There are 233 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Whistling Kite
  Whistling Kite
  The Whistling Kite is a medium-sized diurnal raptor found throughout Australia , New Caledonia and much of New Guinea . Also called the Whistling Eagle or Whistling Hawk, it is named for its loud whistling call, which it often gives in flight...
  
   Haliastur sphenurus
• White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster (A)
• Swamp Harrier
  Swamp Harrier
  The Swamp Harrier also known as the Marsh Harrier, Australasian Harrier, Kāhu, Swamp-hawk or New Zealand Hawk is a large, slim bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.-Description:...
  
   Circus approximans
• Brown Goshawk
  Brown Goshawk
  The Brown Goshawk is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia and surrounding islands.- Description:...
  
   Accipiter fasciatus
• White-bellied Goshawk
  White-bellied Goshawk
  The White-bellied Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is endemic to New Caledonia...
  
   Accipiter haplochrous (E)

Falcons

Order: Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

. Family: Falconidae

Falconidae

The falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae. The family is divided into two subfamiles, Polyborinae, which includes the caracaras and forest falcons, and Falconinae, the falcons, kestrels and falconets.-Description:Falcons and...

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their feet. There are 62 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Australian Kestrel Falco cenchroides (A)
• Peregrine Falcon
  Peregrine Falcon
  The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
  
   Falco peregrinus

Turkeys

Order: Galliformes

Galliformes

Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...

. Family: Meleagrididae

Turkeys are similar to large pheasants but have a distinctive fleshy wattle that hangs from the beak, called a snood. There are two species, both native to the Americas, and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Wild Turkey
  Wild Turkey
  The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
  
   Meleagris gallopavo (I)

Pheasants and partridges

Order: Galliformes

Galliformes

Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...

. Family: Phasianidae

Phasianidae

The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quail

Quail

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...

s, partridge

Partridge

Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...

s, snowcock

Snowcock

The snowcocks are a group of bird species in the genus Tetraogallus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are ground-nesting birds which breed in the mountain ranges of southern Eurasia from the Caucasus to the Himalayas and western China. The Himalayan Snowcock has been introduced...

s, francolin

Francolin

Francolins are birds that traditionally have been placed in the genus Francolinus, but now commonly are divided into multiple genera , although some of the major taxonomic listing sources have yet to divide them. They are members of the pheasant family, Phasianidae...

s, spurfowls, tragopan

Tragopan

Tragopan is a genus of bird in the family Phasianidae. These birds are commonly called "horny pheasants" because of two brightly-colored, fleshy horns on their heads that they can erect during courtship displays...

s, monal

Monal

A Monal is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the Pheasant family, Phasianidae. There are three species and several sub-species within the genus Lophophorus:* Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus* Sclater's Monal Lophophorus sclateri...

s, pheasant

Pheasant

Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...

s, peafowl

Peafowl

Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...

s and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they may vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings. There are 156 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Red Junglefowl
  Red Junglefowl
  The Red Junglefowl is a tropical member of the Pheasant family. They are thought to be ancestors of the domestic chicken with some hybridisation with the Grey Junglefowl...
  
   Gallus gallus (I)
• Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus (I)
• Indian Peafowl
  Indian Peafowl
  The Indian Peafowl or Blue Peafowl is a large and brightly coloured bird of the pheasant family native to South Asia, but introduced and semi-feral in many other parts of the world...
  
   Pavo cristatus (I)

Buttonquails

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

. Family: Turnicidae

The buttonquails are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails.The female is the brighter of the sexes, and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young. There are 16 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Painted Buttonquail
  Painted Buttonquail
  Painted Button quail, Turnix varius, is a species of button quail, the family Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quails of Phasianidae. This species is resident in Australia....
  
   Turnix varius (Ex)

Rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

. Family: Rallidae

Rallidae

The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coot

Coot

Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...

s, and gallinule

Rallidae

The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...

s. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers. There are 143 species worldwide and 7 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• New Caledonian Rail
  New Caledonian Rail
  The New Caledonian Rail is a large and drab flightless rail that is found on the island of New Caledonia in the Pacific. It is a dull brown above, with grey underparts, and has a yellowish, downward-curving bill...
  
   Gallirallus lafresnayanus (E)
• Buff-banded Rail
  Buff-banded Rail
  The Buff-banded Rail, Gallirallus philippensis is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the family Rallidae....
  
   Gallirallus philippensis
• Baillon's Crake
  Baillon's Crake
  The Baillon's Crake is a very small waterbird of the family Rallidae.-Distribution:Their breeding habitat is sedge beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and across Asia. They used to breed in Great Britain up to the mid-19th century, but the western European population declined through drainage....
  
   Porzana pusilla (A)
• Spotless Crake
  Spotless Crake
  The Spotless Crake is a species of bird in the rail family, Rallidae.It is found in American Samoa, Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Micronesia, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga.-References:* BirdLife...
  
   Porzana tabuensis
• White-browed Crake
  White-browed Crake
  The White-browed Crake is a species of bird in the Rallidae family. It is found in Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vanuatu.Its natural...
  
   Porzana cinerea (A)
• Purple Swamphen
  Purple Swamphen
  The Purple Swamphen , also known as the African Purple Swamphen, Purple Moorhen, Purple Gallinule, Pūkeko or Purple Coot, is a large bird in the family Rallidae . From its name in French, talève sultane, it is also known as the Sultana Bird...
  
   Porphyrio porphyrio
• Dusky Moorhen
  Dusky Moorhen
  The Dusky Moorhen is a bird in the rail family. It occurs in Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia.The New Guinea birds are smaller, at 25-32 cm in length, than the Australian race...
  
   Gallinula tenebrosa

Kagus

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

. Family: Rhynochetidae

The Kagu or Cagou is a long-legged grey-coloured bird found only in the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It is almost flightless, and builds a ground nest of sticks, laying a single egg. It has proved vulnerable to introduced rats and cats, and is threatened with extinction. The remote habitat and rarity of this species mean that little is known of its habits.

• Kagu
  Kagu
  The Kagu or Cagou is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird endemic to the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It is the only surviving member of the genus Rhynochetos and the family Rhynochetidae, although a second species has been described from the fossil record...
  
   Rhynochetos jubatus (E)

Oystercatchers

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

. Family: Haematopodidae

The oystercatcher

Oystercatcher

The oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia...

s are large and noisy plover

Plover

Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...

-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. There are 11 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• South Island Oystercatcher Haematopus finschi (A)

Thick-knees

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

. Family: Burhinidae

The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. There are 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Beach Thick-knee Burhinus magnirostris

Pratincoles and coursers

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

. Family: Glareolidae

Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadri. It contains two distinct groups, the pratincoles and the coursers. The coursers include the atypical Egyptian Plover, Pluvianus aegyptius, which has sometimes been placed in its own family...

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincole

Pratincole

The Pratincoles or Greywaders are a group of birds which together with the coursers and Egyptian Plover make up the family Glareolidae. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails....

s, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the courser

Courser

The Coursers are a group of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards...

s, which have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. There are 17 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Australian Pratincole
  Australian Pratincole
  The Australian Pratincole is a species of bird in the Glareolidae family, found in Australia, Christmas Island, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea....
  
   Stiltia isabella (A)

Plovers and lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

. Family: Charadriidae

Charadriidae

The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all.- Morphology :They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings...

The family Charadriidae includes the plover

Plover

Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...

s, dotterels, and lapwing

Lapwing

Vanellinae are any of various crested plovers, family Charadriidae, noted for its slow, irregular wingbeat in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. Its length is 10-16 inches. They are a subfamily of medium-sized wading birds which also includes the plovers and dotterels. The Vanellinae are...

s. 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, although there are some exceptions. There are 66 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Masked Lapwing
  Masked Lapwing
  The Masked Lapwing , previously known as the Masked Plover and often called the Spur-winged Plover or just Plover in its native range, is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia, particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent...
  
   Vanellus miles
• Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva
• Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
• Semipalmated Plover
  Semipalmated Plover
  The Semipalmated Plover is a small plover.This species weighs and measures in length and across the wings. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband...
  
   Charadrius semipalmatus (A)
• Double-banded Plover
  Double-banded Plover
  The Double-banded Plover , known as the Banded Dotterel in New Zealand, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. It lives in beaches, mud flats, grasslands and on bare ground...
  
   Charadrius bicinctus (A)
• Lesser Sandplover Charadrius mongolus
• Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii (A)
• Oriental Plover
  Oriental Plover
  The Oriental Plover, Charadrius veredus, also known as the Oriental Dotterel, is a medium-sized Charadriine plover closely related to the Caspian Plover.- Description :...
  
   Charadrius veredus (A)

Sandpipers and allies

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

. Family: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae

The sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil...

The Scolopacidae are a large diverse family of small to medium sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlew

Curlew

The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills...

s, godwit

Godwit

The godwits are a group of large, long-billed, long-legged and strongly migratory wading birds of the genus Limosa. They form large flocks on coasts and estuaries in winter....

s, shanks

Tringa

Tringa is a genus of waders, containing the shanks and tattlers. They are mainly freshwater birds, often with brightly coloured legs as reflected in the English names of six species, as well as the specific names of two of these and the Green Sandpiper. They are typically associated with northern...

, tattler

Tattler (bird)

The tattlers are the two very similar bird species in the shorebird genus Tringa. They formerly had their own genus, Heteroscelus. The old genus name means "different leg" in Greek, referring to the leg scales that differentiate the tattlers from their close relatives, the shanks.The species are:*...

s, woodcock

Woodcock

The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...

s, snipe

Snipe

A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...

s, dowitcher

Dowitcher

The three dowitchers are medium-sized long-billed wading birds. They resemble godwits in body and bill shape, and the reddish underparts in summer, but are much shorter legged, more like snipe to which they are also somewhat closer related...

s and phalarope

Phalarope

A phalarope or wadepiper is any of three living species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus Phalaropus of the bird family Scolopacidae. They are close relatives of the shanks and tattlers, the Actitis and Terek Sandpipers, and also of the turnstones and calidrids...

s. The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are 89 species worldwide and 17 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Bar-tailed Godwit
  Bar-tailed Godwit
  The Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World...
  
   Limosa lapponica
• Little Curlew
  Little Curlew
  The Little Curlew, Numenius minutus, is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It is a very small curlew, which breeds in the far north of Siberia. It is closely related to the North American Eskimo Curlew....
  
   Numenius minutus (A)
• Whimbrel
  Whimbrel
  The Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the mostwidespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland....
  
   Numenius phaeopus
• Far Eastern Curlew
  Far Eastern Curlew
  The Far Eastern Curlew or Eastern Curlew is a large shorebird most similar in appearance to the Long-billed Curlew, but slightly larger. It is mostly brown in color, differentiated from other curlews by its plain, unpatterned brown underwing...
  
   Numenius madagascariensis (A)
• Marsh Sandpiper
  Marsh Sandpiper
  The Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis, is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to central Asia....
  
   Tringa stagnatilis (A)
• Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
• Terek Sandpiper
  Terek Sandpiper
  The Terek Sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus.- Description and systematics :...
  
   Xenus cinereus
• Common Sandpiper
  Common Sandpiper
  The Common Sandpiper is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the Spotted Sandpiper , make up the genus Actitis. They are parapatric and replace each other geographically; stray birds of either species may settle down with breeders of the other and hybridize...
  
   Actitis hypoleucos
• Gray-tailed Tattler Heterosceles brevipes
• Wandering Tattler
  Wandering Tattler
  The Wandering Tattler, Tringa incana , is a medium-sized wading bird. It is similar in appearance to the closely related Gray-tailed Tattler, T. brevipes...
  
   Heterosceles incanus
• Ruddy Turnstone
  Ruddy Turnstone
  The Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae...
  
   Arenaria interpres
• Great Knot
  Great Knot
  The Great Knot, Calidris tenuirostris, is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species.Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to...
  
   Calidris tenuirostris (A)
• Red Knot
  Red Knot
  The Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...
  
   Calidris canutus (A)
• Sanderling
  Sanderling
  The Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia...
  
   Calidris alba
• Red-necked Stint
  Red-necked Stint
  The Red-necked Stint is a small migratory wader.- Description :These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific...
  
   Calidris ruficollis
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
  Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
  The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Calidris acuminata is a small wader.- Taxonomy :More recently, a review of new data has indicated that this bird should perhaps better be placed into the genus Philomachus- as P...
  
   Calidris acuminata
• Curlew Sandpiper
  Curlew Sandpiper
  The Curlew Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia...
  
   Calidris ferruginea (A)

Skuas and jaegers

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

. Family: 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. There are 7 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• South Polar Skua
  South Polar Skua
  The South Polar Skua, Stercorarius maccormicki, is a large seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. An older name for the bird is MacCormick’s Skua, after explorer and naval surgeon Robert McCormick, who first collected the type specimen...
  
   Stercorarius maccormicki (A)
• Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus (A)
• Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus (A)

Gulls

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

. Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large birds seabirds and includes gull

Gull

Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...

s and kittiwake

Kittiwake

The kittiwakes are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake and the Red-legged Kittiwake . The epithets "Black-legged" and "Red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where R...

s. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. There are 55 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Silver Gull
  Silver Gull
  The Silver Gull also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus...
  
   Larus novaehollandiae

Terns

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

. Family: Sternidae

Tern

Tern

Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...

s are a group of generally general medium to large sea-birds 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 now known to live in excess of 25 to 30 years. There are 44 species worldwide and 12 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Great Crested Tern Sterna bergii
• Roseate Tern
  Roseate Tern
  The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....
  
   Sterna dougallii
• Black-naped Tern
  Black-naped Tern
  The Black-naped Tern is an oceanic tern mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is rarely found inland....
  
   Sterna sumatrana
• Little Tern
  Little Tern
  The Little Tern, Sternula albifrons or Sterna albifrons, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It was formerly placed into the genus Sterna, which now is restricted to the large white terns . The former North American and Red Sea S. a...
  
   Sterna albifrons
• Fairy Tern
  Fairy Tern
  The Fairy Tern is a small tern which occurs in the southwestern Pacific.There are three subspecies:* Australian Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis nereis - breeds in Australia...
  
   Sterna nereis
• Bridled Tern
  Bridled Tern
  The Bridled Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans.-Description:...
  
   Sterna anaethetus
• Sooty Tern
  Sooty Tern
  The Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus , is a seabird of the tern family . It is a bird of the tropical oceans, breeding on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake...
  
   Sterna fuscata
• Whiskered Tern
  Whiskered Tern
  The Whiskered Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in size and minor plumage details....
  
   Chlidonias hybridus
• Black Noddy
  Black Noddy
  The Black Noddy or White-capped Noddy is a seabird from the tern family. It resembles the closely related Brown or Common Noddy , but is smaller with darker plumage, a whiter cap, a longer, straighter beak and shorter tail...
  
   Anous minutus
• Brown Noddy
  Brown Noddy
  The Brown Noddy or Common Noddy is a seabird from the tern family. The largest of the noddies, it can be told from the closely related Black Noddy by its larger size and plumage, which is dark brown rather than black...
  
   Anous stolidus
• Grey Noddy
  Grey Noddy
  The Grey Noddy or Grey Ternlet is a seabird belonging to the tern family Sternidae. It was once regarded as a pale morph of the Blue Noddy but is now often considered to be a separate species....
  
   Procelsterna albivitta
• White Tern
  White Tern
  The White Tern is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world. It is sometimes known as the Fairy Tern although this name is potentially confusing as it is the common name of the Fairy Tern Sternula nereis...
  
   Gygis alba

Pigeons and doves

Order: Columbiformes

Columbiformes

Columbiformes are an avian order that includes the very widespread and successful doves and pigeons, classified in the family Columbidae, and the extinct Dodo and the Rodrigues Solitaire, long classified as a second family Raphidae. 313 species, found worldwide, comprise the Columbiformes order....

. Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and dove

Dove

Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...

s are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere

Cère

The Cère is a long river in south-western France, left tributary of the Dordogne River. Its source is in the south-western Massif Central, near the mountain Plomb du Cantal...

. There are 308 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Rock Pigeon
  Rock Pigeon
  The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon"....
  
   Columba livia (I)
• Metallic Pigeon
  Metallic Pigeon
  The Metallic Pigeon, also known as White-throated Pigeon is a medium-sized, up to 37cm long, bird in the family Columbidae.-Identification:...
  
   Columba vitiensis
• Spotted Dove
  Spotted Dove
  The Spotted Dove , also known as the Spotted Turtle Dove, is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in the Indian Subcontinent including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka east to southern Tibet and Southeast Asia...
  
   Streptopelia chinensis (I)
• Emerald Dove
  Emerald Dove
  The Common Emerald Dove is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and east through Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, to northern and eastern Australia. The dove is also known by the names of Green Dove and...
  
   Chalcophaps indica
• Zebra Dove
  Zebra Dove
  The Zebra Dove Geopelia striata, also known as Barred Ground Dove, is a bird of the dove family Columbidae, native to South-east Asia. It is closely related to the Peaceful Dove of Australia and New Guinea and the Barred Dove of eastern Indonesia...
  
   Geopelia striata (I)
• Red-bellied Fruit-dove
  Red-bellied Fruit-dove
  The Red-bellied Fruit Dove is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in lowland forest in New Caledonia, Santa Cruz Islands , and Vanuatu, and it is common in most of its range....
  
   Ptilinopus greyii
• Cloven-feathered Dove
  Cloven-feathered Dove
  The Cloven-feathered Dove is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Drepanoptila.It is endemic to New Caledonia....
  
   Drepanoptila holosericea (E)
• Pacific Imperial-pigeon
  Pacific Imperial-pigeon
  The Pacific Imperial Pigeon is a widespread species of pigeon in the family Columbidae.It is found in American Samoa, the Cook Islands, the smaller islands of eastern Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, the smaller satellite islands of Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu,...
  
   Ducula pacifica
• New Caledonian Imperial-pigeon
  New Caledonian Imperial-pigeon
  The Goliath Imperial Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is endemic to New Caledonia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
  
   Ducula goliath (E)

Parrots and allies

Order: Psittaciformes. Family: Psittacidae

Parrot

Parrot

Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...

s are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak shape. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and the have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two back. There are 335 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Rainbow Lorikeet
  Rainbow Lorikeet
  The Rainbow Lorikeet, is a species of Australasian parrot found in Australia, eastern Indonesia , Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. In Australia, it is common along the eastern seaboard, from Queensland to South Australia and northwest Tasmania...
  
   Trichoglossus haematodus
• Horned Parakeet
  Horned Parakeet
  The Horned Parakeet , is a species of parrot in the genus Eunymphicus, in the Psittacidae family. Eunymphicus cornutus is a largely green parakeet endemic to New Caledonia. It is called Horned because it has two black feathers that protrude from the head and have red tips...
  
   Eunymphicus cornutus (E)
• Uvea Parakeet
  Uvea Parakeet
  The Ouvea Parakeet or Uvea Parakeet, is a species of parrot in the genus Eunymphicus, in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to the island of Uvea in the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia...
  
   Eunymphicus uvaeensis (E)
• New Caledonian Red-crowned Parakeet
  New Caledonian Red-crowned Parakeet
  The New Caledonian Parakeet or New Caledonian Red-crowned Parakeet, is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to New Caledonia...
  
   Cyanoramphus saissetti (E)

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes

Cuculiformes

The near passerine bird order Cuculiformes traditionally included three families as below:* Musophagidae - turacos and allies* Cuculidae - cuckoos, coucals, roadrunners and anis* Opisthocomidae - Hoatzin...

. Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoo

Cuckoo

The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...

s, roadrunner

Geococcyx

The roadrunners are two species of bird in the genus Geococcyx of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, native to North and Central America...

s and anis

Ani (bird)

The anis are the three species of near-passerine birds in the genus Crotophaga of the cuckoo family. They are essentially tropical New world birds, although the range of two species just reaches the United States...

. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Unlike the cuckoo species of the Old World, North American cuckoos are not brood parasites. There are 138 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Fan-tailed Cuckoo
  Fan-tailed Cuckoo
  The Fan-tailed Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.-Habitat:...
  
   Cacomantis flabelliformis
• Shining Bronze Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus
• Long-tailed Koel Eudynamys taitensis
• Channel-billed Cuckoo
  Channel-billed Cuckoo
  The Channel-billed Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Scythrops. The species is the largest brood parasite in the world, and the largest cuckoo....
  
   Scythrops novaehollandiae (A)

Barn owls

Order: Strigiformes. Family: Tytonidae

Tytonidae

Barn-owls are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons...

Barn owl

Barn Owl

The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...

s are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are 16 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Australasian Grass-Owl Tyto longimembris
• Barn Owl
  Barn Owl
  The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
  
   Tyto alba

Owlet-nightjars

Order: Caprimulgiformes

Caprimulgiformes

The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes a number of birds with global distribution . They are generally insectivorous and nocturnal...

. Family: Aegothelidae

The owlet-nightjars are small nocturnal birds related to the nightjar

Nightjar

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...

s and frogmouth

Frogmouth

The frogmouths are a group of nocturnal birds related to the nightjars. They are found from India across southern Asia to Australia.They are named for their large flattened hooked bills and huge frog-like gape, which they use to capture insects. Their flight is weak.They rest horizontally on...

s. They are insectivore

Insectivore

An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....

s which hunt mostly in the air. Their soft plumage is a mixture of browns and paler shades. There are 9 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• New Caledonian Owlet-nightjar
  New Caledonian Owlet-nightjar
  The New Caledonian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles savesi, also known as the Enigmatic Owlet-nightjar, is a large owlet-nightjar with vermiculated grey-brown and black plumage. It has a long, slightly rounded tail, short, rounded wings, and long, stout legs. Its voice is unknown but similar birds make...
  
   Aegotheles savesi (E)

Nightjars

Order: Caprimulgiformes

Caprimulgiformes

The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes a number of birds with global distribution . They are generally insectivorous and nocturnal...

. Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjar

Nightjar

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...

s are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves. There are 86 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• White-throated Nightjar
  White-throated Nightjar
  The White-throated Nightjar is a species of Nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family.It is found in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests....
  
   Eurostopodus mystacalis (Ex)

Swifts

Order: Apodiformes

Apodiformes

Traditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three living families: the swifts , the tree swifts , and the hummingbirds . In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this order is raised to a superorder Apodimorphae in which hummingbirds are separated as a new order, Trochiliformes...

. Family: Apodidae

Swift

Swift

The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are actually not closely related to passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with hummingbirds...

s are small aerial birds, spending 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 that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. There are 98 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Glossy Swiftlet
  Glossy Swiftlet
  The Glossy Swiftlet is a species of swift in the Apodidae family.It is found in Australia, Brunei, Christmas Island, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vanuatu.It is shiny black-blue above, including its...
  
   Collocalia esculenta
• White-rumped Swiftlet
  White-rumped Swiftlet
  The White-rumped Swiftlet is a species of swift in the Apodidae family.It is found in American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu...
  
   Aerodramus spodiopygius
• Uniform Swiftlet
  Uniform Swiftlet
  The Uniform Swiftlet, , also known as the Vanikoro or Lowland Swiftlet, is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. The colouring is dark grey-brown, darker on the upperparts with somewhat paler underparts, especially on chin and throat...
  
   Aerodramus vanikorensis (A)
• White-throated Needletail
  White-throated Needletail
  The White-throated Needletail , also known as Needle-tailed Swift or Spine-tailed Swift, is a large swift. It is the fastest-flying bird in flapping flight, being capable of speeds up to 170 km/h ....
  
   Hirundapus caudacutus (A)

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes

Coraciiformes

The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...

. Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are 93 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Sacred Kingfisher
  Sacred Kingfisher
  The Sacred Kingfisher is primarily a woodland kingfisher that occurs in mangroves, woodlands, forests, and river valleys of Australia, Lord Howe Is., Norfolk Is., New Guinea, N...
  
   Todirhamphus sanctus

Bee-eaters

Order: Coraciiformes

Coraciiformes

The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...

. Family: Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine

Near passerine

Near passerine or higher land-bird assemblage are terms often given to arboreal birds or those most often believed to be related to the true passerines due to ecological similarities; the group corresponds to some extent with the Anomalogonatae of Garrod All near passerines are land birds...

 birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colorful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. There are 26 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Rainbow Bee-eater
  Rainbow Bee-eater
  The Rainbow Bee-eater, Merops ornatus, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is the only species of Meropidae found in Australia.-Description:...
  
   Merops ornatus

Swallows and martins

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Hirundinidae

The Hirundinidae family is a group of passerines characterized by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with wide gape. The feet are designed for perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are 75 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Pacific Swallow
  Pacific Swallow
  The Pacific Swallow or Hill Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in tropical southern Asia from southern India and Sri Lanka across to south east Asia and the islands of the south Pacific. It is resident apart from some local seasonal movements...
  
   Hirundo tahitica
• Welcome Swallow
  Welcome Swallow
  The Welcome Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.It is a species native to Australia and nearby islands, but not until recently to New Zealand, which has been colonised in the last half century...
  
   Hirundo neoxena
• Tree Martin
  Tree Martin
  The Tree Martin is a member of the swallow family of passerine birds. It breeds in Australia, mostly south of latitude 20°S, and in Timor. It is migratory wintering through most of Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia east of the Wallace Line and the Solomon Islands. It is a vagrant to New Zealand,...
  
   Petrochelidon nigricans (A)

Cuckoo-shrikes

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Campephagidae

The cuckoo-shrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured. There are 82 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Melanesian Cuckoo-shrike
  Melanesian Cuckoo-shrike
  The South Melanesian Cuckoo-shrike is an uncommon species of bird in the cuckoo-shrike family.It is found in New Caledonia, Bougainville Island, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. The species is a large cuckoo-shrike with a long square tail and all over dark grey plumage...
  
   Coracina caledonica
• Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
  Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
  The Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike is a common omnivorous passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It has a protected status in Australia, under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974....
  
   Coracina novaehollandiae (A)
• New Caledonian Cuckoo-shrike
  New Caledonian Cuckoo-shrike
  The New Caledonian Cuckooshrike is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family.It is endemic to New Caledonia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
  
   Coracina analis (E)
• Long-tailed Triller
  Long-tailed Triller
  The Long-tailed Triller is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family.It is found in New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu...
  
   Lalage leucopyga

Bulbuls

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throat or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests.There are 130 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Red-vented Bulbul
  Red-vented Bulbul
  The Red-vented Bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Burma and southwestern China. It has been introduced and has established itself in the wild in many Pacific islands including Fiji, Samoa,...
  
   Pycnonotus cafer (I)

Thrushes and allies

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Turdidae

The thrushes

Thrush (bird)

The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...

 are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs. There are 335 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Island Thrush
  Island Thrush
  The Island Thrush is a common forest bird in the thrush family. Almost 50 subspecies have been described, ranging from Taiwan, through South East Asia and Melanesia, to Samoa, exhibiting great differences in plumage...
  
   Turdus poliocephalus

Old World warblers

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sylviidae

Sylviidae

Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that was part of an assemblage known as the Old World warblers. The family was formerly a wastebin taxon with over 400 species of bird in over 70 genera. The family was poorly defined with many characteristics shared with other families...

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. The Sylviidae mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. There are 291 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• New Caledonian Grassbird Megalurulus mariei (E)

Fantails

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Rhipiduridae

The Fantails are small insectivorous birds which are specialist aerial feeders. There are 44 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Grey Fantail
  Grey Fantail
  The Grey Fantail is a small insectivorous bird. A common fantail found in Australia , New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia...
  
   Rhipidura fuliginosa
• Streaked Fantail
  Streaked Fantail
  The Streaked Fantail is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family. Rhipidura verreauxi has precedence over Rhipidura spilodera . It is found in Fiji, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu...
  
   Rhipidura spilodera

Monarch flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Monarchidae

The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines, which hunt by flycatching. There are 99 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Southern Shrikebill
  Southern Shrikebill
  The Southern Shrikebill is a songbird species in the family Monarchidae.It is found in New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
  
   Clytorhynchus pachycephaloides
• Melanesian Flycatcher
  Melanesian Flycatcher
  The Melanesian Flycatcher is a species of bird in the monarch-flycatcher family Monarchidae. The species is sometimes known as the New Caledonian Flycatcher. The species is found in New Caledonia,, Vanuatu and Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands. The species is closely related to a number of...
  
   Myiagra caledonica

Australasian robins

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Petroicidae

Petroicidae

The bird family Petroicidae includes roughly 45 species in about 15 genera. All are endemic to Australasia: New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and numerous Pacific Islands as far east as Samoa. For want of an accurate common name, the family is often called the Australasian robins. Within the...

Most species of the Petroicidae have a stocky build with a large, rounded head, a short, straight bill, and rounded wingtips. They occupy a wide range of wooded habitats, from subalpine to tropical rainforest, and mangrove swamps to semi-arid scrubland. All are primarily insectivorous, although a few supplement their diet with seeds. There are 43 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Yellow-bellied Robin
  Yellow-bellied Robin
  The Yellow-bellied Flyrobin is a species of bird in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae. It is endemic to New Caledonia, where it occurs on the island of Grande Terre...
  
   Eopsaltria flaviventris (E)

Whistlers and allies

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Pachycephalidae

Pachycephalidae

The family Pachycephalidae, collectively the whistlers, includes the whistlers, shrike-thrushes, shrike-tits, pitohuis and Crested Bellbird, and is part of the ancient Australo-Papuan radiation of songbirds. Its members range from small to medium in size, and occupy most of Australasia...

The family Pachycephalidae includes the whistlers, shrike-thrushes, shrike-tits, pitohuis and Crested Bellbird. There are 57 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Golden Whistler
  Golden Whistler
  The Australian Golden Whistler is a species of bird found in forest, woodland, mallee, mangrove and scrub in Australia and in mountain forest in the Snow Mountains in the Papua Province of Indonesia. Most populations are resident, but some in south-eastern Australia migrate north during the winter...
  
   Pachycephala pectoralis
• New Caledonian Whistler
  New Caledonian Whistler
  The Melanesian Whistler is a species of passerine bird in the whistler family Pachycephalidae. It is found in New Caledonia , Vanuatu, and Vanikoro in far southeastern Solomons. Alternatively, all except the nominate subspecies are treated as subspecies of the Golden Whistler...
  
   Pachycephala caledonica (E)
• Rufous Whistler
  Rufous Whistler
  The Rufous Whistler is a species of whistler found in New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, and throughout Australia . Predominantly a reddish-brown and grey bird, it makes up for its subdued plumage with its song-making ability...
  
   Pachycephala rufiventris

Thornbills and allies

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Acanthizidae

Acanthizidae

The Acanthizidae, also known as the Australasian warblers, are a family of passerine birds which include gerygones, thornbills, and scrubwrens. The Acanthizidae consists of small to medium passerine birds, with a total length varying between 8 and 19 cm. They have short rounded wings, slender...

Thornbills are small passerine birds, similar in habits to the tits. There are 65 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• Fan-tailed Gerygone
  Fan-tailed Gerygone
  The Fan-tailed Gerygone is a species of bird in the Acanthizidae family.It is found in New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....
  
   Gerygone flavolateralis

White-eyes

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Zosteropidae

The white-eyes are small and are mostly of undistinguished appearance, the plumage above being generally either some dull color like greenish olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests many species have a white ring around the eyes. There are 96 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Large Lifou White-eye Zosterops inornatus (E)
• Green-backed White-eye
  Green-backed White-eye
  The Green-backed White-eye is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is also known as the New Caledonian White-eye.It is endemic to New Caledonia.-Taxonomy :...
  
   Zosterops xanthochrous (E)
• Small Lifou White-eye Zosterops minutus (E)
• Silver-eye Zosterops lateralis

Honeyeaters

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Meliphagidae

The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium-sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea. They are nectar feeders and closely resemble other nectar-feeding passerines. There are 174 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Dark-brown Honeyeater
  Dark-brown Honeyeater
  The Grey-eared Honeyeater or Dark-brown Honeyeater is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family which is found in Vanuatu and New Caledonia in the south-west Pacific...
  
   Lichmera incana
• New Caledonian Myzomela
  New Caledonian Myzomela
  The New Caledonian Myzomela is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. The species is sometimes considered to be conspecific with the Scarlet Myzomela of Australia....
  
   Myzomela caledonica (E)
• Cardinal Myzomela
  Cardinal Myzomela
  The Cardinal Myzomela is a species of bird in the Honeyeater family. It is named for the scarlet color of the male. It is found in American Samoa, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove...
  
   Myzomela cardinalis
• New Caledonian Friarbird
  New Caledonian Friarbird
  The New Caledonian Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to New Caledonia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....
  
   Philemon diemenensis (E)
• Crow Honeyeater
  Crow Honeyeater
  The Crow Honeyeater is a very large honeyeater with orange facial wattles. It superficially resembles a crow with its glossy black plumage. Crow Honeyeaters have long rounded wings and a long tail and neck. Their bill is long and bicolored- yellow below, black above...
  
   Gymnomyza aubryana (E)
• Barred Honeyeater
  Barred Honeyeater
  The Barred Honeyeater is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to New Caledonia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....
  
   Phylidonyris undulata (E)

Woodswallows

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Artamidae

Artamidae

The family Artamidae gathers together 20 species of mostly crow-like birds native to Australasia and nearby areas.There are two subfamilies: Artaminae, the woodswallows, are sombre-coloured, soft-plumaged birds that have a brush-tipped tongue but seldom use it for gathering nectar. Instead, they...

The woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. They are smooth, agile flyers with moderately large, semi-triangular wings. There are 11 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• White-breasted Woodswallow
  White-breasted Woodswallow
  The White-breasted Woodswallow, Artamus leucorynchus, is a small passerine bird which breeds from the Andaman Islands east through Indonesia and northern Australia. The name "woodswallow" is a misnomer as they are not closely related to true swallows...
  
   Artamus leucorynchus

Crows, jays, ravens and magpies

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Corvidae

Corvidae

Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...

The Corvidae family includes crow

Crow

Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...

s, raven

Raven

Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...

s, jay

Jay

The jays are several species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the crow family Corvidae. The names jay and magpie are somewhat interchangeable, and the evolutionary relationships are rather complex...

s, chough

Chough

The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...

s, magpie

Magpie

Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia...

s, treepie

Treepie

The treepies comprise four closely related genera of long-tailed passerine birds in the family Corvidae...

s, nutcracker

Nutcracker (bird)

The nutcrackers are a genus of two species of passerine bird, in the family Corvidae, related to the jays and crows. One, the Spotted Nutcracker , occurs in Europe and Asia, the other, Clark's Nutcracker , in western North America.The most important food resources for both these species are the...

s, and ground jay

Ground jay

The ground jays or ground choughs belong to a distinct group of the passerine order of birds in the genus Podoces of the crow family Corvidae...

s. Corvids are above average in size for the bird order Passeriformes. Some of the larger species show high levels of learning behavior. There are 120 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• New Caledonian Crow
  New Caledonian Crow
  The New Caledonian Crow is a tool-using species of crow endemic to New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands. These crows are some of the only non-primate animals known to invent new tools by modifying existing ones, and then passing these innovations on to other individuals in the cultural group...
  
   Corvus moneduloides (E)

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct, and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. There are 125 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Striated Starling
  Striated Starling
  The Striated Starling is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family.It is endemic to New Caledonia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 24 July 2007....
  
   Aplonis striata (E)
• Common Myna
  Common Myna
  The Common Myna or Indian Myna also sometimes spelled Mynah, is a member of family Sturnidae native to Asia. An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct, the Myna has adapted extremely well to urban environments...
  
   Acridotheres tristis (I)
• European Starling
  European Starling
  The Common Starling , also known as the European Starling or just Starling, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae.This species of starling is native to most of temperate Europe and western Asia...
  
   Sturnus vulgaris (A)

Waxbills and allies

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Estrildidae

The estrildid finch

Estrildid finch

The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae , or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows....

es are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia

Australasia

Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...

. They are gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have a wide variation in plumage colours and pattern. There are 141 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in New Caledonia.

• Common Waxbill
  Common Waxbill
  The Common Waxbill , also known as the St Helena Waxbill, is a small passerine bird belonging to the estrildid finch family. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa but has been introduced to many other regions of the world and now has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km²...
  
   Estrilda astrild (I)
• Blue-faced Parrotfinch
  Blue-faced Parrotfinch
  The Blue-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura trichroa is a locally common species of estrildid finch found in north-eastern Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Federated States of Micronesia, France , New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands & Vanuatu...
  
   Erythrura trichroa (A)
• Red-throated Parrotfinch
  Red-throated Parrotfinch
  The Red-throated Parrotfinch, Erythrura psittacea, is a species of estrildid finch found in New Caledonia. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 to 50,000 km²....
  
   Erythrura psittacea (E)
• Chestnut-breasted Munia
  Chestnut-breasted Munia
  The Chestnut-breasted Munia , also known as the Chestnut-breasted Mannikin or Bully Bird , is a small brown-backed munia with a black face and greyish crown and nape. It has a broad ferruginous breast bar above a white belly. The species is found in Australia, New Caledonia, Indonesia, and Papua...
  
   Lonchura castaneothorax (I)

Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes. Family: Passeridae

Sparrow

Sparrow

The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...

s are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed-eaters, and they also consume small insects. There are 35 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in New Caledonia.

• House Sparrow
  House Sparrow
  The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...
  
  Passer domesticus (I)