This is a list of the bird species recorded on the Bounty Islands . The avifauna of the Bounty Islands include a total of 55 species.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for the Bounty Islands.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
(A) Accidental — a species that rarely or accidentally occurs on the Bounty Islands. (E) Endemic — a species endemic to the Bounty Islands. (I) Introduced — a species introduced to the Bounty Islands as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions.
Stilts and avocets
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin straight bills.
Pied stilt, Himantopus leucocephalus (A)
Plovers and lapwings
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. 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.
Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles (A)
Skuas and jaegers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: 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.
Brown skua, Stercorarius antarcticus
Gulls, terns, and skimmers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds 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 known to live in excess of 30 years.
Silver gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Kelp gull, Larus dominicanus
White-fronted tern, Sterna striata
Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea (A) Antarctic tern, Sterna vittata
Penguins
Order: SphenisciformesFamily: Spheniscidae
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in Antarctica.
Erect-crested penguin, Eudyptes sclateri
Southern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome
Snares penguin, Eudyptes robustus
Albatrosses
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: 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.
Gray-headed albatross, Thalassarche chrysostoma
Buller's albatross, Thalassarche bulleri
White-capped albatross, Thalassarche cauta
Salvin's albatross, Thalassarche salvini
Black-browed albatross, Thalassarche melanophris
Sooty albatross, Phoebetria fusca
Light-mantled albatross, Phoebetria palpebrata
Royal albatross, Diomedea epomophora
Wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans
Southern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The southern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus
Gray-backed storm-petrel, Garrodia nereis
White-faced storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina
Black-bellied storm-petrel, Fregetta tropica
Shearwaters and petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
