Birds of Ashmore Reef

The Birds of Ashmore Reef comprise three main groups:

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

List of birds

Procellariidae

Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii - vagrant
Jouanin's petrel, Bulweria fallax - vagrant
Tahiti petrel, Pseudobulweria rostrata - vagrant
Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus - regular visitor

Hydrobatidae

Swinhoe's storm-petrel, Oceanodroma monorhis – vagrant

Phaethontidae

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

Sulidae

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

Fregatidae

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

Ardeidae

Black bittern, Ixobrychus flavicollis - vagrant
Great egret, Ardea alba
Intermediate egret, Ardea intermedia
White-faced heron, Egretta novaehollandiae
Little egret, Egretta garzetta - breeding
Pacific reef-heron, Egretta sacra - breeding
Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis
Striated heron, Butorides striata
Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax – vagrant
Rufous night-heron, Nycticorax caledonicus

Rallidae

Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea - vagrant
White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus - vagrant
Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis – breeding
Red-legged crake, Rallina fasciata - vagrant

Turnicidae

Red-backed buttonquail, Turnix maculosa – vagrant

Scolopacidae

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

Charadriidae

Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii - passage migrant
Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus - passage migrant
Red-capped plover, Charadrius ruficapillus – vagrant
Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus - passage migrant
Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva - passage migrant
Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola – vagrant
Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles

Stercorariidae

Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus - vagrant
Arctic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus - vagrant
Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus - vagrant

Laridae

Black noddy, Anous minutus - breeding
Common noddy, Anous stolidus - breeding
Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris - possibly breeding
Little tern, Sternula albifrons - vagrant
Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus - breeding
Greater crested tern, Thalasseus bergii - breeding
Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus – breeding

Accipitridae

Letter-winged kite, Elanus scriptus
Swamp harrier, Circus approximans
Spotted harrier, Circus assimilis
Chinese sparrowhawk, Accipiter soloensis - vagrant
Brown goshawk, Accipiter fasciatus
Japanese sparrowhawk, Accipiter gularis - vagrant

Cuculidae

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

Centropodidae

Lesser coucal, Centropus bengalensis – vagrant

Passeridae

Eurasian tree sparrow, Passer montanus - resident[1]

Hirundinidae

Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
Red-rumped swallow, Cecropis daurica – vagrant
Fairy martin, Petrochelidon ariel
Tree martin, Petrochelidon nigricans

Acrocephalidae

Oriental reed warbler, Acrocephalus orientalis - vagrant

Locustellidae

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

Phylloscopidae

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

Muscicapidae

Gray-streaked flycatcher, Muscicapa griseisticta - vagrant
Dark-sided flycatcher, Muscicapa sibirica - vagrant
Asian brown flycatcher, Muscicapa dauurica - vagrant
Blue-and-white flycatcher, Cyanoptila cyanomelana - vagrant
Siberian blue robin, Larvivora cyane - vagrant

References

Notes

Birding-Aus Mailing List Archives.

Sources

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

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