List of birds of Kiribati

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Kiribati, an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. The avifauna of Kiribati include a total of 90 species, of which two are endemic, and 3 have been introduced by humans.

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 Kiribati.

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. Not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring native species.

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

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.

• Canada goose, Branta canadensis (A)
• Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata
• Gadwall, Mareca strepera (Ex)
• Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope
• American wigeon, Mareca americana (A)
• Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (A)
• Northern pintail, Anas acuta
• Green-winged teal, Anas crecca

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls, grouse, ptarmigan, and junglefowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.

• Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus (I)

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

• Rock pigeon, Columba livia
• Shy ground dove, Gallicolumba stairi
• Pacific imperial-pigeon, Ducula pacifica
• Micronesian imperial-pigeon, Ducula oceanica (Ex)

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.

• Long-tailed koel, Urodynamis taitensis

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.

• Spotless crake, Zapornia tabuensis

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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.

• Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola
• Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

• Bristle-thighed curlew, Numenius tahitiensis
• Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus
• Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica
• Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa
• Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres
• Kiritimati sandpiper, Prosobonia cancellata (Ex)
• Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata
• Sanderling, Calidris alba
• Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos
• Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius
• Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos
• Gray-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes
• Wandering tattler, Tringa incana

Order: Charadriiformes   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.

• South polar skua, Stercorarius maccormicki
• Brown skua, Stercorarius antarcticus
• Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus
• Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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.

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.

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

Order: Procellariiformes   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.

• Laysan albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: 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
• White-faced storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina
• Polynesian storm-petrel, Nesofregetta fuliginosa

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Hydrobatidae

Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.

• Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous
• Band-rumped storm-petrel, Hydrobates castro

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: 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.

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable 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.

• Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel
• Great frigatebird, Fregata minor

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

• Masked booby, Sula dactylatra
• Nazca booby, Sula granti (A)
• Brown booby, Sula leucogaster
• Red-footed booby, Sula sula

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.

• Pacific reef-heron, Egretta sacra

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittaculidae

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from 8 cm (3.1 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft) in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.

• Kuhl's lorikeet, Vini kuhlii (I)

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Acrocephalidae

• Kiritimati reed warbler, Acrocephalus aequinoctialis (E)

• List of birds
• Lists of birds by region

• Lepage, Denis. "Checklist of Birds of Kiribati". Bird Checklists of the World. Avibase. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
• Clements, James F. (2000). Birds of the World: A Checklist. Cornell University Press. p. 880. ISBN 0-934797-16-1.
• Child, P. (1960). "Birds of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony Atoll". Research Bulletin. 74. doi:10.5479/si.00775630.74.1.
• Morris, R.O. (1963). "The birds of the Gilbert Islands". Sea Swallow. 16.