The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands:
Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status
Version 2 - 1 January 2017
 Robert L. Pyle and Peter Pyle

Northwestern Hawaiian Island Checklist

The following checklist includes 181 bird species documented as occurring in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, as recorded on each island or island group, either naturally or through introduction and establishment of a viable breeding population for at least 15 years. See Primary Checklist for more information. Pelagic records are recorded for island groups if the species was seen from land or during a one-day boat trip from the island; 12 species, listed below, have been recorded in Northwestern Hawaiian Island waters from research vessels but not on or from any island or island group.

R - Resident (native)
N - Naturalized (non-native), established and breeding
n - Naturalized (non-native), visitor from other island or island group
B - Breeding Visitor
M - Migrant through the islands (some may winter) or non-breeding visitor (often seabirds)
W - Winter Resident (some may migrate through the islands)
V - Vagrant
X - Extinct
x - Extirpated from that island or island group (Resident or Naturalized species)

For species of breeding seabirds, click on the common name to access population size estimates.


ANATIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Greater White-fronted Goose V V   V     V    
Emperor Goose V V   V          
Snow Goose   V              
Brant   V V V     V    
Cackling Goose V V     V     V  
Tundra Swan   V              
Gadwall   W         W    
Falcated Duck   V              
Eurasian Wigeon W W   W W   W    
American Wigeon W W     W        
Mallard W W     W   W    
Laysan Duck       R R        
Blue-winged Teal   V   V          
Northern Shoveler W W     W   W    
Northern Pintail W W W W W   W   W
Garganey V V     V   V    
Green-winged Teal W W     W   W    
Canvasback   V     V        
Common Pochard   V              
Ring-necked Duck         V   V    
Tufted Duck V V         V    
Greater Scaup W W     W        
Lesser Scaup   W     W        
Harlequin Duck V V     V        
Black Scoter   V              
Long-tailed Duck   V              
Bufflehead W W     W        
Common Goldeneye         V        
Red-breasted Merganser         V        
PODICIPEDIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Eared Grebe         V        
DIOMEDEIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Salvin's Albatross   V              
Laysan Albatross B B B B B M B B B
Black-footed Albatross B B B B B   B B B
Short-tailed Albatross B B M   M        
PROCELLARIIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Northern Fulmar W W W       W    
Kermadec Petrel M                
Herald Petrel             M    
Murphy's Petrel M M         M    
Mottled Petrel   M              
Juan Fernandez Petrel                  
Hawaiian Petrel                  
White-necked Petrel   M              
Bonin Petrel B B B B B   B    
Black-winged Petrel   M              
Cook's Petrel         M        
Stejneger's Petrel                  
Tahiti Petrel                  
Bulwer's Petrel B B B B B B B B B
Jouanin's Petrel   V   V          
Streaked Shearwater         V        
Flesh-footed Shearwater   M              
Wedge-tailed Shearwater B B B B B B B B B
Buller's Shearwater   M              
Sooty Shearwater M M M M M   M    
Short-tailed Shearwater   M              
Christmas Shearwater B B B B B   B M B
Newell's Shearwater   M              
Bryan's Shearwater   V              
HYDROBATIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Wilson's Storm-Petrel                  
Leach's Storm-Petrel W W              
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel                  
Tristram's Storm-Petrel B B B M B   B M B
PHAETHONTIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
White-tailed Tropicbird M B     M   M   M
Red-billed Tropicbird             V   V
Red-tailed Tropicbird B B B B B B B B B
FREGATIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Great Frigatebird B B B B B M B B B
Lesser Frigatebird M M     B   B    
SULIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Masked Booby B B B B B B B B B
Nazca Booby   V         V    
Brown Booby B B B B B B B B B
Red-footed Booby B B B B B M B B B
PHALACROCORACIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Pelagic Cormorant   V     V        
ARDEIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Great Blue Heron             V    
Gray Heron V                
Intermediate Egret   V              
Cattle Egret n V, n n n n n n n n
Black-crowned Night-Heron V V         V    
PANDIONIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Osprey   W         W    
ACCIPITRIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Black Kite   V              
Steller Sea-Eagle V V         V    
Northern Harrier V V     V   V    
Chinese Sparrowhawk V                
Rough-legged Hawk   V     V        
RALLIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Laysan Rail   X     X        
Hawaiian Coot V V V   V   V    
RECURVIROSTRIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Black-winged Stilt V V              
Black-necked Stilt                 V
CHARADRIIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Black-bellied Plover M M   M W   M    
Pacific Golden-Plover W W W W W M W W W
Lesser Sand-Plover   V   V          
Common Ringed Plover   V              
Semipalmated Plover   W   M W   W   M
Eurasian Dotterel V                
SCOLOPACIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Common Sandpiper V                
Spotted Sandpiper             V   V
Gray-tailed Tattler   V     V        
Wandering Tattler W W W W W W W W W
Greater Yellowlegs   V     V        
Lesser Yellowlegs M M     M   M    
Marsh Sandpiper   V              
Wood Sandpiper V V     V        
Whimbrel W W     W   M    
Bristle-thighed Curlew W W W W W   W W W
Far Eastern Curlew         V   V    
Bar-tailed Godwit M M   M W   M    
Marbled Godwit         V        
Ruddy Turnstone W W W W W M W W W
Red Knot   V V   V        
Ruff M M M M     M    
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper M M M M M   M    
Curlew Sandpiper         V        
Long-toed Stint   V              
Red-necked Stint V                
Sanderling M M M M W   M M  
Dunlin W W W   W   W    
Baird's Sandpiper   V     V        
Little Stint V V              
Buff-breasted Sandpiper V V         V    
Pectoral Sandpiper M M     M   M    
Western Sandpiper V V     V   V    
Short-billed Dowitcher V V     V        
Long-billed Dowitcher W W     W   W    
Wilson's Snipe V V              
Common Snipe V V              
Pin-tailed Snipe V                
Wilson's Phalarope             V    
Red-necked Phalarope         V        
Red Phalarope W W W   W        
STERCORARAIIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
South Polar Skua                  
Pomarine Jaeger   W     W   M    
Parasitic Jaeger                  
Long-tailed Jaeger                  
ALCIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Parakeet Auklet V V V            
Rhinoceros Auklet V                
Horned Puffin V V V   V        
LARIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Black-legged Kittiwake V V V   V   V    
Bonaparte's Gull   V     V   V    
Black-headed Gull   V              
Laughing Gull   V     V   V V  
Franklin's Gull   M     M   M    
Mew Gull V V              
Ring-billed Gull     V   V        
Herring Gull W W W W W   W    
Lesser Black-backed Gull                  
Slaty-backed Gull W W     V        
Glaucous-winged Gull W W W W W   W W  
Glaucous Gull V V     V   V    
Brown Noddy B B B B B B B B B
Black Noddy B B B B B B B B B
Blue-gray Noddy         V B B B B
White Tern B B B B B B B B B
Sooty Tern B B B B B B B B B
Gray-backed Tern B B B B B B B B B
Little Tern M B B   M   M    
Least Tern M B     M   M    
Black Tern V V     V        
Whiskered Tern V V              
Common Tern V       V   V    
Arctic Tern M M   M          
Great Crested Tern             V    
COLUMBIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Rock Pigeon   x         n   n
Mourning Dove                 n
CUCULIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Common Cuckoo   V              
Yellow-billed Cuckoo         V        
STRIGIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Short-eared Owl W W     W   W    
CAPRIMULGIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Common Nighthawk             V    
APODIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Fork-tailed Swift   V         V    
FALCONIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Merlin   V              
Peregrine Falcon M W   M W   W    
CORVIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Common Raven V                
ALAUDIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Eurasian Skylark V           n    
HIRUNDIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Cliff Swallow             V    
Barn Swallow V V              
ZOSTROPIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Japanese White-eye             n    
ACROCEPHALIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Millerbird         x       R
TURDIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Eyebrowed Thrush   V              
MIMIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Northern Mockingbird             n n n
STURNIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Common Myna   N              
MOTACILLIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Olive-backed Pipit V                
Red-throated Pipit V                
American Pipit V                
CALCARIIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Snow Bunting V V         V    
EMBERIZIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Savannah Sparrow V           V    
CARDINALIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Northern Cardinal                 n
ICTERIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Western Meadowlark                  
FRINGILLIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
Brambling V V              
Laysan Finch   x N   R        
Nihoa Finch                 R
Laysan Honeycreeper         x        
House Finch   n         n   n
Common Redpoll V V              
Island Canary n N              
PASSERIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
House Sparrow n n         n    
ESTRILIDAE
COMMON NAME Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan G. P. FFS Necker Nihoa
African Silverbill                 n
 
TOTAL SPECIES 101 136 42 41 95 18 89 26 36

Version 2 completed Jan 2017 and will not be updated for content until future versions are posted (typos and bad links will be fixed). Comments, errors, typos, bad links, updated information, any other suggestions: Please contact Peter Pyle at ppyle@bishopmuseum.org.

Citation: Pyle, R.L., and P. Pyle. 2017. The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. Version 2 (1 January 2017) http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph

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