Christmas Island bird checklist
146 bird species in 42 families have been recorded in Christmas Island, according to eBird; about 116 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.
Species data: eBird.org, updated · How these lists are made
The most common birds in Christmas Island right now
1Common Sandpiper
2Red-footed Booby
3Great Frigatebird
4Eurasian Tree Sparrow
5Brown Booby
6White-tailed Tropicbird
7Brown Noddy
8Christmas Island Swiftlet
9Christmas Island White-eye
10Christmas Island Imperial-Pigeon
Christmas Island bird checklist
146 species · loading the checklist tools…
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- Pacific Black Duck
- Mallard
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Red Junglefowl
Pigeons and Doves
- Rock Pigeon
- Red Collared-Dove
- Asian Emerald Dove
- Christmas Island Imperial-Pigeon
Cuckoos
- Asian Koel
- Black-eared Cuckoo
- Oriental Cuckoo
Nightjars and Allies
- Gray Nightjar
- Savanna Nightjar
Swifts
- White-throated Needletail
- Christmas Island Swiftlet
- Himalayan Swiftlet
- White-nest Swiftlet
- Pacific Swift
- House Swift
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Watercock
- White-breasted Waterhen
Stilts and Avocets
- Pied Stilt
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- Pacific Golden-Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Oriental Plover
- Greater Sand-Plover
Sandpipers and Allies
- Eurasian Whimbrel
- Little Curlew
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Pin-tailed Snipe
- Red-necked Phalarope
- Common Sandpiper
- Gray-tailed Tattler
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Common Redshank
- Common Greenshank
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Ruff
- Broad-billed Sandpiper
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Long-toed Stint
- Red-necked Stint
- Sanderling
- Pectoral Sandpiper
Pratincoles and Coursers
- Australian Pratincole
- Oriental Pratincole
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Silver Gull
- Brown Noddy
- Lesser Noddy
- Sooty Tern
- Bridled Tern
- Little Tern
- Gull-billed Tern
- Whiskered Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Common Tern
- Lesser Crested Tern
Tropicbirds
- White-tailed Tropicbird
- Red-billed Tropicbird
- Red-tailed Tropicbird
Southern Storm-Petrels
- Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Northern Storm-Petrels
- Matsudaira's Storm-Petrel
Shearwaters and Petrels
- Pintado Petrel
- Bulwer's Petrel
- Flesh-footed Shearwater
- Wedge-tailed Shearwater
- Tropical Shearwater
Frigatebirds
- Lesser Frigatebird
- Great Frigatebird
- Christmas Island Frigatebird
Boobies and Gannets
- Abbott's Booby
- Red-footed Booby
- Brown Booby
Cormorants and Shags
- Little Black Cormorant
Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis
- Australian Ibis
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Black Bittern
- Cinnamon Bittern
- Schrenck's Bittern
- Yellow Bittern
- Nankeen Night Heron
- Malayan Night Heron
- Japanese Night Heron
- Pacific Reef-Heron
- Little Egret
- Pied Heron
- White-faced Heron
- Little Heron
- Indian Pond-Heron
- Chinese Pond-Heron
- Javan Pond-Heron
- Eastern Cattle-Egret
- Great Egret
- Medium Egret
- Plumed Egret
- Purple Heron
Pelicans
- Australian Pelican
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Oriental Honey-buzzard
- Japanese Sparrowhawk
- Chinese Sparrowhawk
- Brown Goshawk
- Swamp Harrier
Owls
- Northern Boobook
- Christmas Island Boobook
Hoopoes
- Common Hoopoe
Kingfishers
- Common Kingfisher
- Sacred Kingfisher
- Collared Kingfisher
Rollers
- Dollarbird
Falcons and Caracaras
- Nankeen Kestrel
- Eurasian Hobby
- Peregrine Falcon
Pittas
- Fairy Pitta
Cuckooshrikes
- Black-faced Cuckooshrike
Shrikes
- Tiger Shrike
- Brown Shrike
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Oriental Reed Warbler
Grassbirds and Allies
- Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler
Swallows
- Barn Swallow
- Asian House-Martin
- Eastern Red-rumped Swallow
- Tree Martin
Leaf Warblers
- Dusky Warbler
- Arctic Warbler
White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
- Christmas Island White-eye
Starlings
- Rosy Starling
- Daurian Starling
Thrushes and Allies
- Christmas Island-Thrush
Old World Flycatchers
- Dark-sided Flycatcher
- Asian Brown Flycatcher
- Blue-and-white Flycatcher
- Siberian Rubythroat
- Narcissus Flycatcher
- Blue Rock-Thrush
Waxbills and Allies
- Java Sparrow
- White-headed Munia
Old World Sparrows
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits
- Forest Wagtail
- Gray Wagtail
- Eastern Yellow Wagtail
- Citrine Wagtail
- White Wagtail
- Blyth's Pipit
- Red-throated Pipit
Most common birds in Christmas Island
Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Christmas Island’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Red-footed BoobySula sula
- Great FrigatebirdFregata minor
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Brown BoobySula leucogaster
- White-tailed TropicbirdPhaethon lepturus
- Brown NoddyAnous stolidus
- Christmas Island SwiftletCollocalia natalis
- Christmas Island White-eyeZosterops natalis
- Christmas Island Imperial-PigeonDucula whartoni
- Red-tailed TropicbirdPhaethon rubricauda
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- Asian Emerald DoveChalcophaps indica
- Eastern Yellow WagtailMotacilla tschutschensis
- Nankeen KestrelFalco cenchroides
- White-breasted WaterhenAmaurornis phoenicurus
- Red JunglefowlGallus gallus
- Christmas Island FrigatebirdFregata andrewsi
- Pacific Reef-HeronEgretta sacra
- Wedge-tailed ShearwaterArdenna pacifica
Largest bird families in Christmas Island
Among its regular birds.
- Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns18
- Sandpipers and Allies14
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers7
- Wagtails and Pipits6
- Plovers and Lapwings5
- Swifts4
- Pigeons and Doves4
- Shearwaters and Petrels4
Reported in the last 30 days
42 species reported to eBird in Christmas Island in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:
Christmas Island-Thrush, Christmas Island Swiftlet, Christmas Island Imperial-Pigeon, Christmas Island White-eye, Common Sandpiper, Asian Emerald Dove, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Red-footed Booby, Great Frigatebird, Nankeen Kestrel, White-tailed Tropicbird, Brown Booby, Brown Noddy, Christmas Island Frigatebird, Red-tailed Tropicbird, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Waterhen, Red Junglefowl, Abbott's Booby, Asian Koel, Pacific Reef-Heron, Brown Goshawk, Lesser Frigatebird, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Wood Sandpiper, Little Egret, Medium Egret, Glossy Ibis, White-faced Heron, Java Sparrow, Little Heron, Christmas Island Boobook, Black Bittern, Oriental Pratincole, Long-toed Stint, Eastern Cattle-Egret, Greater Sand-Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Great Egret, …
Get to know some of them
Red-tailed Tropicbird
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Waterhen
Pacific Reef-Heron
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Lesser Frigatebird
Little Egret
Wood Sandpiper
Medium Egret
Asian Koel
Glossy Ibis
White-faced Heron
Ruddy Turnstone
Great Egret
Eastern Cattle-Egret
Gray Wagtail
Pacific Golden-Plover