BIRDS OF HAWAII

On this page below you will find a partial list of birds found in Hawaii - 172 species that each have a full profile page on this website when you click on their link, with photos and some videos.

BIRDS OBSERVED IN HAWAII – Due to their geographical location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles away from any land, the Hawaiian Islands have been isolated since they emerged as volcanoes from a magma hot spot a few million years ago. It is only very recently in their history that they were settled by humans.
Before their arrival, the birds that evolved in Hawaii had no predators except other birds. These birds are called ‘endemic’ to distinguish them from the ‘introduced’ species brought to the islands, first by the Hawaiians, next mainly by the Europeans.

TAXONOMIC LIST, BIRDS OF HAWAII (a separate page)

BIRD HABITATS AND THEIR CONSERVATION (a separate page)
BIRDING ON HAWAII (a separate page)
HUMAN IMPACTS (a separate page)
MIGRATORY BIRDS LIST FOR HAWAII (a separate page)
RESOURCES FOR BIRDS OF HAWAII (a separate page)

The Nēnē is the State Bird of Hawaii

A full checklist (338 species) of Birds of Hawaii is available on the Bishop Museum (Honolulu) website: http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/PrimaryChecklist.htm .

Aside from the 'Vagrants', the bird species listed below are relatively easy to observe in cities, parks, natural reserves and coastal areas.

The species status follows the bird’s name:

Endemic: Bird species unique to Hawaii.
Introduced: Bird species introduced to Hawaii by humans.
Indigenous: Bird species that made it to Hawaii on their own, and also found in other regions of the world.
Visitor: Bird species that visit Hawaii for their winter migration (mostly).
Vagrant: Bird species that rarely occur on Hawaii

AMERICAN AVOCET – (Recurvirostra americana) – Vagrant
AMERICAN BITTERN – (Botaurus lentiginosus) – Vagrant
AMERICAN PIPIT – (Anthus rubescens) – Vagrant
AMERICAN WIGEON (Mareca americana) – Visitor

BAIRD’S SANDPIPER (Calidris bairdii) – Vagrant
BARN OWL (Tyto alba) – Introduced
BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica) – Vagrant
BELTED KINGFISHER (Megaceryle alcyon) – Vagrant
BLACK FRANCOLIN (Francolinus francolinus) – Introduced
BLACK SCOTER (Melanitta americana) – Vagrant
BLACK TERN (Chlidonias niger) – Vagrant
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER – (Pluvialis squatarola) – Visitor
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax) – Indigenous
BLACK-HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) – Vagrant
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE – (Rissa tridactyla) – Vagrant
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT – (Limosa limosa) – Vagrant
BLACK-WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus) – Vagrant
BLUE-WINGED TEAL – (Spatula discors) – Visitor
BONAPARTE’S GULL – (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) – Vagrant
BRANT – (Branta bernicla)– Vagrant
BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW (Numenius tahitiensis) – Visitor
BROWN BOOBY (Sula Leucogaster) – Indigenous
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (Calidris subruficollis) – Vagrant
BUFFLEHEAD – (Bucephala albeola) – Visitor

CACKLING GOOSE (Branta hutchinsii) – Visitor
CALIFORNIA QUAIL (Callipepla californica) – Introduced
CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) – Vagrant
CANVASBACK (Aythia valisineria) – Vagrant
CASPIAN TERN – (Hydroprogne caspia) – Vagrant
CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis) – Indigenous
CLIFF SWALLOW – (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) – Vagrant
COMMON GOLDENEYE (Bucephala clangula) – Vagrant
COMMON MERGANSER – (Mergus merganser) – Vagrant
COMMON MYNAH (Acridotheres tristis) – Introduced
COMMON NIGHTHAWK – (Chordeiles minor) – Vagrant
COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax) – Vagrant
COMMON REDPOLL – (Acanthis flammea) – Vagrant
COMMON RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius hiaticula) – Vagrant
COMMON SANDPIPER (Actitis hypoleucos) – Vagrant
COMMON TERN – (Sterna hirundo) – Vagrant
COMMON WAXBILL (Estrilda astrild) – Introduced
CURLEW SANDPIPER (Calidris ferruginea) - Vagrant

DUNLIN – (Calidris alpina) – Visitor

ELEGANT TERN (Thalasseus elegans) – Vagrant
ERCKEL’S FRANCOLIN (Pternistis erckelii) – Introduced
EURASIAN WIGEON (Mareca penelope) – Visitor

GADWALL – (Anas strepera) – Vagrant
GARGANEY (Spatula querquedula) – Vagrant
GLAUCOUS GULL – (Larus hyperboreus) – Vagrant
GOLDEN EAGLE (Aquila chrysaetos) – Vagrant
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus marinus) – Vagrant
GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias) – Vagrant
GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba) – Vagrant
GREAT FRIGATEBIRD (Fregata minor) – Indigenous
GREATER SCAUP –(Aythya marila) – Visitor
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE – (Anser albifrons) – Vagrant
GREATER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa melanoleuca) – Vagrant
GREEN HERON (Butorides virescens) – Vagrant
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (Anas carolinensis) – Visitor
GREY FRANCOLIN (Francolinus pondicerianus) – Introduced
GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea) – Vagrant

HARLEQUIN DUCK – (Histrionicus histrionicus) – Vagrant
HAWAIIAN COOT (Fulica alai) – Endemic
HAWAIIAN DUCK (Anas wyvilliana) – Endemic
HAWAIIAN GALLINULE (Gallinula galeata sandvicensis) – Endemic
HAWAIIAN OWL (Asio flammeus sandvicensis) – Endemic
HAWAIIAN STILT (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) – Endemic
HERRING GULL (Larus smithsonianus) – Visitor
HOODED MERGANSER – (Lophodytes cucullatus) – Vagrant
HORNED GREBE – (Podiceps auritus) – Vagrant
HOUSE FINCH (Haemorhous mexicanus) – Introduced
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) – Introduced
HUDSONIAN GODWIT – (Limosa haemastica) – Vagrant

INDIAN PEAFOWL (Pavo cristatus) – Introduced

JAPANESE WHITE EYE (Zosteros japonicus) – Introduced
JAVA SPARROW (Lonchura oryzivora) – Introduced

KALIJ PHEASANT (Lophura leucomelanos) – Introduced
KILLDEER – (Charadrius vociferus) – Vagrant

LAUGHING GULL – (Leucophaeus atricilla) – Visitor
LAYSAN ALBATROSS (Phoebastria immutabilis) – Indigenous
LEACH’S STORM PETREL – (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) – Visitor
LEAST SANDPIPER – (Calidris minutilla) – Visitor
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL – (Larus fuscus) – Vagrant
LESSER SCAUP (Aythya affinis) – Visitor
LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa flavipes) – Visitor
LITTLE BLUE HERON (Egretta caerulea) – Vagrant
LITTLE STINT – (Calidris minuta) – Vagrant
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus scolopaceus) – Visitor
LONG-TAILED DUCK – (Clangula hyemalis) – Vagrant
LONG-TAILED JAEGER – (Stercorarius longicaudus) – Vagrant

MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) – Introduced
MARBLED GODWIT (Limosa fedoa) – Vagrant
MELODIUS LAUGHINGTHRUSH (Garrulax canorus) – Introduced
MERLIN (Falco columbarius) – Vagrant
MEW GULL (Larus canus) – Vagrant
MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura) – Introduced
MUSCOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata) – Introduced

NĒNĒ (Branta sandvicensis) – Endemic
NORTHERN CARDINAL (Cardinalis cardinalis) – Introduced
NORTHERN FULMAR – (Fulmarus glacialis) – Visitor
NORTHERN HARRIER – (Circus hudsonius) – Vagrant
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Mimus polyglottos) – Introduced
NORTHERN PINTAIL (Anas acuta) – Visitor
NORTHERN SHOVELER – (Spatula clypeata) – Visitor
NUTMEG MANNIKIN (Lonchura punctulata) – Introduced

OSPREY – (Pandion haliaetus) – Visitor

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER (Pluvialis fulva) – Visitor
PACIFIC LOON (Gavia pacifica) – Vagrant
PARASITIC JAEGER – (Stercorarius parasiticus) – Vagrant
PECTORAL SANDPIPER (Calidros melatonos) – Visitor
PEREGRINE FALCON – (Falco peregrinus) – Visitor
PIED-BILLED GREBE (Podilymbus podiceps) – Indigenous
POMARINE JAEGER –(Stercorarius pomarinus) – Visitor

RED JUNGLEFOWL (Gallus gallus) – Introduced
RED KNOT – (Calidris canutus) – Vagrant
RED PHALAROPE – (Phalaropus fulicarius) – Visitor
RED-BILLED LEIOTHRIX (Leiothrix lutea) – Introduced
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER – (Mergus serrator) – Vagrant
RED-CRESTED CARDINAL (Paroaria coronata) – Introduced
RED-FOOTED BOOBY (Sula sula) – Indigenous
RED-NECKED GREBE – (Podiceps grisegena) – Vagrant
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE – (Phalaropus lobatus) – Vagrant
RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD (Phaethon rubricauda) – Indigenous
RED-VENTED BULBUL (Pycnonotus cafer) – Introduced
RED-WHISKERED BULBUL (Pycnonotus jocosus) – Introduced
REDHEAD – (Aythya americana) – Vagrant
RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis) – Visitor
RING-NECKED DUCK – (Aythia collaris) – Visitor
RING-NECKED PHEASANT – (Phasianus colchicus) – Introduced
ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) – Introduced
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK – (Buteo lagopus) – Vagrant
RUDDY DUCK – (Oxyura jamaicensis) – Vagrant
RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres) – Visitor
RUFF – (Calidris pugnax) – Visitor

SAFFRON FINCH (Sicalis flaveola) – Introduced
SALVIN’S ALBATROSS (Thalassarche salvini) – Vagrant
SANDERLING (Calidris alba) – Visitor
SANDHILL CRANE – (Antigone canadensis) – Vagrant
SAVANNAH SPARROW – (Passerculus sandwichensis) – Vagrant
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER – (Charadrius semipalmatus) – Visitor
SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER (Calidris acuminata) – Visitor
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus griseus) – Vagrant
SNOW BUNTING – (Plectrophenax nivalis) – Vagrant
SNOW GOOSE – (Anser caerulescens) – Vagrant
SNOWY EGRET (Egretta thula) – Vagrant
SNOWY OWL (Bubo scandiacus) – Vagrant
SOLITARY SANDPIPER – (Tringa solitaria) – Vagrant
SOOTY SHEARWATER (Ardenna griseus) – Visitor
SORA – (Porzana carolina) – Vagrant
SPOTTED DOVE (Spilopelia chinensis) – Introduced
SPOTTED SANDPIPER – (Actitis macularius) – Vagrant
STILT SANDPIPER – (Calidris himantopus) – Vagrant
SURF SCOTER – (Melanitta perspicillata) – Vagrant

TUFTED DUCK (Aythya fuligula) – Vagrant
TUNDRA SWAN – (Cygnus columbianus) – Vagrant

WANDERING TATTLER (Tringa incana) – Visitor
WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER (Ardenna pacificus) – Indigenous
WESTERN GULL (Larus occidentalis) – Vagrant
WESTERN SANDPIPER (Calidris mauri) – Visitor
WHIMBREL – (Numenius phaeopus) – Visitor
WHITE TERN (Gygis alba) – Indigenous
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER – (Calidris fuscicollis) – Vagrant
WHITE-RUMPED SHAMA (Copsychus malabaricus) – Introduced
WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD (Phaethon lepturus) – Indigenous
WILD TURKEY – (Meleagris gallopavo) – Introduced
WILLET – (Tringa semipalmata) – Vagrant
WILSON’S PHALAROPE (Phalaropus tricolor) – Vagrant
WILSON’S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata) – Visitor

YELLOW-BILLED CARDINAL (Paroaria Capitata) – Introduced
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO – (Coccyzus americanus) – Vagrant
YELLOW-FRONTED CANARY (Serinus mozambicus) – Introduced

ZEBRA DOVE (Geopelia striata) – Introduced