The terrestrial fauna of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is depauperate because of the small land area of the islands, their lack of diverse habitats, and their isolation from large land-masses. However, the fauna dependent on marine resources is much richer.
Birds
As a small and isolated group of islands in two atolls 24 km (15 mi) apart in the eastern Indian Ocean, the number of species of resident landbirds (as opposed to seabirds and waders) is very small. These comprise the endemic subspecies of buff-banded rail, the introduced green junglefowl and helmeted guineafowl, the white-breasted waterhen, eastern reef egret, nankeen night heron and the introduced Christmas white-eye. Four other introduced species are now extinct in the Islands. Several other landbird species have been recorded occasionally, but none has established a breeding population.
Migratory waders recorded in the islands include some regular visitors as well as vagrants, though none of which breed on the islands. However, North Keeling is important for breeding seabirds, with sizeable numbers of red-footed boobies, great and lesser frigatebirds, common noddies and white terns. Other breeding seabirds include wedge-tailed shearwaters, masked boobies, brown boobies, red-tailed and white-tailed tropicbirds, and sooty terns. It is possible that the herald petrel breeds there as well.
Presumably, before human occupation of the islands in the 19th century, seabirds bred on both atolls. However, with the establishment of a human population and the introduction of rodents to the southern atoll, significant seabird colonies are now restricted to the northern atoll of North Keeling. Although the Cocos islanders used to visit North Keeling regularly to harvest seabirds, this practice largely ceased with the establishment of Pulu Keeling National Park in 1995.
List of birds
Phasianidae
Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus - feral domestic fowl
Green junglefowl, Gallus varius - introduced, breeding
Anatidae
Pacific black duck, Anas superciliosa - vagrant
Green-winged teal, Anas crecca - vagrant
Hardhead, Aythya australis - vagrant
Procellariidae
Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii - vagrant
Herald petrel, Pterodroma arminjoniana - possibly breeding
Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus - breeding
Diomedeidae
Yellow-nosed albatross, Thalassarche chlororhynchos - vagrant
Phaethontidae
White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus - breeding
Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda - breeding
Sulidae
Masked booby, Sula dactylatra - breeding
Brown booby, Sula leucogaster - breeding
Red-footed booby, Sula sula - breeding
Phalacrocoracidae
Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo - vagrant
Little black cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris - vagrant
Little pied cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos - vagrant
Fregatidae
Christmas frigatebird, Fregata andrewsi - vagrant
Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel - breeding
Great frigatebird, Fregata minor - breeding
Ardeidae
Great egret, Ardea alba - vagrant
Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis - vagrant
Intermediate egret, Ardea intermedia - vagrant
Chinese pond-heron, Ardeola bacchus - vagrant
Javan pond-heron, Ardeola speciosa - vagrant
Striated heron, Butorides striatus - vagrant
Little egret, Egretta garzetta - vagrant
White-faced heron, Egretta novaehollandiae - vagrant
Pacific reef-heron, Egretta sacra - breeding
Western reef-heron, Egretta gularis
Malayan night-heron, Gorsachius melanolophus - vagrant
Nankeen night-heron, Nycticorax caledonicus - breeding
Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax - vagrant
Black bittern, Ixobrychus flavicollis - vagrant
Cinnamon bittern, Ixobrychus cinnamomeus - vagrant
Schrenck's bittern, Ixobrychus eurhythmus - vagrant
Yellow bittern, Ixobrychus sinensis - vagrant
Threskiornithidae
Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus - vagrant
Phoenicopteridae
Greater flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber - vagrant
Accipitridae
Oriental honey-buzzard, Pernis ptilorhynchus - vagrant
Swamp harrier, Circus approximans - vagrant
Chinese sparrowhawk, Accipiter soloensis - vagrant
Japanese sparrowhawk, Accipiter gularis - vagrant
Falconidae
Nankeen kestrel, Falco cenchroides - vagrant
Rallidae
Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus - vagrant
White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus - breeding
Cocos buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis andrewsi - endemic subspecies
Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea - vagrant
Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla - vagrant
Scolopacidae
Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos - regular visitor
Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres - regular visitor
Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata - vagrant
Sanderling, Calidris alba - vagrant
Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea - vagrant
Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis - vagrant
Red knot, Calidris canutus - vagrant
Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris - vagrant
Pin-tailed snipe, Gallinago stenura - vagrant
Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica - vagrant
Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa - vagrant
Little curlew, Numenius minutus - vagrant
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus - regular visitor
Grey-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes - vagrant
Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia - regular visitor
Common redshank, Tringa totanus - regular visitor
Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus - vagrant
Recurvirostridae
Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus - vagrant
Charadriidae
Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus - vagrant
Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii - vagrant
Caspian plover, Charadrius asiaticus - vagrant
Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus - vagrant
Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva - regular visitor
Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola - vagrant
Glareolidae
Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum - vagrant
Laridae
Common noddy, Anous stolidus - breeding
Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris - vagrant
White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus - vagrant
White tern, Gygis alba - breeding
Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus - vagrant
Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus - breeding
Common tern, Sterna hirundo - vagrant
Lesser crested tern, Thalasseus bergii - vagrant
Greater crested tern, Thalasseus bengalensis - vagrant
Saunders's tern Sternula saundersi - vagrant
Columbidae
Christmas imperial pigeon, Ducula whartoni - introduced, extinct
Cuculidae
Large hawk-cuckoo, Hierococcyx sparverioides - vagrant
Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus saturatus - vagrant
Indian cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus - vagrant
Asian koel, Eudynamys scolopaceus - vagrant
Strigidae
Buffy fish owl, Ketupa ketupu - vagrant
Caprimulgidae
Nightjar species, Caprimulgus - vagrant
Apodidae
Pacific swift, Apus pacificus - vagrant
White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus - vagrant
Alcedinidae
Collared kingfisher, Todiramphus chloris - vagrant
Meropidae
Rainbow bee-eater, Merops ornatus - vagrant
Coraciidae
Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis - vagrant
Motacillidae
Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea - vagrant
Yellow wagtail, Motacilla flava - vagrant
Passeridae
Java sparrow, Padda oryzivora - introduced, extinct
Ploceidae
Asian golden weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus - introduced, extinct
Hirundinidae
Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica - regular visitor
Tree martin, Petrochelidon nigricans
Asian house-martin, Delichon dasypus - vagrant
Zosteropidae
Christmas white-eye, Zosterops natalis - introduced, breeding
Turdidae
Christmas thrush, Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus - introduced, extinct
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
Narcissus flycatcher, Ficedula narcissina - vagrant
Mugimaki flycatcher, Ficedula mugimaki - vagrant
Blue rock-thrush, Monticola solitarius - vagrant
Sturnidae
Rosy starling, Pastor roseus - vagrant
Mammals
There are no native land mammals. Two species of rodent, the house mouse and black rat, have been introduced to the southern atoll but are absent from North Keeling. Rabbits were introduced but have become extinct. Two species of Asian deer, the Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), and Sambar (Cervus unicolor), were introduced but did not persist. Marine mammals recorded stranding on, or seen passing by, the islands include:
Sirenia
Dugong, Dugong dugon – seen in the lagoon of the southern atoll
Cetacea
Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus – regularly seen
Common dolphin, Delphinus delphis – regularly seen
Pilot whale, Globicephala species
Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris
Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
Reptiles
Terrestrial reptiles include three geckos and a blind-snake, all of which may have been inadvertently transported to the islands by humans:
Gekkonidae
Mourning gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris
Four-clawed gecko, Gehyra mutilata
Common house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus
Typhlopidae
Brahminy blind snake, Typhlops braminus
Marine reptiles include:
Hydrophiidae
Yellow-bellied sea snake, Pelamis platurus
Banded sea krait, Laticauda colubrina
Chelonioidea
Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas - breeding
Hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata
Olive ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea
Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta
Leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea
Fish
Over 500 species of fish have been recorded around the islands.
See also
Flora of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
List of mammals of Christmas Island
References
Notes
Sources
Anon. (2004). Pulu Keeling National Park Management Plan. Australian Government. ISBN 0-642-54964-8
Birding-Aus Mailing List Archives
Carter, Mike. (1994). Birds of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Wingspan 15: 14-18.
Gibson-Hill, C.A. (1950). A note on the reptiles occurring on the Cocos-Keeling Islands. Bulletin of the Raffles Museum 22: 206-211.
Gibson-Hill, C.A. (1950). Notes on the birds of the Cocos-Keeling Islands. Bulletin of the Raffles Museum 22: 212-270.
Gibson-Hill, C.A. (1950). The Muridae of the Cocos-Keeling Islands. Bulletin of the Raffles Museum 22: 271-277.
Gibson-Hill, C.A. (1950). A note on the Cetacea stranded on the Cocos-Keeling Islands. Bulletin of the Raffles Museum 22: 278-279.
Hadden, Don. (2006). Cocos (Keeling) Island birds. Wingspan 16(4): 34-37.
Stokes, Tony, Wendy Shiels and Kevin Dunn (1984). Birds of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. 'The Emu' 84 (1): 23-29.
Stokes, Tony and Peter Goh (1987). Records of Herald Petrels and the Christmas Frigatebird from North Keeling Island, Indian Ocean. 'Australian Bird Watcher' 12 (4) 132-133.
Woodroffe, Colin D. (Editor) (1994). Ecology and Geomorphology of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. 'Atoll Research Bulletins' 399-414. Compilation of 14 individual papers by different authors published in a single volume. The papers include an introduction to scientific studies on the Islands, and detailed reports o the climate, hydrology and water resources; Late Quaternary Morphology; Geomorphology; Reef Islands; Vegetation; Update on Birds; Marine habitats; Sediment Facies; Hydrodynamic observations; Hermatypic corals; Marine molluscs; Echindoderms; Fishes; Barnacles; and Decapod crustaceans.
