Animals seen in Fiji

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The following is just a list of all the birds and other critters I saw in Fiji. If that doesn't interest you, don't read it...

There are 68 species of land birds in Fiji (that is, excluding seabirds and shorebirds, but including ducks, herons and kingfishers). I managed to see 46 of them which was a pretty good total I feel. On the other hand, despite being at the coast quite a bit I only saw two seabirds (great crested tern and lesser frigatebird) and one shorebird (wandering tattler). This Fiji trip was almost like a sorty to take care of all the commoner things so when I get back there I can concentrate on trying to find the rarer ones. Of the endemic birds, I saw all that I thought was likely (21 species). Of the ones I didn't see (7 species), the pink-billed parrotfinch is very rare (more so every year) and appears to be nomadic, so I didn't think I'd see it anyway. The long-legged warbler is quite possible if you know where to look but I left it because it is still very difficult (it was actually thought to be extinct until just a few years ago). The red-throated lorikeet is close to extinction so I didn't even try this time round. The Rotuma myzomela and Ogea monarch are only found on small distant islands so are logistically difficult. The Fiji petrel is known from only a few specimens so most attempts to try and see it would be doomed to failure. The barred-wing rail is generally accepted as being extinct. Of the non-endemics some are also only found on distant or small offshore islands, but I did miss a few common birds -- for example, the island thrush is found on every island in the group but I never saw one (they are rather shy); and the Friendly ground dove is likewise found on every island we visited but are even harder to find (their more apt name is shy ground dove). Anyway, here are the species I did see...

*Lesser frigatebird Fregata ariel (native: largish group seen at Kadavu, on the boat trip between Galoa Island and the main island)
*Reef heron Egretta sacra (native: common everywhere around the coasts, but relatively few were the white morph)
*White-faced heron Ardea novaehollandiae (native : Suva Point)
*Pacific black duck Anas superciliosa (native: seen only twice, near Nausori airport and on Vanua Levu)
*Fiji goshawk Accipiter rufitorques (endemic: common everywhere, especially in forest)
*Australasian harrier Circus approximans (native: common in open habitats)
*Wandering tattler Heteroscelus incanus (migrant: Suva Point)
*Great crested tern Sterna bergii (native: common everywhere round the coasts)
*Collared lory Vini solitarius (endemic: common everywhere)
*Masked shining parrot Prosopeia personata (endemic to Viti Levu: common at Colo-i-Suva)
*Red shining parrot Prosopeia tabuensis taviunensis (endemic: common on Taveuni, although I saw it only at Bouma. Heard them on Vanua Levu also but didn't manage to see them)
*Kadavu shining parrot Prosopeia splendens (endemic to Kadavu: common)
*Spot-necked dove Streptopelia chinensis (introduced: common everywhere in open places, except on Kadavu)
*Feral pigeon Columba livia (introduced: common near towns)
*White-throated (metallic) pigeon Columba vitiensis (native: common, especially in disturbed forest)
*Barking pigeon Ducula latrans (endemic: common everywhere in forest)
*Many-coloured fruit dove Ptilinopus perousii (native: apparently common but can be hard to find. I only saw two, one on Kadavu and one at Raintree Lodge)
*Whistling dove Chrysoenas layardi (endemic to Kadavu: commonly heard but can be hard to see. I only saw one, briefly)
*Orange dove Chrysoenas victor (endemic to Taveuni and Vanua Levu: common in forest)
*Golden dove Chrysoenas luteovirens (endemic to Viti Levu: common in forest. I finally managed to see one!)
*White-rumped swiftlet Aerodromus spodiopygus (native: common everywhere)
*Collared kingfisher Todiramphus chloris (native: common everywhere)
*Pacific swallow Hirundo tahitica (native: common, but not so much so as the swiftlet)
*Australian magpie Gymnorhina tibicen (introduced to Taveuni: apparently not as common as in NZ; I only saw two)
*Fiji woodswallow Artamus mentalis (endemic: common everywhere)
*Polynesian starling Aplonis tabuensis (native: only seen on Kadavu. Apparently declining in Fiji)
*Common mynah Acridotheres tristis (introduced: common everywhere!)
*Jungle mynah Acridotheres fuscus (introduced: common everywhere)
*Red-vented bulbul Pycnontus cafer (introduced: almost as common as the mynahs)
*Fiji bush warbler Cettia ruficapilla (endemic: common but hard to see. I saw them only at Colo-i-Suva)
*Pacific robin Petroica multicolor (native: seen only at Colo-i-Suva)
*Silktail Lamprolia victoriae (endemic to Taveuni and Vanua Levu: I saw one pair in the Vidawa forest)
*Streaked fantail Rhipidura spilodera (native: common everywhere except on Kadavu)
*Kadavu fantail Rhipidura personata (endemic to Kadavu: can be hard to find)
*Slaty monarch Mayrornis lessoni (endemic: common everywhere)
*Lesser shrikebill Clytorhynchus vitiensis (native: fairly common)
*Black-faced shrikebill Clytorhynchus nigrogularis (endemic: only seen by me once, on Kadavu)
*Vanikoro broadbill flycatcher Myiagra vanikorensis (native: very common everywhere)
*Blue-crested broadbill flycatcher Myiagra azureocapilla (endemic: seen several times. Is not found on Kadavu)
*Golden whistler Pachycephala pectoralis (native: common in forests everywhere)
*Polynesian triller Lalage maculosa (native: common but I saw it only a few times)
*Fiji white-eye Zosterops explorator (endemic: common in forests)
*Silvereye Zosterops lateralis (native: common everywhere)
*Fiji parrotfinch Erythrura pealii (endemic: common everywhere in all habitats)
*Red avadavat Amandava amandava (introduced: only seen well at the National Stadium in Suva but flocks of small birds seen from buses were probably this species)
*Orange-breasted myzomela Myzomela jugularis (endemic: common everywhere)
*Wattled honeyeater Foulehaio carunculata (native: common everywhere except Kadavu)
*Kadavu honeyeater Xanthotis provocator (endemic to Kadavu: not hard to find)
*Giant forest honeyeater Gymnomyza viridis (endemic: only seen once, at Raintree Lodge)


For pedantic folk (like me), the following are the other 22 land birds that I didn't see :

*Mangrove heron Butorides striatus (native: secretive but fairly common in mangroves so I obviously wasn't looking hard enough)
*"Junglefowl" Gallus gallus (introduced: common on mongoose-free islands . I heard them on Taveuni)
*Brown quail Coturnix ypsilophorus (introduced: rare, and only in the west of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu)
*Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus (native: very rare)
*Banded rail Gallirallus philippensis (native: common only in mongoose-free areas. I was sure I'd see it on Kadavu and/or Taveuni, but I didn't)
*White-browed crake Porzana cinereus (native: apparently rare, and only in specific habitats)
*Spotless crake Porzana tabuensis (native: probably declining, but hard to find anyway)
*Purple gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio (native: not common, and pretty much eliminated from islands with mongooses. I probably should have been able to find it on Taveuni at least, but didn't)
*Friendly ground dove Gallicolumba stairi (native: found on all the islands, common where there are no mongooses, but very difficult to actually find)
*Pacific pigeon Ducula pacifica (native: really only found on small offshore islands so I wasn't expecting to see it)
*Crimson-crowned fruit dove Ptilinopus porphyraceus (native: as for the Pacific pigeon)
*Red-throated lorikeet Charmosyna amabilis (endemic: close to extinction)
*Blue-crowned lorikeet Vini australis (native: in Fiji found only on the distant Southern Lau Islands)
*Fan-tailed cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis (native: common but I can't find cuckoos!)
*Long-tailed cuckoo Eudynamys taitensis (migrant, breeding in NZ and wintering in the Pacific)
*Barn owl Tyto alba (native: apparently not very common)
*Island thrush Turdus poliocephalus (native: common but shy, and I just struck it unlucky)
*Long-legged warbler Trichocichla rufa (endemic: rare, until recently thought extinct)
*Ogea monarch Mayrornis versicolor (endemic: found only on two islands in the distant Southern Lau group)
*Pink-billed parrotfinch Erythrura kleinschmidti (endemic: rare)
*Java sparrow Padda oryzivora (introduced: declining in Fiji, but I was expecting to find it in Suva)
*Rotuma myzomela Myzomela chermesina (endemic: only found on distant Rotuma Island)



MAMMALS
Fiji has six bat species and a few introduced mammals, of which we saw the following...

*Pacific fruit bat Pteropus tonganus (native: common everywhere)
*Samoan fruit bat Pteropus samoensis (native: common but really needs to be seen at roost to distinguish reliably from the Pacific fruit bat)
*Indian mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus (introduced: common on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu; fortunately not found on Taveuni or Kadavu)



REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
(I found one of the four possible sea turtles; four out of ten geckoes; and seven out of twelve skinks. Sadly didn't manage to find any iguanas, snakes or native frogs)


*Green turtle Chelonia mydas (native: one from the boat between Galoa Island and Kadavu)
*Stump-toed gecko Gehyra mutilata (introduced, with a limited range: only seen in Suva)
*Oceanic gecko Gehyra oceanica (native: common in and around buildings)
*Common house gecko Hemidactylus frenatus (introduced: only seen on Taveuni)
*Mourning gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris (introduced: common everywhere in and around buildings)
*Brown-tailed copper-striped skink Emoia cyanura (native: commonly seen only on mongoose-free Kadavu and Taveuni)
*Blue-tailed copper-striped skink Emoia impar (native: common on Taveuni )
*Pacific black skink Emoia nigra (native: only seen on Taveuni)
*Fijian copper-headed skink Emoia parkeri (endemic: only seen on Taveuni)
*Turquoise tree skink Emoia mokosariniveikau (endemic: very rare species. One seen at Waisali on Vanua Levu)
*Moth skink Lipinia noctua (native: Taveuni)
*Pigmy snake-eyed skink Cryptoblepharus eximius (endemic: common near beaches on Kadavu where there are no mongooses; very rare on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu )
*Cane toad Bufo marinus (introduced: unfortunately very very common)

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Comments

[Monisha Kumar]

thanx
Thank you so much, Iam a USP student and i was struggling with my assignment on the animal life in Fiji and your blog has helped me heaps. Thank you very much, hope you continue your good work here in our beautiful island nation Kind regards