List of birds of Mayotte

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Mayotte. The avifauna of Mayotte include a total of 138 species.

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Mayotte.

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.


 * (A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Mayotte.
 * (E) Endemic - a species endemic to Mayotte
 * (Ex) Extirpated - a species that no longer occurs in Mayotte although populations exist elsewhere

Ducks, geese, and waterfowl
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.


 * White-faced whistling-duck, Dendrocygna viduata (A)
 * Knob-billed duck, Sarkidiornis melanotos (A)
 * Muscovy duck, Cairina moschata (I)
 * Garganey, Spatula querquedula (A)

Guineafowl
Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae

Guineafowl are a group of African, seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage.


 * Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris (Ex)

Pheasants, grouse, and allies
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.


 * Red junglefowl, Campocolinus coqui (I)
 * Common quail, Coturnix coturnix (A)

Flamingos
Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 ft tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.


 * Greater flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus (A)
 * Lesser flamingo, Phoenicopterus minor (A)

Grebes
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.


 * Little grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis

Pigeons and doves
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.


 * Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I)
 * Comoro pigeon, Columba pollenii
 * Ring-necked dove, Streptopelia capicola (I)
 * Malagasy turtle-dove, Streptopelia picturata (I)
 * Tambourine dove, Turtur tympanistria (I)
 * Comoro blue-pigeon, Alectroenas sganzini

Cuckoos
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes uckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.


 * Madagascar cuckoo, Cuculus rochii (A)

Swifts
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.


 * Madagascar spinetail, Zoonavena grandidieri
 * Alpine swift, Apus melba (A)
 * African swift, Apus barbatus
 * Malagasy swift, Apus balstoni
 * Malagasy palm-swift, Cypsiurus gracilis

Rails, gallinules, and coots
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.


 * White-throated rail, Dryolimnas cuvieri (A)
 * Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
 * Allen's gallinule, Porphyrio alleni (A)
 * Baillon's crake, Zapornia pusilla (A)

Oystercatchers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.


 * Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus (A)

Plovers and lapwings
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.


 * Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola (A)
 * Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva (A)
 * Senegal lapwing, Vanellus lugubris (A)
 * Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus (A)
 * Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii (A)
 * Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (A)
 * Three-banded plover, Charadrius tricollaris (A)
 * White-fronted plover, Charadrius marginatus (A)

Sandpipers and allies
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.


 * Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus
 * Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata (A)
 * Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica (A)
 * Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres (A)
 * Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (A)
 * Sanderling, Calidris alba (A)
 * Little stint, Calidris minuta (A)
 * Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus (A)
 * Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos
 * Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia (A)
 * Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis (A)
 * Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola (A)

Crab-plover
Order: GruiformesFamily: Dromadidae

The crab-plover is related to the waders. It resembles a plover but with very long grey legs and a strong heavy black bill similar to a tern's. It has black-and-white plumage, a long neck, partially webbed feet, and a bill designed for eating crabs.


 * Crab-plover, Dromas ardeola (A)

Pratincoles and coursers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings, and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings, and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.


 * Madagascar pratincole, Glareola ocularis (A)

Skuas and jaegers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.


 * Brown skua, Stercorarius antarctica (A)
 * Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus (A)

Gulls, terns, and skimmers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.


 * Gray-hooded gull, Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus (A)
 * Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus (A)
 * Brown noddy, Anous stolidus
 * Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris (A)
 * White tern, Gygis alba
 * Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus (A)
 * Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus (A)
 * Saunders's tern, Sternula saundersi
 * Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (A)
 * White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus (A)
 * Roseate tern, Sterna dougallii (A)
 * Black-naped tern, Sterna sumatrana (A)
 * Common tern, Sterna hirundo (A)
 * White-cheeked tern, Sterna repressa (A)
 * Great crested tern, Thalasseus bergii (A)
 * Lesser crested tern, Thalasseus bengalensis (A)

Tropicbirds
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.


 * White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus
 * Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda (A)

Southern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae

The southern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.


 * Wilson's storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus (A)

Northern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae

Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.


 * Matsudaira's storm-petrel, Hydrobates matsudairae (A)

Shearwaters and petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.


 * Trindade petrel, Pterodroma arminjoniana (A)
 * Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii (A)
 * Jouanin's petrel, Bulweria fallax (A)
 * Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacifica (A)
 * Tropical shearwater, Puffinus bailloni
 * Persian shearwater, Puffinus persicus (A)

Frigatebirds
Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black-and-white, or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colored inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.


 * Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel (A)
 * Great frigatebird, Fregata minor (A)

Boobies and gannets
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.


 * Masked booby, Sula dactylatra
 * Brown booby, Sula leucogaster (A)
 * Red-footed booby, Sula sula

Cormorants and shags
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.


 * Long-tailed cormorant, Microcarbo africanus (A)

Herons, egrets, and bitterns
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.


 * Gray heron, Ardea cinerea
 * Black-headed heron, Ardea melanocephala (A)
 * Humblot's heron, Ardea humbloti (A)
 * Purple heron, Ardea purpurea (A)
 * Great egret, Ardea alba
 * Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis
 * Squacco heron, Ardeola ralloides (A)
 * Malagasy pond-heron, Ardeola idae
 * Striated heron, Butorides striata
 * Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax

Ibises and spoonbills
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills.


 * African sacred ibis, Threskiornis aethiopicus
 * Malagasy sacred ibis, Threskiornis bernieri (A)

Osprey
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.


 * Osprey, Pandion haliaetus (A)

Hawks, eagles, and kites
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.


 * Malagasy harrier, Circus macrosceles (A)
 * Frances's sparrowhawk, Accipiter francesiae
 * Black kite, Milvus migrans

Barn-owls
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.


 * Barn owl, Tyto alba

Owls
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae

The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.


 * Anjouan scops-owl, Otus capnodes
 * Mayotte scops-owl, Otus mayottensis (E)

Cuckoo-roller
Order: LeptosomiformesFamily: Leptosomidae

The cuckoo-roller is an insectivorous medium-sized bird of the forests of Madagascar and the Comoros. Unlike the true rollers and ground rollers, where the sexes have identical appearance, the male and female cuckoo roller have distinctive plumages. Males are mostly velvety grey. The back, tail, and wings are dark shiny green. They have a black eyestripe. Females and young birds are mostly brown marked with darker streaks.


 * Cuckoo-roller, Leptosomus discolor

Kingfishers
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.


 * Malagasy kingfisher, Corythornis vintsioides

Bee-eaters
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.


 * Blue-cheeked bee-eater, Merops persicus
 * Madagascar bee-eater, Merops superciliosus

Rollers
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae

Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.


 * European roller, Coracias garrulus (A)
 * Broad-billed roller, Eurystomus glaucurus (A)

Falcons and caracaras
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.


 * Lesser kestrel, Falco naumanni (A)
 * Red-necked falcon, Falco chicquera (A)
 * Amur falcon, Falco amurensis (A)
 * Eleonora's falcon, Falco eleonorae (A)
 * Sooty falcon, Falco concolor (A)
 * Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus

Old world parrots
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and they have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two to the back.


 * Rose-ringed parakeet, Psittacula krameri (Ex)
 * Gray-headed lovebird, Agapornis canus (I)
 * Red-headed lovebird, Agapornis pullarius (I)

Old World orioles
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae

The Old World orioles are colorful passerine birds which are not related to the similar-looking New World orioles.


 * Eurasian golden oriole, Oriolus oriolus (A)

Drongos
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Dicruridae

The drongos are mostly black or dark gray in color, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright when perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.


 * Mayotte drongo, Dicrurus waldenii (E)

Monarch flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Monarchidae

The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching.


 * Malagasy paradise-flycatcher, Terpsiphone mutata

Crows, jays, and ravens
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae

The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.


 * Pied crow, Corvus albus (I)

Swallows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.


 * Mascarene martin, Phedina borbonica (A)
 * Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica (A)

Bulbuls
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colorful with yellow, red, or orange vents, cheeks, throats, or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests.


 * Red-whiskered bulbul, Pycnonotus jocosus (I)
 * Malagasy bulbul, Hypsipetes madagascariensis

White-eyes, yuhinas, and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Zosteropidae

The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull color like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast, or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye.


 * Malagasy white-eye, Zosterops maderaspatanus
 * Mayotte white-eye, Zosterops mayottensis (E)

Starlings
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.


 * Common myna, Acridotheres tristis (I)

Old World flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.


 * Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata (A)
 * Northern wheatear, Oenanthe oenanthe (A)

Sunbirds and spiderhunters
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Nectariniidae

The sunbirds and spiderhunters are very small passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed.


 * Mayotte sunbird, Cinnyris coquerellii (E)

Weavers and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Ploceidae

The weavers are small passerine birds related to the finches. They are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills. The males of many species are brightly colored, usually in red or yellow and black, though some species show variation in color only in the breeding season.


 * Red fody, Foudia madagascariensis (I)
 * Red-headed fody, Foudia eminentissima

Waxbills, munias, and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae

The members of this family are small passerine birds native to the Old World tropics. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colors and patterns.


 * Bronze mannikin, Spermestes cucullata (I)
 * Java sparrow, Padda oryzivora (Ex)
 * Red avadavat, Amandava amandava (I)

Indigobirds
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Viduidae

The indigobirds are finch-like species which usually have black or indigo predominating in their plumage. All are brood parasites, which lay their eggs in the nests of estrildid finches.


 * Pin-tailed whydah, Vidua macroura (Ex)

Old World sparrows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae

Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or gray birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.


 * House sparrow, Passer domesticus (I)