BREEDING SPECIES
Sixty-two species of birds breed in Seychelles. This total includes 14 endemics, 18 seabirds, 11 waterbirds, 10 native (non-endemic) land birds and 9 introduced species.
Seychelles Endemics
BirdLife International recognise 13 Seychelles endemics. Aldabra Fody is not currently recognised. However, thorough (nuclear and mitochondrial) DNA analysis has shown Aldabra Fody is not closely related to other fodies and shows plumage and structural characters distinct from all other fodies. There is currently no clear basis to treat it as a race of any other species.
Seychelles Kestrel Falco araeus
Seychelles Blue Pigeon Alectroenas pulcherrima
Seychelles Parrot Coracopsis barklyi
Seychelles Scops-owl Otus insularis
Seychelles Swiftlet Aerodramus elaphrus
Seychelles Bulbul Hypsipetes crassirostris
Seychelles Magpie-robin Copsychus sechellarum
Seychelles Warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis
Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone corvina
Seychelles Sunbird Nectarinia dussumieri
Seychelles White-eye Zosterops modesta
Seychelles Fody Foudia sechellarum
Aldabra Drongo Dicrurus aldabranus
Aldabra Fody Foudia aldabrana
Seabirds
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica
Tropical Shearwater Puffinus bailloni
Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda
White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus
Masked Booby Sula dactylatra
Red-footed Booby Sula sula
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
Great Frigatebird Fregata minor
Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana
Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus
Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus
Brown Noddy Anous stolidus
Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris
Fairy Tern Gygis alba
Waterbirds
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Dimorphic Egret Egretta gularis dimorpha
Madagascar Pond-heron Ardeola idae
Striated Heron Butorides striata
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
Madagascar Sacred Ibis Threskiornisbernieri abbotti
Aldabra Rail Dryolimnas cuvieri aldabranus
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Native (non-endemic) land birds
Though not endemic to Seychelles 9 of the following 10 species have endemic races in Seychelles (as shown in the scientific names). Madagascar Cisticola is endemic to the Malagasy region, also present on Madagascar and Iles Glorieuses. Pied Crow is a natural coloniser present throughout the western Malagasy region and sub-Saharan Africa.
Madagascar Kestrel Falco newtoni aldabranus
Comoro Blue Pigeon Alectroenas sganzini minor
Madagascar Turtle Dove Streptopelia picturata
Madagascar Coucal Centropus toulou insularis
Madagascar Nightjar Caprimulgus madagascariensis
Madagascar Bulbul Hypsipetes madagascariensis
Madagascar Cisticola Cisticola cherina
Souimanga Sunbird Nectarinia souimanga aldabrensis (Aldabra), buchenorum (Cosmoledo), abbotti (Assumption)
Madagascar White-eye Zosterops maderaspatana
Pied Crow Corvus albus
Introduced land birds
Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
Feral Pigeon Columba livia
Barred Ground Dove Geopelia striata
Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri
Barn Owl Tyto alba
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Madagascar Fody Foudia madagascariensis
Seychelles Endemics
BirdLife International recognise 13 Seychelles endemics. Aldabra Fody is not currently recognised. However, thorough (nuclear and mitochondrial) DNA analysis has shown Aldabra Fody is not closely related to other fodies and shows plumage and structural characters distinct from all other fodies. There is currently no clear basis to treat it as a race of any other species.
Seychelles Kestrel Falco araeus
Seychelles Blue Pigeon Alectroenas pulcherrima
Seychelles Parrot Coracopsis barklyi
Seychelles Scops-owl Otus insularis
Seychelles Swiftlet Aerodramus elaphrus
Seychelles Bulbul Hypsipetes crassirostris
Seychelles Magpie-robin Copsychus sechellarum
Seychelles Warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis
Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone corvina
Seychelles Sunbird Nectarinia dussumieri
Seychelles White-eye Zosterops modesta
Seychelles Fody Foudia sechellarum
Aldabra Drongo Dicrurus aldabranus
Aldabra Fody Foudia aldabrana
Seabirds
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica
Tropical Shearwater Puffinus bailloni
Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda
White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus
Masked Booby Sula dactylatra
Red-footed Booby Sula sula
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
Great Frigatebird Fregata minor
Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana
Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus
Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus
Brown Noddy Anous stolidus
Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris
Fairy Tern Gygis alba
Waterbirds
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Dimorphic Egret Egretta gularis dimorpha
Madagascar Pond-heron Ardeola idae
Striated Heron Butorides striata
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
Madagascar Sacred Ibis Threskiornisbernieri abbotti
Aldabra Rail Dryolimnas cuvieri aldabranus
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Native (non-endemic) land birds
Though not endemic to Seychelles 9 of the following 10 species have endemic races in Seychelles (as shown in the scientific names). Madagascar Cisticola is endemic to the Malagasy region, also present on Madagascar and Iles Glorieuses. Pied Crow is a natural coloniser present throughout the western Malagasy region and sub-Saharan Africa.
Madagascar Kestrel Falco newtoni aldabranus
Comoro Blue Pigeon Alectroenas sganzini minor
Madagascar Turtle Dove Streptopelia picturata
Madagascar Coucal Centropus toulou insularis
Madagascar Nightjar Caprimulgus madagascariensis
Madagascar Bulbul Hypsipetes madagascariensis
Madagascar Cisticola Cisticola cherina
Souimanga Sunbird Nectarinia souimanga aldabrensis (Aldabra), buchenorum (Cosmoledo), abbotti (Assumption)
Madagascar White-eye Zosterops maderaspatana
Pied Crow Corvus albus
Introduced land birds
Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
Feral Pigeon Columba livia
Barred Ground Dove Geopelia striata
Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri
Barn Owl Tyto alba
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Madagascar Fody Foudia madagascariensis
