Bird Species Found in the Province of Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is situated in the tropical South Pacific Ocean, north-east of New Zealand, between French Polynesia and Fiji. Cook Islands consists of 15 major islands with a total land area of about 240km². The fifteen islands divide into a Northern Group of six islands and a Southern Group of nine islands.
The fifteen islands and two reefs are grouped as follows:
- Nga-pu-Toru ("Three Roots", easternmost islands of Southern Group)
- Atiu (Enua-Manu or Island of Birds)
- Ma'uke (Akatokamanava)
- Mitiaro (Nukuroa)
- Lower Cook Islands - remaining islands
- Aitutaki (Araura Enua)
- Mangaia (Auau Enua)
- Rarotonga (Tumutevarovaro) and also with the capital, Avarua
- Palmerston Island (sometimes grouped with the Northern Group)
- Manuae Takutea Winslow Reef (submerged)
- Northern Cook Islands
- Manihiki
- Nassau
- Penrhyn Island (Tongareva or Saku)
- Pukapuka (Mangarongaro)
- Rakahanga
- Suwarrow also called Suvorov
- Tema Reef (submerged)
The only resident landbird is the:
- Pacific Pigeon (Rupe), which feeds mainly on the fruits of the indigenous Guettarda speciosa
The most important avian-island in the Northern Group is the uninhabited atoll of Suwarrow, which has been a national park since 1978. Its reef-islets, a mere 1.6km², support regionally significant colonies of:
- Sooty Terns
- Lesser Frigatebirds
- Red-footed Boobies
- Red-tailed Tropicbirds
- Great Frigatebirds
- Brown Boobies and
- Masked Boobies.
Other birds native to or found on Cook Islands:
Kuhl's Lory (Vini kuhlii) - Range: Rimatara, a small Makatea Island southeast of Mangaia, as well as Tubuai (Austral Islands). Fossil record and oral traditions show that the Kuhl's lory was formerly a native bird on most of the Southern Cook Islands. Conservation efforts are underway to hopefully help this species reestablish itself on the islands.
Mysterious Starling or Mauke Starling (Aplonis mavornata) - Range: Formerly found on the island of Mauke, Cook Islands. Now extinct.
Rarotonga Starling (Aplonis cinerascens) - Endemic to the Cook Islands
Spotless Crake (Porzana tabuensis) - Found in American Samoa, Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Micronesia, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga.
Tahitian Lory (Vini peruviana) - Range: Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Aitutaki, Cook Islands
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