Birds Found on the Island of Saint Helena
Saint Helena is located in the South Atlantic Ocean (15.95°S, 5.70°W; map). It is a small (122 sq. km; 47 sq. mi.) island and is extremely remote (1200 miles from the west coast of Africa, 1800 miles from Brazil). It is difficult to access, being served only by the Royal Mail Ship St Helena (RMS) which provides a scheduled service to the island. The RMS sails from either the UK or South Africa. It is both a working cargo vessel and passenger ship.
Around Jamestown the Java Finches or Sparrows (Padda oryzivora) and Waxbills (Estrilda astrild astrild) are common. Both species are introduced species (non-natives). Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasiarius colchirus torquatus) can also be found on that island.
The species all birders are eager to see are:
- Fairy Tern (gygis alba alba) - although a sea bird, nest in trees and on buildings as well as on cliffs. the almost translucent wings and large black eyes are characteristics
- Wirebirds or Saint Helena Plovers (Charadrius pecuarius sanctaehelenae). Found only on St.Helena. The wirebird lives on the plateau above Longwood. It has long legs which gives it its name. It runs fast and only flies when necessary.
Some endemic species - specifically ground-nesting species, such as the St. Helena Crake and the Giant Hoopoe - fell victim to alien predators like cats and rats which were brought to Saint Helena after 1502. Other species died out following deforestation.
Birds native to, or found on, the island of Saint Helena:
Allen's Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni)
American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica)
Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis)
Antarctic Tern (Sterna vittata)
Antarctic Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus)
Arctic Skua or Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Audubon's Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri)
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma castro)
Barred Ground-dove aka Zebra Dove (Geopetia striata striata) - (Common)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Black-bellied Storm-Petrel (Fregetta tropica)
Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Black Noddy (Anous minutus)
Blacksmith Lapwings or Blacksmith Plovers (Vanellus armatus)
Broad-billed Prion (Pachyptila vittata)
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)
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Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)
Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarctica)
Bulwer's Petrel (Bulweria bulwerii)
Cape Petrel (Daption capense)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Chukar (Alectoris chukar)
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) - Introduced towards the end of the same century - common on the island
Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)
Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea)
Giant Hoopoe (Upupa antaios), also known as St. Helena Giant Hoopoe or St. Helena Hoopoe - 
Endemic to the island of Saint Helena - † Extinct
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Java Sparrow (Padda oryzivoraI)
Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel)
Leach's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa)
Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)
Madagascar or Red Fody (Foudia madagascariensis), sometimes known as the Red Cardinal Fody or Common Fody - Endemic to Madagascar. Introduced to other areas of the Indian Ocean, included the Amirantes, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, Réunion and is also found on the island of Saint Helena
Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra)
Murphy's Petrel (Pterodroma ultima)
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
Pomarine Skua or Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)
Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica)
Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)
Red-footed Booby (Sula sula)
Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
Ring-necked or Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
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Rock Pigeon / Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
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Rufous-chested Dotterel (Charadrius modestus) 
- Range: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Falkland Islands, Peru, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland and sandy shores.
Saint Helena Crake (Porzana astrictocarpus) - † Extinct
Saint Helena Cuckoo ((Nannococcyx psix) - † Extinct
Saint Helena Plover - known locally as the Wirebird (Charadrius sanctaehelenae)
Saint Helena Swamphen (Aphanocrex / formerly included in Atlantisia) - † Extinct
St. Helena Waxbills
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Snowy Sheathbill (Chionis alba)
Soft-plumaged Petrel (Pterodroma mollis)
Sooty Albatross (Phoebetria fusca)
Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus)
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus)
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) 
Southern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides)
Swainson's Canary (Serinus flaviventris) - Range: Western and central regions of southern Africa. Introduced to Ascension and St Helena island
Tropic Birds (Phaethon)
Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans)
White-bellied Storm-Petrel (Fregetta grallaria)
White-chinned Petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis)
White-faced Storm-Petrel (Pelagodroma marina)
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
White or Fairy Tern ( Gygis alba)
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)
Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos)
Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata, also called Barred Ground Dove) - Range: Malay Peninsula, Sunda Islands and the Philippines. Introduce to central Thailand, Laos, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Caledonia, the Seychelles, the Chagos Archipelago, Mauritius, Réunion and Saint Helena. It inhabits scrub, farmland and open country in lowland areas and is commonly seen in parks and gardens
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