List of birds of Rocas Atoll
This list of birds of Rocas Atoll includes species documented on Rocas Atoll, the only atoll in the South Atlantic, which belongs to the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The atoll has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant seabird colonies.[1] The atoll supports no resident landbirds due to its lack of permanent freshwater.[2] The backbone of this list is provided by Avibase, and all additions that differ from this list have citations.[3] As of September 2025, there 30 species have been recorded on the island.[2]
The following tag notes species in this category:
- (A) Accidental - species not regularly occurring on Rocas Atoll
Rails
Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae
- Spotted rail (Pardirallus maculatus)
Sandpipers
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae
- Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) (A)
Pratincoles
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Glareolidae
- Collared pratincole (Glareola pratincola) (A)
Gulls, terns, and skimmers
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae
- White tern (Gygis alba)
- Brown noddy (Anous stolidus)
- Black noddy (Anous minutus)
- Sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscatus)
Tropicbirds
Order: Phaethontiformes Family: Phaethontidae
- White-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus)
- Red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)
Southern storm petrels
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Oceanitidae
- Wilson's storm-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)
Northern storm petrels
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Hydrobatidae
- Leach's storm-petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous)
Petrels and shearwaters
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Procellariidae
- Trindade petrel (Pterodroma arminjoniana)
- Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea)
- Great shearwater (Ardenna gravis)
- Sooty shearwater (Ardenna grisea)
- Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus)
- Sargasso shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri)
Frigatebirds
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Fregatidae
- Magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)
Boobies and gannets
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Sulidae
- Red-footed booby (Sula sula)
- Brown booby (Sula leucogaster)
- Masked booby (Sula dactylatra)
Herons and egrets
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Ardeidae
- Western cattle egret (Ardea ibis) (A)
Ospreys
Order: Accipitriformes Family: Pandionidae
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Hawks, kites, and eagles
Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae
- White-tailed kite (Elanus leucurus)
Tyrant flycatchers
Order: Passeriformes Family: Tyrannidae
- White-rumped monjita (Xolmis velatus)
- Noronha elaenia (Elaenia ridleyana) (A)[2]
Old World sparrows
Order: Passeriformes Family: Passeridae
- House sparrow (Passer domesticus) (I)[2]
References
- ^ "Atol das Rocas". BirdLife International. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d Licarião, Cecília; de Brito Silva, Maurizélia (2024). "First record of Noronha Elaenia Elaenia ridleyana on Atol das Rocas, Brazil" (PDF). British Ornithologists' Club. 144 (2): 156–158. doi:10.25226/bboc.v144i2.2024.a7. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ "Rocas Atoll". Avibase. Retrieved 20 September 2025.