The following is a list of birds recorded in the Maldives. The small size and isolation of this Indian Ocean republic mean that its avifauna is extremely restricted. Most of the species are characteristic of Eurasian migratory birds, with only a few typically associated with the Indian subcontinent. The avifauna of the Maldives includes a total of 205 species, of which 4 have been introduced by humans. Four species are globally threatened.
The taxonomy (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) of this list 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 the Maldives.
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 the Maldives (I) Introduced - a species introduced to the Maldives as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
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.
Lesser whistling-duck, Dendrocygna javanica (A) Cotton pygmy-goose, Nettapus coromandelianus (A) Garganey, Spatula querquedula Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Northern pintail, Anas acuta Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Ferruginous duck, Aythya nyroca (A) Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula
Pheasants, grouse, and allies Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Common quail, Coturnix coturnix (A) Red junglefowl, Gallus gallus (I)
Flamingos Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 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
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) European turtle-dove, Streptopelia turtur (A) Oriental turtle-dove, Streptopelia orientalis Zebra dove, Geopelia striata (I)
Cuckoos Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs.
Chestnut-winged cuckoo, Clamator coromandus (A) Asian koel, Eudynamys scolopacea Gray-bellied cuckoo, Cacomantis passerinus (A) Indian cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus (A) Common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus
Nightjars and allies Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Jungle nightjar, Caprimulgus indicus (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.
White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus Indian swiftlet, Aerodramus unicolor Himalayan swiftlet, Aerodramus brevirostris (A) Common swift, Apus apus Pallid swift, Apus pallidus (A) Blyth's swift, Apus leuconyx Little swift, Apus affinis
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.
Eurasian moorhen, Gallinula chloropus (A) Eurasian coot, Fulica atra (A) Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea White-breasted waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus
Stilts and avocets Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. .
Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus (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 Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva Sociable lapwing, Vanellus gregarius (A) Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus Greater sand-plover, Charadrius leschenaultii Caspian plover, Charadrius asiaticus (A) Kentish plover, Charadrius alexandrinus Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius
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 Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (A) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Ruff (bird), Calidris pugnax Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea Temminck's stint, Calidris temminckii Long-toed stint, Calidris subminuta Sanderling, Calidris alba (A) Dunlin, Calidris alpina Little stint, Calidris minuta Common snipe, Gallinago gallinago Pin-tailed snipe, Gallinago stenura Swinhoe's snipe, Gallinago megala (A) Terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus (A) Spotted redshank, Tringa erythropus (A) Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola Common redshank, Tringa totanus
Crab-plover Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Dromadidae
The crab-plover is related to the waders, but is the only member of its family. It resembles a plover but has very long grey legs and a strong black bill similar to that of a tern. It has black-and-white plumage, a long neck, partially webbed feet, and a bill designed for eating crabs.
Crab-plover, Dromas ardeola
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.
Collared pratincole, Glareola pratincola (A) Oriental pratincole, Glareola maldivarum
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.
South polar skua, Stercorarius maccormicki Brown skua, Stercorarius antarcticus (A) Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. They 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. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.
Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus (A) Brown-headed gull, Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus (A) White-eyed gull, Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus (A) Sooty gull, Ichthyaetus hemprichii (A) Pallas's gull, Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus (A) Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus Brown noddy, Anous stolidus Lesser noddy, Anous tenuirostris White tern, Gygis alba Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus Little tern, Sternula albifrons Saunders's tern, Sternula saundersi Gull-billed tern, Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia (A) White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus Whiskered tern, Chlidonias hybrida (A) Roseate tern, Sterna dougallii Black-naped tern, Sterna sumatrana Common tern, Sterna hirundo White-cheeked tern, Sterna repressa (A) Great crested tern, Thalasseus bergii Sandwich tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis (A) Lesser crested tern, Thalasseus bengalensis
Tropicbirds Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: 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-billed tropicbird, Phaethon aethereus Red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda
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 White-faced storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina
Northern storm-petrels Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
The northern 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.
Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous (A) Swinhoe's storm-petrel, Hydrobates monorhis Band-rumped storm-petrel, Hydrobates castro (A) Matsudaira's storm-petrel, Hydrobates matsudairae
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 Bulwer's petrel, Bulweria bulwerii Jouanin's petrel, Bulweria fallax Streaked shearwater, Calonectris leucomelas Flesh-footed shearwater, Ardenna carneipes