10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2011

I mentioned last week, while talking about rails and the Pacific, that Tonga is not a particularly birdy birding destination. Tonga is still a fun place to visit, particularly if you’re a poor PhD student anxious to escape the Austral winter. Further down the coast Grey Noddies and Brown Boobies nest on the cliffs.

Tonga 88

Tonga Birds Parrots Fiji 88

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2011

I certainly did when I visited the two southern islands of Tonga a few years ago. The two endemic species found in Tonga are not found in these islands, and the other species present are also found on more traditional destinations of Fiji and Samoa. Southern Tonga had its own flightless Gallirallus rail (an undescribed species).

Tonga 81

Tonga Birds Species New Zealand 81

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

All the way back in 2011 I wrote about the confusing taxanomic enigma that is the Collared Kingfisher , a species that ranges from the Red Sea to Tonga in a bewildering variety of forms. Subspecies sacer , ‘Eua, Tonga. Subspecies pealei , National Park of American Samoa. Bryan Harry, USNPS. Photo by author. Subspecies vitiensis , Fiji.

United Arab Emirates 94

United Arab Emirates Solomon Islands Micronesia Vanuatu 94

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2014

The Wattled Honeyeater is a species, or now more accurately a genus, found in eastern Melanesia (Fiji) and in western Polynesia (Samoa and Tonga). In spite of the bird extinctions that have plagued the islands of the Pacific, it doesn’t seem to have suffered that much; I saw it in gardens in both Fiji and Tonga.

Fiji 90

Fiji Tonga Species Birds 90

10,000 Birds

JUNE 16, 2011

Gorgeous skies over ‘Eua National Park in the Kingdom of Tonga a. Whatever your plans this weekend, make time to enjoy SkyWatch Friday. Also be sure to come back Monday to share your best bird of the weekend !

Birds 66

Birds Tonga 2011 66

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2011

The Collared Kingfisher isn’t the most widespread kingfisher in the world (a distinction that would probably go to the Common Kingfisher or the Pied Kingfisher ), but it is close, ranging from the African coast of the Red Sea through to Tonga and American Samoa. Subspecies sacer , ‘Eua, Tonga. Photo by author.

Vanuatu 90

Vanuatu Samoa Birds Species 90

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

A large, extinct relative of the (barely) extant Tooth-billed Pigeon described above was described in 2006 from remains found in Tonga ( Steadman 2006 ). Tongan Tooth-billed Pigeon ( Didunculus placopedetes ). The author notes in the abstract, “As with so many other landbirds in Polynesia, the extinction of D.

Solomon Islands 111

Solomon Islands Species Birds Guinea 111