Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus )
Body length of 200mm
The kingfisher is a great little bird. They breed on the island. Very fast flyer so hard to get a photo on the wing. Can be found on fence posts along the airstrip road most of the year. They will eat worms, insects and fish.
Lord Howe Golden Whistler (Pachycephala petoralis contempta)
Body length of 170mm
A beautiful little forest bird, common on the island. The male has a gold to yellow chest and belly, white throat and black band between the two colours. Female brownish in colour. They breed on the island hard to find their nest.
Woodhen (Tricholimnas sylvestris)
A flightless bird, once one of the rarest birds in the World. The Woodhen was almost made extinct by wild pigs and man; lucky for some they survived on the top of Mt Gower. They dwindled as low as 17 pairs. In the 1980’s 6 birds were taken into a captive breeding program under the instruction of Glen Fraser. The program worked a treat. Wild pigs had to be knocked out so birds could be put back into the wild. Ray Shick and Gower Wilson were employed by the LHI Board to do the job after a failed attempt by a mainland expert!! Shick and Wilson killed around 200 pigs. The Woodhen rules the ground on Lord Howe common in most resident’s gardens. Numbers now exceed 300 birds.
Red-Billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)
Wingspan 1100mm body weight of 420g
This guy must have got lost!! The first record for this bird in Australia was on Lord Howe last November 2010. Great bird to watch fly, he is much faster than the Red tailed and very vocal. Be nice if he brought a mate back. Breeds Tropical Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Eastern Pacific.
Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricaudra)
Wingspan 1050mm Body weight of 700g
Can be seen here most of the year best over the summer months. Breeds here in the rocky cliffs around the Island. Easy to find along the Kim’s Lookout ridge. A great bird to photograph.
Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur)
Wingspan 560mm body weight of 90g
We see this bird here most winters but this year was the only time I have managed to get a picture of one. Breeds on islands off Tasmania and Victoria.
Pomarine Jaeger ( Stercorarius pomarinus)
Wingspan 1100mm body weight of 500g
When these have flashed through I have only managed to get one good picture. We don’t see many here.
South Polar Skua (Catharacta maccormicki)
Wingspan 1600mm body weight of 2kg
We see these guys over winter, when you first spot them you think you have spotted an eagle. Breeds on southern ocean islands. They will harass other sea birds until they throw up and steel their food.
Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra fullageri)
Wingspan 1800mm body weight of 2.2kg.
This great bird is here all the time, breeds on the outer islands and two places on the main island, has a chick by September. Can be viewed on Mutton Bird Point from the viewing platform. You can tell male and female apart by their call the male whistles and the female honks. Boobies dive into the water to get their food from about 30m up.