Endemic Animals of Christmas Island

Abbott's booby (Papasula abbotti ) is an endangered seabird of the sulid family, which includes gannets and boobies. It is a large booby and is placed within its own monotypic genus. It was first identified from a specimen collected by William Louis Abbott, who discovered it on Assumption Island in 1892.Abbott's booby breeds only in a few spots on the Australian territory of Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean, although it formerly had ...
a much wider range. It has white plumage with black markings, and is adapted for long-distance flight. It forages around Christmas Island, often around nutrient-rich oceanic upwellings, although individuals can travel for thousands of kilometres. Pairs mate for life and raise one chick every two or three years, nesting near the top of emergent trees in the rainforest canopy.The population is decreasing. Historically, much of its former habitat was logged to make way for phosphate mining. Some logging continues, and the effects of the former logging continue to adversely affect the current population. Another threat has been caused by the introduction of yellow crazy ants, which decrease habitat quality. Minimal habitat declines have a significant effect on the bird population. All nesting areas have been included in a national park. Less

The Christmas boobook (Ninox natalis ), also known more specifically as the Christmas Island hawk-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae.Closely related to the hawk owls of genus Ninox, which occur in Southeast Asia and Australia. N. natalis was first classified at species level by J.J.Lister in 1888. It was not until 1998 however that DNA testing confirmed its status as a separate species from other owls. Less

The Christmas thrush (Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus ) is a subspecies of the island thrush (Turdus poliocephalus ). It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. Less

The Christmas imperial pigeon, Black imperial pigeon, Dusky imperial pigeon, Wharton's imperial pigeon, or burong pergam (Ducula whartoni ), is a large imperial pigeon endemic to Christmas Island in the northeastern Indian Ocean. It has an overall grey-blue colouration, and juveniles are duller than adults. It makes a soft purring coo sound and a deeper whoo sound comparable to a cow mooing. It lays one glossy white egg per brood, and is ...
possibly somewhat colonial. Other than the Christmas Island flying fox, the Christmas imperial pigeon is the only fruit-eating (frugivorous) animal on the island, and the pigeon feeds and nests in the dense canopy. It mainly inhabits the tropical inland plateau, and widespread non-native Jamaican cherry forests. It was previously thought to be in danger of extinction due to habitat loss and invasive species (specifically the yellow crazy ant), but it is now considered to be rather common, with a breeding population of about 5,000. Less

The Christmas Island swiftlet (Collocalia natalis ), also known as the Christmas glossy swiftlet or the Christmas cave swiftlet, is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean. It was formerly commonly treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet. Less

The Christmas emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica natalis ), also known as the Christmas green-winged pigeon, is a bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. It is a distinctive subspecies of the common emerald dove that is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean. Less

The Christmas Island blind snake (Ramphotyphlops exocoeti ) is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Christmas Island. No subspecies are currently recognized. Less