French Polynesia
French Polynesia is a vast French overseas territory in the central South Pacific, comprising 118 islands spread across five archipelagos. The Society Islands, including Tahiti and Bora Bora, are high volcanic islands with steep forested mountains, deep valleys and surrounding lagoons, while the Tuamotus consist largely of low coral atolls. The Marquesas are rugged and mountainous, with dramatic cliffs and comparatively few coral reefs, and the remote Austral and Gambier Islands add further geographic variety. The tropical oceanic climate varies across this enormous area, from humid conditions around Tahiti to considerably drier atolls and islands. Despite its tiny land area relative to its territory, French Polynesia encompasses an extraordinary range of isolated island ecosystems.
Overview
French Polynesia is particularly important for highly localised island endemics and Pacific seabirds. The Marquesas are a major focus, with specialties such as Ultramarine Lorikeet, Marquesan Imperial-Pigeon and several endemic monarchs and reed warblers. The Tuamotu atolls hold distinctive species including Tuamotu Sandpiper and Polynesian Ground Dove, while Tahiti supports Tahiti Kingfisher and Tahiti Reed Warbler. Remote islands and atolls also contain major colonies of petrels, shearwaters, tropicbirds, boobies and terns. Birding logistics can be challenging because the key species are scattered across widely separated archipelagos, making domestic flights and boat transfers necessary for a comprehensive trip. Tahiti is straightforward to visit, but some of the most interesting endemic birds occur on remote islands with limited transport and accommodation. For specialist birders, French Polynesia is primarily about extreme island endemism and remote Pacific seabirds.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-billed White-Tern Gygis candida | 43.2% | 49.7% | 41.7% | 48.1% | 50.5% | 44.6% | 36.2% | 41.7% | 39.2% | 43.7% | 35.8% | 46.4% | 41.1% |
| Zebra Dove Geopelia striata | 40.8% | 48.6% | 46.2% | 34.2% | 35.1% | 32.5% | 45.2% | 34.1% | 49.1% | 38.9% | 30.5% | 43.1% | 52.3% |
| Brown Noddy Anous stolidus | 38.6% | 40.7% | 34.1% | 33.5% | 37.6% | 39.1% | 32.4% | 40.9% | 35.3% | 42.0% | 37.8% | 47.5% | 41.7% |
| Common Myna Acridotheres tristis | 38.1% | 46.8% | 39.7% | 31.0% | 30.6% | 25.9% | 43.5% | 27.9% | 48.7% | 42.6% | 29.3% | 41.4% | 49.4% |
| Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii | 35.7% | 35.4% | 29.6% | 35.1% | 37.1% | 29.7% | 38.6% | 44.0% | 45.2% | 41.5% | 24.9% | 36.8% | 30.9% |
| Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer | 33.5% | 45.8% | 31.3% | 23.8% | 26.8% | 23.8% | 36.5% | 23.9% | 43.7% | 38.6% | 25.8% | 38.1% | 43.7% |
| Chestnut-breasted Munia Lonchura castaneothorax | 27.1% | 36.4% | 35.1% | 20.0% | 20.0% | 18.3% | 28.7% | 22.1% | 29.2% | 25.1% | 24.4% | 30.1% | 35.3% |
| Pacific Reef-Heron Egretta sacra | 24.2% | 23.3% | 21.0% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 21.2% | 27.1% | 31.5% | 29.7% | 28.0% | 18.8% | 23.1% | 21.3% |
| Red-footed Booby Sula sula | 21.8% | 18.1% | 15.1% | 28.2% | 27.3% | 31.6% | 17.8% | 30.9% | 18.1% | 23.8% | 18.9% | 23.0% | 8.2% |
| Black Noddy Anous minutus | 21.4% | 23.5% | 23.4% | 28.2% | 19.8% | 24.6% | 21.8% | 21.6% | 15.7% | 20.2% | 20.2% | 25.4% | 12.8% |