Tokelau
Tokelau is a remote New Zealand territory comprising three low-lying coral atolls—Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo—in the central South Pacific. Each consists of numerous small islets surrounding a lagoon, with coconut palms, coastal scrub and other salt-tolerant vegetation dominating the limited land area. There are no mountains, rivers or airports, and the highest natural points rise only a few metres above sea level. The tropical maritime climate is warm and humid throughout the year, with periodic cyclones and variable rainfall. Tokelau's extreme isolation and low elevation make sea-level rise, coastal erosion and freshwater availability particularly important concerns. Travel is unusually difficult: the territory can only be reached by ship, principally from Samoa.
Overview
Tokelau's birdlife is dominated by seabirds and migratory shorebirds, with no endemic land birds. Less-disturbed islets provide nesting habitat for Brown Noddy, Black Noddy, White Tern, Brown Booby and frigatebirds, while reef flats and shorelines attract Pacific Golden Plover, Wandering Tattler, Ruddy Turnstone and other Pacific migrants. Birding tourism is essentially nonexistent, and the lack of an airport makes Tokelau one of the least accessible territories in the Pacific. Travel between the three atolls also depends on maritime transport. For birders, Tokelau's interest therefore lies mainly in experiencing remote central-Pacific atoll birdlife and seabird colonies, rather than seeking endemic species or a large bird list.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Noddy Anous minutus | 8.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.6% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus | 8.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 30.6% | 37.5% | 6.3% | 0.0% |
| Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva | 8.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 26.7% | 31.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Blue-billed White-Tern Gygis candida | 7.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 0.0% |
| Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres | 6.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 25.1% | 6.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Brown Noddy Anous stolidus | 5.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pacific Reef-Heron Egretta sacra | 5.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Wandering Tattler Tringa incana | 5.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel | 4.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 1.7% | 6.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pacific Imperial-Pigeon Ducula pacifica | 4.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |