Species
Country checklist and status
You can download and print separate checklists for Comoros and its islands.
The islands have a bird list of 146 species although there are probably some errors, some are extirpated and some introduced (Louette 2004).
Endemic species
Comoros map of distribution of endemic species
Courtesy: © Naturalistes de Mayotte
Mohéli Scops Owl Otus moheliensis
Mwali (Mohéli) island, Comoro archipelago
Photo: Claire Spottiswoode
| Comoro Blue Pigeon | Alectroenas sganzini | All four islands |
| Comoro Olive Pigeon | Columba pollenii | All four islands |
| *Mayotte Scops Owl | Otus mayottensis | Mayotte |
| Anjouan Scops Owl | Otus capnodes | Anjouan |
| Grand Comoro Scops Owl | Otus pauliani | Grande Comore |
| Mohéli Scops Owl | Otus moheliensis | Mohéli |
| Comoro Bulbul | Hypsipetes parvirostris | Grande Comore, Mohéli |
| Comoros Thrush | Turdus bewsheri | Grande Comore, Mohéli, Anjouan |
| Grand Comoro Brush Warbler | Nesillas brevicaudata | Grande Comore |
| Mohéli Brush Warbler | Nesillas mariae | Mohéli |
| *Anjouan Brush Warbler | Nesillas longicaudata | Anjouan |
| Grand Comoro Flycatcher | Humblotia flavirostris | Grande Comore |
| Humblot’s Sunbird | Cinnyris humbloti | Grande Comore, Mohéli |
| Mayotte Sunbird | Cinnyris coquerellii | Mayotte |
| *Anjouan Sunbird | Cinnyris comorensis | Anjouan |
| *Chesnut-sided White-eye | Zosterops mayottensis | Mayotte |
| Mount Karthala White-eye | Zosterops mouroniensis | Grande Comore |
| Grand Comoro Drongo | Dicrurus fuscipennis | Grande Comore |
| Mayotte Drongo | Dicrurus waldenii | Mayotte |
* Note that Michel Louette does not consider these to be full species.
Mohéli Shearwater Puffinus (lherminieri) temptator is considered to be a full species by some authorities but is treated by ABC as a subspecies of Audubon's Shearwater Puffinus lherminieri.
There is one endemic genus, the flycatcher Humblotia.
The humid forest on Grande Comore is the habitat for many of its endemic bird species, but the Mount Karthala White-eye Zosterops mouroniensis depends on the giant heather near the top of the volcano. Some of the endemic birds are threatened, especially the scops owls and the Mayotte race of the Red-headed Fody Foudia eminentissima algondae, which has a patchy distribution in discrete spots of dry vegetation, contrary to its counterparts on the other islands which prefer humid habitat. Some are restricted to very small ranges. Only few endemics survive in the non-forest zone. These preferences are probably related to the vegetation history of the islands. The sunbirds have adapted best to the areas under human influence, because of the abundance of exotic flowers. The near endemic Frances's Sparrowhawk Accipiter francesiae occurs in surprisingly high density on Mayotte, but is quite rare on Grande Comore, very rare on Anjouan and absent from Mohéli.
Near endemic species (found in a few Indian Ocean islands only)
| *Madagascar Heron | Ardea humbloti | Comoros and Mayotte |
| *Madagascar Marsh Harrier | Circus maillardi | Grande Comore, Mohéli, Anjouan |
| *Frances’s Sparrowhawk | Accipiter francesiae | Grande Comore, Anjouan, Mayotte |
| *Madagascar Green Pigeon | Treron australis | Mohéli |
| *Madagascar Turtle Dove | Streptopelia picturata | Grande Comore, Seychelles |
| *Greater Vasa Parrot | Coracopsis vasa | Grande Comore, Mohéli, Anjouan |
| *Lesser Vasa Parrot | Coracopsis nigra | Grande Comore, Anjouan, Seychelles |
| *Madagascar Kingfisher | Alcedo vintsiodes | Grande Comore |
| *Cuckoo Roller | Leptosomus discolor | All four islands |
| *Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher | Terpsiphone mutata | All four islands |
| *Blue Vanga | Cyanolanius madagascarinus | Grande Comore, Mohéli |
| *Madagascar Crested Drongo | Dicrurus forficatus | Anjouan |
| Red-headed Fody | Foudia eminentissima | Grande Comore and Aldabra |
* Also on Madagascar. Note that Michel Louette considers Red-headed Fody Foudia eminentissima to be conspecific with Forest Fody F.omissa.
Threatened species
| Madagascar Heron | Ardea humbloti | Vulnerable |
| Anjouan Scops Owl | Otus capnodes | Critical |
| Grand Comoro Scops Owl | Otus pauliani | Critical |
| Mohéli Scops Owl | Otus moheliensis | Critical |
| Grand Comoro Flycatcher | Humblotia flavirostris | Vulnerable |
| Mount Karthala White-eye | Zosterops mouroniensis | Critical |
| Grand Comoro Drongo | Dicrurus fuscipennis | Critical |
| Mayotte Drongo | Dicrurus waldenii | Critical |
The lists of endemic, near endemic and threatened species have been compiled from a number of sources including Louette 2004, the African Bird Club, BirdLife International, and Birds of the World Version 2.0 ¨ 1994-1996, Dr. Charles Sibley and Thayer Birding Software, Ltd.
Last page update 16th February 2008
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
