There are 34 species of birds that have been recorded living in the wild in Nauru, one of which is endemic to the island and two of which have been introduced by humans. One species, the zebra finch, is now locally extinct on Nauru. Out of the 25 species of birds that have been confirmed to occur natively on Nauru, 18 are non-breeding visitors. Only two land birds, the Micronesian imperial-pigeon and the endemic Nauru reed warbler, breed on Nauru. Three species occurring on Nauru are listed as being near-threatened on the IUCN Red List and two are listed as being vulnerable. Nauru is a small atoll in the Pacific Ocean with an equatorial climate. The island's environment has been described as one of the world's most modified due to surface mining for phosphate, bombing during World War II, and rapid urbanisation. It was covered with tropical rainforest before the 19th century, but its current vegetation consists of strand, shrubland, scattered coconut trees, and various ornamental and fruit trees. Habitat destruction has most likely caused a decline in the numbers of some species, such as the Micronesian imperial-pigeon and the black noddy. This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of the 2022 edition of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. The following codes have been used to denote categories. Species without these tags are commonly occurring native species.

Pheasants, grouse, and allies

Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds comprising the quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls, grouse, ptarmigan, and junglefowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.

Pigeons and doves

Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

Cuckoos

Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. They are brood parasites.

Plovers and lapwings

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.

Sandpipers and allies

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae Scolopacidae is a large, diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds that includes the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae Laridae is a family of seabirds consisting of gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. Terns are generally smaller than gulls with more pointed wings and bills, many also having forked tails which help with aerial manoeuvrability. Both species can be found inland near lakes and rivers, however gulls have adapted well to human presence and can often be found in urban centers. Black noddies are extensively hunted as food in Nauru.

Tropicbirds

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Phaethontidae Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.

Shearwaters and petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae The procellariiforms are a group of medium-sized petrels, characterised by united nostrils with a medium nasal septum and a long outer functional primary flight feather.

Frigatebirds

Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.

Boobies and gannets

Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Pelicans

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.

Herons, egrets, and bitterns

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.

Kingfishers

Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.

Reed warblers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae The family Acrocephalidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. Most have a generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass.

Waxbills and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.

Specific

General