Fauna of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands

These comprise the endemic subspecies of buff-banded rail, the introduced green junglefowl and helmeted guineafowl, the white-breasted waterhen, eastern reef egret, nankeen night heron and the introduced Christmas white-eye.

Migratory waders recorded in the islands include some regular visitors as well as vagrants.

However, North Keeling is important for breeding seabirds, with sizeable numbers of red-footed boobies, great and lesser frigatebirds, common noddies and white terns.

Two species of rodent, the house mouse and black rat, have been introduced to the southern atoll but are absent from North Keeling.

Two species of Asian deer, the Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), and Sambar (Cervus unicolor), were introduced but did not persist.