The birding delights of Christmas Island

Politically Christmas Island, in the eastern Indian Ocean is part of Australia and yet it is only an hour south by small plane from Jakarta. The island is roughly 22 km long and is extensively covered by easily accessible jungle which extends to the rugged limestone coastline. There are ten endemic birds out of a resident total of twenty one species. In all ninety one species have been recorded on the island. Birdlife International has declared Christmas Island an Endemic Bird Area. Thankfully, the island is not on the normal tourist list of ?must visit‘: in fact holiday makers are very thin on the ground, and are likely to be scuba-divers or naturalists. After all your normal Ibiza types don‘t want phosphate mine conveyor belts spoiling their ocean view or huge Robber Crabs stealing their sandwiches!  The first sight after leaving the tiny airport is the welcoming black silhouettes of the Frigate Birds wheeling overhead. There are three species on the island. The Christmas Island Frigatebird, the smaller Greater Frigatebird and the occasional Least Frigatebird. Boobies abound. The Red-footed Booby (12000 breeding pairs) nests in abundance at the tops of the jungle trees, while the very approachable Brown Booby (6000 breeding pairs) is content to nest on the low limestone pinnacles or low Pandanus trees. The Abbott‘s Booby is the rarest sulid in the world and nests only on Christmas Island. The population (at present 3000 breeding pairs) has been depleted over the years by clearing of the jungle for phosphate mining. The phosphate company is not allowed to clear any more jungle which should halt the decline of this precious bird. There are two species of Tropicbird, the Red-tailed (1400 breeding pairs) and an island subspecies of the White-tailed, locally known as the ?Golden Bosun‘ (9000 breeding pairs). Good close-up views of the Red-tailed can be obtained in the breeding season as they sit tight on their nests under bushes beside the sea. The Common Noddy nests precariously on the low cliffs, laying a single egg. There are no resident gulls, shearwaters, petrels or terns but due to its situation the island is visited by passing seabirds. Several species of petrel, shearwater, and tern have been sighted. In fact on my last visit in November 2000, I saw a single Lesser Crested Tern which was a first for the island. Although it is not on a main migration route, some migrants drop in occasionally. For example, it may seem strange for a Cumbrian bird-watcher to get excited about seeing Yellow and Grey Wagtail, but believe me you do when you come upon them feeding at the side of a jungle track in high heat and humidity! I did have a 15-second view of a White Wagtail before it disappeared for ever, on my visit in 1999, but it was not accepted by Birds Australia due to insufficient detail. It would have been a new bird for the island list. The native Christmas Island Thrush chatters uncannily like a Blackbird but behaves like a Song Thrush. They are your constant companions when walking the jungle tracks. The floor of the jungle is relatively free of vegetation due to a hundred million Red Land Crabs devouring any fresh green matter that pokes through. November or December is the best time to see the incredible crab spawning migration to the sea. David Attenborough, who filmed on the island, puts it high on his list of wonders of nature. Unfortunately the crab population is diminishing due to attacks by introduced Crazy Ants. Birds of prey include the Australian Kestrel, the endemic Christmas Hawk-owl and the inquisitive Brown Goshawk, which has a habit of following walkers in the jungle. Resident small bird species are disappointingly few. The indigenous White-eye moves in flocks in the canopy while the Glossy Swiftlet hunts on roads and clearings and nests in the coastal caves. I couldn‘t get used to seeing Tree Sparrows in the gardens around the settlement area. They are such an odd sight on a tropical island and I kept thinking a colony of ubiquitous House Sparrows would be more appropriate. I spent hours searching gardens for the attractive Java Sparrow but had no luck. Not having suitable bird-feeding beaches, owing to a narrow intertidal reef flat, the island does not attract huge numbers of waders. Thirty species have been recorded. In November 2000, I had good views of a lovely Greater Sand Plover and a Grey-tailed Tattler. An added bonus for birders who are fond of snorkelling are the magnificent tropical fish to be seen in the idyllic warm water on the coral reefs. Those who can scuba dive can explore the spectacular underwater walls 50 metres offshore which plunge to a mile deep, where you may come across a menacing shark or harmless majestic whale shark. A visit to the geographically different and nearby Cocos and Keeling Islands (900km south-west) could easily be added into an itinerary. British travellers have access to an under-£400 flight to Jakarta. The short flight to Christmas Island from Jakarta on the island-owned Community Airline (apparently not known to UK travel agents) is around £120 return. The alternative would be to include a few days on the island as part of a trip to Australia. There is a direct flight to Perth in West Australia twice a week. A 4WD vehicle can be hired on the island. Accommodation ranges from backpackers quarters to the comfortable air-conditioned Mango Tree Lodge. The population of 1200 is 75% Malaysian, 20% Chinese and 5% Australian so the food in the three basic restaurants is definitely Asian and around £3-4 for a meal. I would be pleased to answer any questions in connection with this article (Unit 1, 5 Martha Street, Beaconsfield, West Australia 6162; Tel 00618 93358741, Fax 00618 93364872; downesr@iinet.net.au). Ray Downes Contacts: Christmas Island Tourism Association <www.christmas.net.au>;  Coates Wildlife Tours <www.coates.iinet.net.au> (Perth-based Kevin Coates leads groups on the island.)