The Birds of Boigu, Saibai and Dauan Islands (the Top Western group of Torres Strait), are of particular interest to Australian birders because the islands are home to, and visited by, birds which are essentially New Guinea species not found, or only occasionally seen as vagrants, elsewhere on Australian territory. The islands lie only a few kilometres from the mainland of New Guinea, though they are politically part of the state of Queensland, Australia.
Boigu and Saibai are low-lying alluvial islands of swampland and mangroves, subject to periodic flooding, while Dauan is a smaller but higher granite island. From an Australian birder's perspective, local bird specialities include grey-headed goshawk, Gurney's eagle, rufous-bellied kookaburra, collared imperial-pigeon, orange-bellied fruit-dove, Papuan needletail, red-capped flowerpecker, streak-headed mannikin and singing starling.
Access to these islands is not easy. Permission to visit is required from the island councils. The few birders who visit, do so on pre-organised trips by chartered yacht or, occasionally, on day-trips by chartered light aircraft. Saibai and Boigu have airstrips.
The following list is annotated with initials indicating which species have been recorded on the three islands. Because these islands have not been thoroughly surveyed or regularly monitored by birders, it is very likely that the list underestimates the number of species breeding on or visiting them.
Megapodidae
Orange-footed scrubfowl, Megapodius reinwardt - B-S
Anseranatidae
Magpie goose, Anseranas semipalmata - B-S
Anatidae
Pacific black duck, Anas superciliosa - B-S
Wandering whistling duck, Dendrocygna arcuata - B-S
Spotted whistling duck, Dendrocygna guttata - B
Radjah shelduck, Tadorna radjah - B-S
Podicipedidae
Australasian grebe, Tachybaptus novaehollandiae - S
Phalacrocoracidae
Little pied cormorant, Microcarbo melanoleucos - S
Little black cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris - B
Pelecanidae
Australian pelican, Pelecanus conspicillatus - B-D-S
Fregatidae
Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel - S
Ardeidae
Great egret, Ardea alba - B-D-S
Cattle egret, Ardea ibis - S
Intermediate egret, Ardea intermedia - S
Pied heron, Ardea picata - B-D-S
Great-billed heron, Ardea sumatrana - B-S
Striated heron, Butorides striatus - B-S
Little egret, Egretta garzetta - B-S
White-faced heron, Egretta novaehollandiae - B-D-S
Eastern reef egret, Egretta sacra - B-D-S
Black bittern, Ixobrychus flavicollis - S
Nankeen night heron, Nycticorax caledonicus - B-D-S
Threskiornithidae
Royal spoonbill, Platalea regia - B
Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus - S
Australian white ibis, Threskiornis moluccus - B
Straw-necked ibis, Threskiornis spinicollis - S
Ciconiidae
Black-necked stork, Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus - B-S
Accipitridae
Collared sparrowhawk, Accipiter cirrocephalus - S
Brown goshawk, Accipiter fasciatus - S
Grey-headed goshawk, Accipiter poliocephalus - S (not accepted by Birds Australia Rarities Committee)
Gurney's eagle, Aquila gurneyi - B-S
Pacific baza, Aviceda subcristata - B-D
Swamp harrier, Circus approximans - B-D-S
White-bellied sea-eagle, Haliaeetus leucogaster - B-S
Brahminy kite, Haliastur indus - B-D
Whistling kite, Haliastur sphenurus - B-S
Black kite, Milvus migrans - S
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus - B-S
Falconidae
Nankeen kestrel, Falco cenchroides - B-D-S
Australian hobby, Falco longipennis - B-D-S
Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus - B
Gruidae
Brolga, Grus rubicunda - S
Rallidae
Chestnut rail, Eulabeornis castaneoventris - B
Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis - B-D-S
Australasian swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus - S
White-browed crake, Porzana cinerea - B-S
Turnicidae
Red-backed buttonquail, Turnix maculosa - B-D-S
Red-chested buttonquail, Turnix pyrrhothorax - S – (old record)
Scolopacidae
Common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos - B-S
Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres - D
Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata - S
Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos - B
Red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis - S
Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris - S
Latham's snipe, Gallinago hardwickii - B
Swinhoe's snipe, Gallinago megala - B-S
Grey-tailed tattler, Tringa brevipes - B-D-S
Wandering tattler, Tringa incana - D
Eastern curlew, Numenius madagascariensis - B-S
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus - B-D-S
Little curlew, Numenius minutus - B-S
Wood sandpiper, Tringa glareola - B
Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia - B-S
Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis - B-S
Burhinidae
Beach stone-curlew, Esacus magnirostris - D
Recurvirostridae
Black-winged stilt, Himantopus himantopus - S
Charadriidae
Grey plover, Pluvialis squatarola - D
Greater sand plover, Charadrius leschenaultii - D-S
Lesser sand plover, Charadrius mongolus - B-D-S
Oriental plover, Charadrius veredus - S
Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles - B-S
Glareolidae
Australian pratincole, Stiltia isabella - B-S
Laridae
Whiskered tern, Chlidonias hybrida - S
White-winged tern, Chlidonias leucopterus - B
Silver gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae - S
Little tern, Sternula albifrons - B-D-S
Bridled tern, Onychoprion anaethetus
Sooty tern, Onychoprion fuscatus - S
Lesser crested tern, Thalasseus bengalensis - B
Greater crested tern, Thalasseus bergii - B
Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia - B-S
Roseate tern, Sterna dougallii - D
Black-naped tern, Sterna sumatrana
Gull-billed tern, Gelochelidon nilotica - B-S
Columbidae
Pacific emerald dove, Chalcophaps longirostris - D
Peaceful dove, Geopelia striata - S
Bar-shouldered dove, Geopelia humeralis - B-S
Superb fruit dove, Ptilinopus superbus - S
Rose-crowned fruit dove, Ptilinopus regina - B-D-S
Orange-bellied fruit dove, Ptilinopus iozonus - B
Collared imperial pigeon, Ducula mullerii - B-S
Torresian imperial pigeon, Ducula spilorrhoa - B-D-S
Topknot pigeon, Lopholaimus antarcticus - S
Psittaculidae
Eclectus parrot, Eclectus roratus - B-D-S
Red-cheeked parrot, Geoffroyus geoffroyi - B
Coconut lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus nigrogularis - B-S
Cuculidae
Fan-tailed cuckoo, Cacomantis flabelliformis
Brush cuckoo, Cacomantis variolosus - B-S
Shining bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx lucidus - S
Little bronze cuckoo, Chrysococcyx minutillus - B-D-S
Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus saturatus - B-D-S
Pacific koel, Eudynamys orientalis - B-D
Channel-billed cuckoo, Scythrops novaehollandiae - D-S
Centropodidae
Pheasant coucal, Centropus phasianinus - B-D-S
Strigidae
Barking owl, Ninox connivens - S
Caprimulgidae
White-throated nightjar, Eurostopodus mystacalis - D
Large-tailed nightjar, Caprimulgus macrurus - B-S
Apodidae
Pacific swift, Apus pacificus - B
Glossy swiftlet, Collocalia esculenta
Uniform swiftlet, Collocalia vanikorensis - S
White-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus - S
Papuan needletail, Mearnsia novaeguineae - B
Alcedinidae
Little kingfisher, Ceyx pusillus - B-S
Rufous-bellied kookaburra, Dacelo gaudichaud - S (no confirmed records as yet, but sight records)
Buff-breasted paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera sylvia - B
Little paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera hydrocharis - S
Torresian kingfisher, Todiramphus sordidus - B-S
Forest kingfisher, Todiramphus macleayii - B-D
Sacred kingfisher, Todiramphus sanctus - B-D-S
Meropidae
Rainbow bee-eater, Merops ornatus - B-D-S
Coraciidae
Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis - B-S
Pittidae
Noisy pitta, Pitta versicolor - D
Papuan pitta, Erythropitta macklotii - B
Pardalotidae
Mangrove gerygone, Gerygone levigaster - S
Large-billed gerygone, Gerygone magnirostris - B-D-S
Meliphagidae
Rufous-banded honeyeater, Conopophila albogularis - B-D-S
Varied honeyeater, Gavicalis versicolor - B-S
Brown honeyeater, Lichmera indistincta - S
Yellow-spotted honeyeater, Meliphaga notata - S
Red-headed honeyeater, Myzomela erythrocephala - B-S
Dusky honeyeater, Myzomela obscura - B-S
Brown-backed honeyeater, Ramsayornis modestus - B-S
Tawny-breasted honeyeater, Xanthotis flaviventer - B-S
Acrocephalidae
Australian reed warbler, Acrocephalus australis - B
Petroicidae
Mangrove robin, Eopsaltria pulverulenta - B
Pachycephalidae
White-breasted whistler, Pachycephala lanioides - S
Mangrove golden whistler, Pachycephala melanura - B-D-S
Dicruridae
Spangled drongo, Dicrurus bracteatus - B-D-S
Monarchidae
Frilled monarch, Arses telescophthalmus - B
Magpie-lark, Grallina cyanoleuca - B-S
Black-faced monarch, Monarcha melanopsis - B
Spectacled monarch, Monarcha trivirgatus
Shining flycatcher, Myiagra alecto - B-D-S
Satin flycatcher, Myiagra cyanoleuca - B
Paperbark flycatcher, Myiagra nana - S
Leaden flycatcher, Myiagra rubecula - S
Broad-billed flycatcher, Myiagra ruficollis - B-D-S
Rhipiduridae
Willie wagtail, Rhipidura leucophrys - B-D-S
Mangrove grey fantail, Rhipidura phasiana - S
Rufous fantail, Rhipidura rufifrons - B-D
Northern fantail, Rhipidura rufiventris - B-S
Campephagidae
Black-faced cuckooshrike, Coracina novaehollandiae - B-D-S
White-bellied cuckooshrike, Coracina papuensis - B-S
Cicadabird, Coracina tenuirostris - B-D-S
Varied triller, Lalage leucomela - B-S
White-winged triller, Lalage sueurii - S
Oriolidae
Yellow oriole, Oriolus flavocinctus - B
Olive-backed oriole, Oriolus sagittatus - D-S
Artamidae
White-breasted woodswallow, Artamus leucorynchus - B-S
Black butcherbird, Cracticus quoyi - B-D-S
Paradisaeidae
Trumpet manucode, Manucodia keraudrenii - B-S
Corvidae
Torresian crow, Corvus orru - B-D-S
Motacillidae
Yellow wagtail, Motacilla flava - B
Estrildidae
Chestnut-breasted mannikin, Lonchura castaneothorax - B-D
Streak-headed mannikin, Lonchura tristissima - S (no confirmed records but 1 sight record)
Red-browed finch, Neochmia temporalis - S
Passeridae
House sparrow, Passer domesticus - B-S
Nectariniidae
Yellow-bellied sunbird, Nectarinia jugularis - B-D-S
Dicaeidae
Red-capped flowerpecker, Dicaeum geelvinkianum - B-S
Hirundinidae
Fairy martin, Hirundo ariel - S
Red-rumped swallow, Hirundo daurica - B
Welcome swallow, Hirundo neoxena - B-S
Tree martin, Hirundo nigricans - D-S
Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica - B-D
Cisticolidae
Golden-headed cisticola, Cisticola exilis - B-D-S
Zitting cisticola, Cisticola juncidis - S
Locustellidae
Tawny grassbird, Megalurus timoriensis - S
Zosteropidae
Pale white-eye, Zosterops citrinellus - B-D
Sturnidae
Singing starling, Aplonis cantoroides - B-D-S
Metallic starling, Aplonis metallica - B-S
