Migrant Birds

Apodidae sp. 

These fast-flying aerial insectivores are occasionally recorded over the island during migration. They rarely land and spend most of their lives on the wing.

Ardeola ralloides

A small, stocky heron with buff-brown upperparts and white underparts. On Ascension it is an accidental or rare vagrant, likely arriving during migration from Africa or Europe. It feeds on small fish and insects. 

Bubulcus ibis

Heron with mostly white plumage and yellow bill and legs; in breeding season, adults have orange plumes on head, chest, and back. Cattle egrets are occasional visitors to Ascension, likely dispersing from Africa. They feed on insects and small vertebrates. 

Larus dominicanus

A large, predominantly white gull with black wingtips and a yellow bill. Kelp Gulls are occasional visitors to Ascension, typically seen along the coast or near seabird colonies. They are opportunistic feeders, feeding on fish, invertebrates and human refuse.

Procellariidae

Medium-sized seabirds with long, narrow wings adapted for soaring over the open ocean. Several species of shearwaters are occasionally recorded around Ascension, these birds are usually passage migrants or pelagic visitors, seen offshore during migration or foraging flights. They feed mainly on fish, squid, and other marine prey.

Calidris alba

A small, pale wader. Sanderlings are passage migrants on Ascension, stopping briefly on beaches during long-distance migrations between Arctic breeding grounds and South Atlantic/African wintering areas. They feed mainly on small invertebrates in the intertidal zone.