Republic of the Marshall Islands

Birding The Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), is a Micronesian nation of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. This nation of roughly 60,000 persons is located north of Nauru and Kiribati, east of the Federated States of Micronesia, and south of the U.S. territory of Wake Island, to which it lays claim.

The country consists of 29 atolls and 5 isolated islands. The most important atolls and islands form two groups: the Ratak Chain and the Ralik Chain (meaning ‘sunrise’ and ‘sunset’ chains). The Marshall Islands also lays claim to Wake Island, administered by the United States, under the name Enen-kio.The uninhabited atolls are: Ailinginae Atoll, Bikar (Bikaar) Atoll, Bikini Atoll, Bokak Atoll, Erikub Atoll, Jemo Island, Nadikdik Atoll, Rongerik Atoll, Toke Atoll, Ujelang Atoll.A majority of the islands’ land mass is at sea level.The climate is hot and humid, with a wet season from May to November. The islands occasionally suffer from typhoons. Many Pacific typhoons start in the Marshall Islands region and grow stronger as they move west toward the Mariana Islands and the Philippines.

There are just 84 extant species in the islands including one introduction (Tree Sparrow) and four real rarities. Only ten species are ‘land’ birds the rest are a rich collection of seabirds or water associated species like the rails, kingfisher etc. But with two albatrosses, seven petrels, four storm petrels, five shearwaters boobies, frigates and tropicbirds there is plenty to interest birders.