Birds of the Maldives: what you will see and where

Small, remote coral islands (see our atolls guide) support few kinds of resident land birds. What the Maldives does have is a rich sea and a place on the Central Asian Flyway, so waders, herons and other migrants stop here or spend the northern winter here.

A 2025 status report prepared for the Maldives’ environment authorities, under the UK-funded Ocean Country Partnership Programme, sums it up:

• About 194 native bird species have been recorded, including rare vagrants and birds seen only at sea.
• Only around 21 were previously confirmed to breed here.
• Five birds may be distinct Maldivian forms, including the local white-breasted waterhen, pond-heron and house crow. None has yet been confirmed by genetic study.
• Some birds were brought in by people, such as house sparrows, common mynas, parakeets and feral pigeons.

So expect quality rather than quantity.

Dhivehi names below follow the 2025 report; spellings vary between atolls.

White-breasted waterhen (kanbili)

The national bird: a dark grey rail with a bright white face and breast and a chestnut patch under the tail. It flicks its tail along the edge of thick undergrowth and dashes into cover when disturbed, and you often hear it at dusk before you see it. It breeds right across the country, though islanders report fewer where native woodland has been cleared.

Asian koel (koveli)

The loud, rising “ko-el” call that wakes you at dawn. The male is glossy black with a red eye; the female is brown with pale spots. The koel is a cuckoo that lays its eggs in house crows’ nests and lets the crows raise its young. It breeds throughout the Maldives but vanishes from islands where most trees are cut down.

House crow (kaalhu)

Grey-necked, noisy and clever, found around homes, harbours and markets. Keep snacks covered at outdoor tables. Crows also raid other birds’ nests, which worries conservationists, especially in the south where they arrived more recently.

Grey heron (alhi maakanaa)

A tall, grey, patient hunter, usually standing still on the reef flat, a jetty or the water’s edge. Grey herons breed across the whole country, nesting in mangroves, banyans, screwpine and even coconut palms (see the coconut palm in Maldivian life). Around harbours where fish is cleaned they can be quite tame.

Striated heron (Dhivehi raabondhi)

A smaller, darker, hunched heron that hides among rocks and mangrove roots and is easy to miss until it flies off calling.

Seabirds are sometimes called *ainmathee dhooni* in Dhivehi, roughly “birds above schooling fish”. Tuna fishers have long used flocks of seabirds to find shoals, and many still do (see our fishing guide).

Thirty-one seabird species are protected, and eight breed here. From a boat or quiet beach you may see:

• Terns. Black-naped terns, great crested terns and brown noddies are widespread.
• White-tailed tropicbird (*dhandifulhu dhooni*). White, with very long tail streamers, often gliding over the reef.
• Frigatebirds (*hoara*). Huge, black and angular, soaring high and stealing fish from other birds; seen in some atolls rather than everywhere.
• Lesser noddy (*kurangi*). Thousands gather in the far north during the northeast monsoon. Their roost in Ihavandhippolhu Atoll is the Maldives’ only Important Bird Area recognised by BirdLife International.
• Shearwaters, storm-petrels and boobies. Mostly far offshore.

The white tern (dhondheeni)

The pure-white tern with a black eye ring is the bird many visitors hope for, but in the Maldives it is very local. It breeds only in Addu and Huvadhoo atolls in the far south and is seen at sea around Fuvahmulah. It is a much-loved symbol of Addu. It lays a single egg on a bare branch, often in mango or breadfruit trees, so tree felling and crows both hurt it. In the central and northern atolls you are unlikely to see one.

Many beach and wetland birds are visitors. Most arrive with the northeast monsoon, known locally as *iruvai*.

• Waders. Ruddy turnstones, whimbrels and common greenshanks are the most widespread, with plovers, sandpipers and curlews too. Almost all breed in Siberia and the Russian Arctic. Look on sandy shores and reef flats at low tide.
• Eastern cattle-egret (*iruvaihudhu*). The name joins *iruvai* and *hudhu* (white). These white egrets appear on grassy areas and football fields during the season.
• Egrets, pond-herons and bitterns. Found in wetlands and mangroves, with more variety in the south.
• Crab-plover (*theyravaa*). A striking black-and-white wader, once common and the subject of a popular Maldivian song. Islanders say it has almost vanished in recent decades as sandbanks were dredged, built on or disturbed, and as birds were caught as pets.

In October, swarms of globe skimmer dragonflies also arrive; a 2021 Lund University-led study supported the idea that they cross the ocean from India towards Africa.

For seasons and weather, see best time to visit the Maldives.

A dawn or dusk walk on any local island will show you the common residents. For more variety:

Southern wetlands: Addu and Fuvahmulah

The south has the country’s largest wetlands. In Addu, the Eedhigali Kilhi and Koattey area on Hithadhoo has been protected since 2004 and has boardwalks and viewing points. Fuvahmulah’s large inland wetlands lie within its biosphere reserve; Addu and Fuvahmulah both became UNESCO biosphere reserves in 2020. Expect herons, egrets, waterhens, moorhens and, with luck, white terns.

Reef flats and quiet beaches

At low tide, herons and waders feed on exposed reef flats and in shallow lagoons, best early before people are about. On Dhiffushi, the east beach, where the Maldives sees its first sunrise, is a calm spot for an early shorebird walk.

At sea

Sandbank, dolphin and fishing trips all give you a chance to see seabirds, especially when the crew is hunting for tuna or bait fish. From Dhiffushi, see excursions to sandbanks, dolphins and nearby islands.

• In 2015, 103 bird species were protected under the Environment Protection and Preservation Act (Law 4/93).
• In 2021, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment extended protection to 207 species under the Protected Species Regulation (2021/R-25).
• Killing, catching or caging protected birds, or damaging their habitats, is illegal, and a separate rule protects migratory birds from harm.

Even so, islanders interviewed for the 2025 report described past harvesting of seabird eggs and chicks and an ongoing trade in caught birds. Rats, cats, crows, tree felling and the loss of quiet islands and sandbanks add to the pressure.

• Keep your distance from nesting birds. If birds circle overhead calling or fly up from the ground, back away.
• Treat sandbanks gently. The 2025 report links frequent, unmanaged sandbank visits to seabirds abandoning breeding sites. Avoid areas with roosting or nesting birds and keep noise down; see our sandbanks guide.
• No drones near birds. A drone can scare adults off eggs and chicks; check our drone guide.
• Never buy a wild bird, and don’t feed birds: leftovers attract crows and rats, which raid nests.
• Respect gardens. Many trees belong to families, so ask before entering home gardens or farm plots.
• Bring binoculars and go early. The first hour after sunrise is best for birds and for the heat.

Fishers and older islanders often know where herons nest or terns gather, and the local names here help start a conversation. For more, read our local islands guide and responsible travel guide.