Public domain (William Wade Ellis watercolour, 1777-1779), Wikimedia CommonsWildlife· Tahanea· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Tahanea Seabird Nesting
16° 57.3′ S · 144° 44.4′ W · approximate
One of the last natural (not plantation) motu groups in the Tuamotus: brown and masked boobies, a large lesser-frigatebird colony and endemic Tuamotu birds nest on Tahanea's SW and E motus.
Practical
Coordinate approximate: the bird motus beside the '7' Anchorage (Sugar Shack, Pitufa). Wikipedia (FR) lists the endemic Tuamotu sandpiper (Prosobonia cancellata), the atoll fruit dove (Ptilinopus coralensis), Tuamotu reed warbler (Acrocephalus atyphus), bristle-thighed curlew and a large colony of lesser frigatebirds (Fregata ariel). Pitufa (2019): the SW-side motus are a refuge, and nesting numbers have declined because of visitor disturbance. Ground-nesting boobies flush easily. Watch from the water's edge with binoculars; stay out of vegetation in nesting season.
Best for
Birdwatching from a respectful distance
Season
Nesting year-round; sandpipers mainly April-June
Nearby
- Tahanea Motu WalksRight here
- Tahanea Pink-Sand Bird Motus ('7')Right here
- Tahanea '7' Anchorage0.2 NM away
- Tahanea Protected Atoll Rules (Uninhabited Reserve)4.6 NM away
- Tahanea South Rim Sand Banks Anchorage5.1 NM away
- Tahanea South Rim Three Motus5.1 NM away
- Tahanea Blacktip Reef Sharks6.9 NM away
- Teavatapu Pass Anchorage (Tahanea)6.9 NM away