Skip links and keyboard navigation

Wildlife of Swain Reefs National Park

Total number of species: 98

Download this information in .CSV format

Species name has been superseded by a new species name
Click here for more detailed information about this species
Kingdom Class Family Scientific Name Common Name Superseded NCA EPBC Est. Wetland
Status
Records Specimens Last
seen
animals mammals Delphinidae Stenella longirostris spinner dolphin C QAI 1 0 20/08/2013
animals birds Hirundinidae Hirundo neoxena welcome swallow C QAI 1 0 26/11/1992
animals birds Acrocephalidae Acrocephalus australis Australian reed-warbler C QAI 1 0 15/09/2011
animals birds Alcedinidae Todiramphus sanctus sacred kingfisher C QAI 1 0 07/10/1992
animals birds Laridae Anous minutus black noddy C QAI 179 1 01/07/2020
animals birds Laridae Anous stolidus brown noddy SL QA 673 2 01/07/2020
animals birds Laridae Chlidonias hybrida whiskered tern C QAI I 1 0 28/07/2000
animals birds Laridae Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae silver gull C QAI 719 1 01/07/2020
animals birds Laridae Onychoprion anaethetus bridled tern SL QAI 168 2 29/01/2020
animals birds Laridae Onychoprion fuscatus sooty tern C QAI 47 0 11/07/2019
animals birds Laridae Sterna dougallii roseate tern SL QAI 7019 2 01/07/2020
animals birds Laridae Sterna hirundo common tern SL QAI 18 1 26/05/2004
animals birds Laridae Sterna sumatrana black-naped tern SL QAI 1109 3 01/07/2020
animals birds Laridae Sternula albifrons little tern SL V QAI I 159 0 29/07/2018
animals birds Laridae Sternula nereis exsul New Caledonian fairy tern E VI 18 0 01/07/2020
animals birds Laridae Thalasseus bengalensis lesser crested tern C QAI I 306 0 01/07/2020
animals birds Laridae Thalasseus bergii crested tern SL QAI 646 0 01/07/2020
animals birds Stercorariidae Stercorarius antarcticus brown skua C QAI 1 0 08/08/2012
animals birds Stercorariidae Stercorarius maccormicki South Polar skua SL VI 1 0 23/11/1989
animals birds Stercorariidae Stercorarius parasiticus Arctic jaeger SL QAI 1 0 21/10/1999
animals birds Scolopacidae Arenaria interpres ruddy turnstone V V QAI I 460 0 01/07/2020
animals birds Scolopacidae Calidris acuminata sharp-tailed sandpiper V V QAI I 1 0 21/01/2006
animals birds Scolopacidae Calidris alba sanderling SL QAI I 3 0 22/01/2011
animals birds Scolopacidae Calidris ferruginea curlew sandpiper CR CE QAI I 1 0 08/01/2004
animals birds Scolopacidae Calidris ruficollis red-necked stint SL QAI I 9 1 14/12/2002
animals birds Scolopacidae Heteroscelus sp. U 8 0 06/12/2000
animals birds Scolopacidae Limosa lapponica baueri Western Alaskan bar-tailed godwit E E QAI I 44 0 30/06/2020
animals birds Scolopacidae Numenius phaeopus whimbrel SL QAI I 10 0 13/07/2019
animals birds Scolopacidae Tringa brevipes grey-tailed tattler SL QAI I 48 1 29/06/2020
animals birds Scolopacidae Tringa incana wandering tattler SL QAI I 25 1 13/07/2019
animals birds Scolopacidae Xenus cinereus terek sandpiper V V QAI I 1 0 31/01/2015
animals birds Charadriidae Charadrius leschenaultii greater sand plover V V QAI I 2 0 18/01/2008
animals birds Charadriidae Charadrius mongolus lesser sand plover E E QAI I 3 0 01/02/2015
animals birds Charadriidae Charadrius veredus oriental plover SL QAI 1 0 14/07/1985
animals birds Charadriidae Pluvialis fulva Pacific golden plover SL QAI I 182 1 30/06/2020
animals birds Charadriidae Pluvialis squatarola grey plover V V QAI I 2 0 01/04/2004
animals birds Rallidae Gallirallus philippensis buff-banded rail C QAI 8 0 09/07/2019
animals birds Accipitridae Haliaeetus leucogaster white-bellied sea-eagle C QAI 2 0 17/06/2002
animals birds Ardeidae Bubulcus ibis cattle egret C QAI 4 0 12/07/1999
animals birds Ardeidae Egretta novaehollandiae white-faced heron C QAI 52 0 01/07/2020
animals birds Ardeidae Egretta sacra eastern reef egret C QAI I 17 0 09/07/2019
animals birds Pelecanidae Pelecanus conspicillatus Australian pelican C QAI I 1 0 10/11/1976
animals birds Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocorax carbo great cormorant C QAI I 3 0 17/09/2011
animals birds Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocorax sulcirostris little black cormorant C QA I 1 0 08/08/2012
animals birds Anhingidae Anhinga novaehollandiae Australasian darter C QAI I 1 0 08/12/1993
animals birds Sulidae Morus serrator Australasian gannet C QAI 1 0 17/06/2012
animals birds Sulidae Sula dactylatra masked booby SL QAI 3631 3 01/07/2020
animals birds Sulidae Sula leucogaster brown booby SL QAI 3068 3 01/07/2020
animals birds Sulidae Sula sula red-footed booby SL QAI 5 0 24/02/2013
animals birds Fregatidae Fregata ariel lesser frigatebird SL QAI 129 2 26/06/2020
animals birds Fregatidae Fregata minor great frigatebird SL QAI 31 0 08/01/2018
animals birds Fregatidae Fregata sp. C U 3 0 21/07/2002
animals birds Procellariidae Ardenna grisea sooty shearwater V V QAI 1 0 19/05/1981
animals birds Procellariidae Ardenna pacifica wedge-tailed shearwater V QAI 38 0 23/02/2013
animals birds Procellariidae Daption capense cape petrel C QAI 1 0 13/07/1999
animals birds Procellariidae Macronectes halli northern giant-petrel V V VU 2 0 20/07/2009
animals birds Procellariidae Macronectes sp. C U 2 0 13/07/1999
animals birds Procellariidae Pachyptila salvini Salvin's prion C VU 1 0 21/07/2002
animals birds Procellariidae Puffinus gavia fluttering shearwater C QAI 3 0 19/08/2010
animals birds Procellariidae Puffinus huttoni Hutton's shearwater C QAI 1 0 19/06/2012
animals birds Oceanitidae Oceanites oceanicus Wilson's storm-petrel SL QAI 1 0 22/10/1999
animals birds Phaethontidae Phaethon rubricauda red-tailed tropicbird V QAI 1 0 14/02/1986
animals birds Anatidae Radjah radjah radjah shelduck C QAI I 1 0 01/07/1984
animals birds Phasianidae Synoicus ypsilophorus brown quail C QAI 2 0 12/07/1992
animals reptiles Elapidae Aipysurus laevis olive sea snake C QAI 22 22 26/05/2004
animals reptiles Elapidae Emydocephalus annulatus turtle-headed sea snake C QAI I 2 2 26/05/2004
animals reptiles Elapidae Hydrophis elegans elegant sea snake C QAI I 1 1 26/05/2004
animals reptiles Cheloniidae Caretta caretta loggerhead turtle E E QAI 3 0 30/06/1998
animals reptiles Cheloniidae Chelonia mydas green turtle V V QAI 3 0 30/06/1998
bacteria blue-green algae Oscillatoriaceae Blennothrix lyngbyacea C NTQ 1 1 02/05/2007
bacteria blue-green algae Oscillatoriaceae Moorea producens C NTQ 2 2 09/06/2015
bacteria blue-green algae Oscillatoriaceae Oscillatoria lutea C NTQ 2 2 08/11/2021
chromists brown algae Dictyotaceae Dictyopteris repens C NTQ 1 1 23/11/2017
plants Florideophyceae Bonnemaisoniaceae Asparagopsis taxiformis C NTQ 1 1 06/08/2021
plants Florideophyceae Ceramiaceae Antithamnion percurrens C NTQ 1 1 03/10/2018
plants Florideophyceae Ceramiaceae Centroceras clavulatum C NTQ 1 1 03/10/2018
plants Florideophyceae Ceramiaceae Haloplegma duperreyi C NTQ 1 1 03/10/2018
plants Florideophyceae Corallinaceae Jania adhaerens C NTQ 1 1 06/08/2021
plants Florideophyceae Cystocloniaceae Hypnea spinella C NTQ 1 1 06/08/2021
plants Florideophyceae Dasyaceae Heterosiphonia crispella C NTQ 1 1 03/10/2018
plants Florideophyceae Galaxauraceae Dichotomaria marginata C NTQ 1 1 06/08/2021
plants Florideophyceae Galaxauraceae Galaxaura rugosa C NTQ 1 1 10/08/2021
plants Florideophyceae Plocamiaceae Plocamium hamatum C NTQ 1 1 03/10/2018
plants Ulvophyceae Boodleaceae Cladophoropsis sundanensis C NTQ 1 1 02/05/2007
plants Ulvophyceae Caulerpaceae Caulerpa webbiana C NTQ 1 1 13/10/2011
plants Ulvophyceae Cladophoraceae Cladophora vagabunda C NTQ 1 1 02/05/2007
plants Ulvophyceae Dasycladaceae Neomeris annulata C NTQ 1 1 06/08/2021
plants Ulvophyceae Siphonocladaceae Boergesenia forbesii C NTQ 1 1 06/08/2021
plants Ulvophyceae Siphonocladaceae Dictyosphaeria cavernosa C NTQ 1 1 10/08/2021
plants Ulvophyceae Udoteaceae Chlorodesmis fastigiata C NTQ 1 1 02/05/2007
plants Ulvophyceae Udoteaceae Tydemania expeditionis C NTQ 1 1 02/05/2007
plants Ulvophyceae Ulvaceae Ulva flexuosa subsp. flexuosa C NTQ 1 1 31/10/2007
plants land plants Boraginaceae Argusia argentea octopus bush C NTQ 1 1 06/08/2021
plants land plants Brassicaceae Cakile edentula sea rocket NAQ 2 2 06/08/2021
plants land plants Brassicaceae Lepidium englerianum NAQ 4 4 06/08/2021
plants land plants Nyctaginaceae Boerhavia albiflora var. albiflora C NTQ 3 3 06/08/2021
plants land plants Poaceae Lepturus repens stalky grass C NTQ 6 6 06/08/2021
plants land plants Poaceae Thuarea involuta tropical beachgrass C NTQ 2 2 06/08/2021

Click here to view species sighting metadata.

Species sighting information is extracted from the DETSI WildNet database.

Reports and statistics displayed on WetlandInfo use a subset of the sighting records that are not classed as erroneous or duplicate, that have a location precision equal to or less than 10,000 metres, and do not have a count of zero.

A report on any specific area includes sightings up to one kilometre outside of the area.

If a species is not listed in the report of a specific area, it does not mean the species is not present there. Similarly, a listed species may no longer inhabit the area. It is recommended that you also access other internal and external data sources for species information in your area of interest.

Information from WildNet can also be accessed via the WildNet Application and WetlandMaps.

The WildNet dataset is constantly being enhanced and the taxonomic and status information revised.

Rare or threatened includes species listed as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or conservation dependent under either the Nature Conservation Act or Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this product, the Queensland Government and Australian Government make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a consequence of reliance on the product, or as a result of the product being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.

Legend

Nature Conservation Act
NCA - Status under the Nature Conservation Act 1992
EX : Extinct
PE : Extinct in the wild
CR : Critically endangered
E : Endangered
V : Vulnerable
NT : Near threatened
C : Least concern
SL : Special least concern
I : International
P : Prohibited
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
EPBC - Status under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
EX : Extinct
XW : Extinct in the wild
CE : Critically endangered
E : Endangered
V : Vulnerable
CD : Conservation dependent
Est. - Establishment
DNQ : Doubtfully naturalised in QLD
EXQ : Not native to QLD
FNQ : Formerly naturalised in QLD
IA : Introduced (Intranational) - naturalised from interstate
II : Introduced (International) - naturalised from overseas
IU : Introduced - unknown origin
NAQ : Naturalised in QLD
NNQ : Native and naturalised in QLD
NTQ : Native to QLD
Q : Queensland endemic - naturally occurs in Queensland
QA : Intranational - naturally occurs in Queensland and interstate
QAI : Not endemic to Australia - naturally occurs in Queensland, interstate and overseas
QI : Regional endemic - naturally occurs in Queensland and overseas
SUQ : Status unknown in QLD
U : Unknown - native
UPQ : Unknown provenance in QLD
VA : Vagrant (Intranational) - normally occurs interstate
VI : Vagrant (International) - normally occurs overseas
VU : Vagrant (Unknown)
XA : Exotic (Intranational)
XI : Exotic (International)
XU : Exotic (Unknown)
Wetland Status
I : Wetland indicator species


This page should be cited as:

Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2025) Wildlife of Swain Reefs National Park, WetlandInfo website, accessed 3 February 2026. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.detsi.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/wildlife/?AreaID=national-park-swain-reefs

Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation