Birds of East Timor

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, is a Southeast Asian country known for its diverse birdlife. There are about 300 species that can be found here despite the small size of the country. The reason behind this may be because of its temperate climate.

East Timor’s national bird is the Timor Imperial Pigeon. Other notable avian species include the Flame-breasted Sunbird, the Timor Figbird, and the Timor Sparrow.

List of Common Birds Found in East Timor

Native Birds

Ashy-bellied White-eye
Barred Dove
Barred Honeyeater
Black-faced Cuckooshrike
Black-faced Monarch
Black-fronted Flowerpecker
Black-naped Oriole
Blue-capped Fruit Dove
Blue-eared Kingfisher
Blue-rumped Parrot
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Brown-capped Fantail
Brown Quail
Brown-throated Sunbird
Buff-banded Rail
Chestnut-backed Thrush
Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher
Dusky Cuckooshrike
Elegant Pitta
Fawn-breasted Whistler
Flame-breasted Sunbird
Flame-breasted Whistler
Green-backed Honeyeater
Green Imperial Pigeon
Green Junglefowl
Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon
Gray-headed Lapwing
Gray Wagtail
Helmeted Friarbird
Lemon-bellied White-eye
Little Pied Cormorant
Marigold Lorikeet
Northern Fantail
Northern Variable Pitohui
Olive-backed Sunbird
Olive-brown Bulbul
Olive-brown Flycatcher
Olive-brown Oriole
Olive-brown Sunbird
Olive-crowned Flowerpecker
Olive-headed Lorikeet
Olive Honeyeater
Olive-shouldered Parrot
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Orange-footed Scrubfowl
Oriental Dollarbird
Pacific Koel
Pacific Swallow
Plain Friarbird
Red-capped Flowerpecker
Red-cheeked Parrot
Red-chested Flowerpecker
Red-collared Dove
Red-headed Myzomela
Red-naped Fruit Dove
Red-rumped Swallow
Rufous-backed Kingfisher
Rufous-banded Honeyeater
Rufous-bellied Kookaburra
Rusty-breasted Whistler
Scaly-breasted Munia
Slaty-backed Thornbill
Slaty Cuckooshrike
Spectacled Monarch
Spot-breasted White-eye
Streak-breasted Fantail
Streak-breasted Honeyeater
Striated Heron
Sunda Teal
Tawny Grassbird
Timor Blue Flycatcher
Timor Blue Flyrobin
Timor Bushchat
Timor Bush Warbler
Timor Cuckooshrike
Timor Figbird
Timor Fig Parrot
Timor Green Pigeon
Timor Imperial Pigeon
Timor Oriole
Timor Serpent Eagle
Timor Sparrow
Timor Sparrowhawk
Timor Stubtail
Timor White-eye
White-bellied Imperial Pigeon
White-bellied Sea Eagle
White-breasted Waterhen
White-browed White-eye
White-rumped Kingfisher
White-shouldered Triller
Yellow-bellied Sunbird
Yellow-billed Kingfisher
Yellow-crested Cockatoo
Yellow-eared Honeyeater
Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker
Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
Yellow-spotted Honeyeater

Non-native Birds

Asian Dowitcher
Australasian Swamphen
Baillon’s Crake
Black-headed Gull
Eurasian Curlew
Eurasian Moorhen
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Garganey
Greater Painted-snipe
Javan Plover
Kentish Plover
Masked Lapwing
Pale-bellied Myna
Parasitic Jaeger
Pectoral Sandpiper
Pied Imperial-pigeon
Radjah Shelduck
Red Knot
Sooty-headed Bulbul
South Polar Skua
Spotted Redshank
Yellow-vented Bulbul

While the country is relatively small, it offers some excellent birding opportunities. A few of the best birding sites in East Timor include Mount Ramelau, Nino Konis Santana National Park, and Lake Modo. The best time to see birds is during the dry season extending from May to November, as the weather is more predictable, and bird activity tends to be higher.