Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Pacific Region
 

Wildlife & Habitat

wildlife & habitat includes:

Birds Marine Resources
Terrestrial Resources Invasive Species

Palmyra's native vegetation is lush, supporting one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific, including native varieties of ferns and shrubs. Palmyra's rich intertidal sand- and mudflats provide attractive resting and feeding grounds for migratory seabirds and shorebirds.

Sooty terns, red- and white-tailed tropicbirds, several species of boobies, great frigatebirds, and white terns commonly nest on Palmyra.

More than 200 bristle-thighed curlews, whose worldwide population estimate is only 6,000 individuals, spend their winters on Palmyra.

Pilot whales, bottle-nosed dolphins, white-tip reef sharks, manta rays, and giant clams frequent the atoll's waters, as well as threatened green sea turtles, which also nest on Palmyra's beaches. Large populations of the world's largest land invertebrate, the coconut crab, inhabit the forests along with other crabs.

Photo of red-footed booby
The second largest red-footed booby colony in the world is found on Palmyra, which also hosts significant populations of brown boobies, masked boobies, and black noddies.
Red-footed Booby - Photo credit USFWS

 
Last updated: March 22, 2011