There are several unique species of bird in the Solomon Islands and there does not seem to be a specific publication available on Solomon Island birds.

Whilst there is no specific Solomons bird book available I have compiled what I could of a complete bird list for the country and this is available free of charge by contacting me .

Two particular species of bird have also brought historic notice to the island of St Cruz or Nendo.

                                                                            Cardinal Honeyeater

FEATHER MONEY

Ancient traditions also saw the making of feather money on the island.

The money was made as a rope or belt in various lengths of several metres based on bush materials and pigeon feathers with a painstaking coating of the chest feathers from the Cardinal Honey eater giving the money its red colouring.

This beautiful little bird was netted and plucked then released to produce again.

The money was used in traditional ceremonies, weddings, disputes etc and in recent years as the art was lost modern day substitutes of paper money wedged in sticks was used for wedding parades.

Fortunately this art has recently been revived at a village on the island.

                                                                                  JUNGLE FOWL

                                     A wild-caught male thriving in captivity and used as a bait rooster for trapping others

The Red Jungle Fowl Gallus gallus has been recorded on the eastern islands of the Solomons and is protected by the Government Wildlife Act even though it is not native to the area. 

This valuable bird is believed to have travelled with the human migration canoes from Asia several thousand years ago.

It is therefore a historic part of the peoples’ lives and has the traditional trapping and hunting of this fowl has become part of the local culture.

                                                            Traditional net for trapping wild jungle fowl

The almost accidental cross breeding of this jungle fowl with introduced domestic species of chicken has produced a hardy village chicken more of which is recorded in other parts of this website.

Most of the following photos are the work of my good friend and Solomon bird enthusiast Joe Kenning.