Editing Diego Garcia (section)

====Native birds====
[[File:Red-tailed Tropicbird3.jpg|thumb|left|Several pairs of [[red-tailed tropicbird]] nest near the cantonment area.]]

The total bird list for the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, consists of 91 species, with large breeding populations of 16 species. Although no birds are endemic, internationally important seabird colonies exist. Diego Garcia's seabird community includes thriving populations of species which are rapidly declining in other parts of the Indian Ocean. Large nesting colonies of [[brown noddy|brown noddies]], [[bridled tern]]s, the [[lesser noddy]], [[red-footed booby]] and [[lesser frigatebird]]s exist on Diego Garcia.

Other nesting native birds include [[red-tailed tropicbird]]s, [[wedge-tailed shearwater]]s, [[tropical shearwater]], [[black-naped tern]]s, [[white tern]]s, [[striated heron]]s, and [[white-breasted waterhen]]s.<ref>[[#NRMP|Natural Resources Management Plan (2005)]], paragraph 4.2.2.1.1.</ref> The 680-hectare [[Barton Point Nature Reserve]] was identified as an [[Important Bird Area]] for its large breeding colony of red-footed boobies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdlife.org |title=Barton Point Nature Reserve |access-date=21 October 2012 |work=Important Bird Areas factsheet |publisher=BirdLife International |year=2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710124603/http://www.birdlife.org/ |archive-date=10 July 2007 }}</ref>