Colonies of over 200,000 sooty terns can be found nesting on some islands. For keen birders, these islands offer an opportunity to add several species to their lists. Other rarities include magpie robins and the Seychelles fodie. On Aldabra is the only flightless bird in the Indian Ocean, the white-throated rail, and rare migrants from the Antarctic and Arctic fly in at various times of the year. Because of the islands isolation and the comparatively late arrival of humans, there are many species of birds unique to the Seychelles .
Aride island has ten species of breeding seabirds and the world's largest colony of lesser noddies.
Almost every island seems to have one rare species to its name. The barelegged scop owl and the Seychelles kestrel live on Mahe , and Bird Island is home to millions of fairlky terns. In general there are plenty of herons, fodies, sunbirds, lovebirds , egrets, plovers, boobies, sooty terns and gulls. Four of the islands are bird sanctuaries, Cousin, Bird, Aride and Fregate. The Vallee de Mai on Praslin and the Veuve Reserve on la Digue are also protected reserves.