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Seabirds and Shorebirds

The Chagos archipelago supports around 180,000 pairs of at least 18 different species of seabird. As the islands are so remote, they are a globally important site for seabirds crossing the Indian Ocean, providing them with somewhere to rest and breed. The iconic bird of the islands is the Red-footed Booby, with its large bright red webbed feet. Due to its remote location there are very few land-based birds, or shorebirds, such as ducks, geese or waders on the islands.