The bird fauna of Atauro island, Timor-Leste (East Timor; 150 km2 , 23.5 km north of Dili) was summarised in Trainor and Soares (2004), who listed 84 species. Atauro is the largest and highest (995 m) of two islands now administered by Timor-Leste. It is part of the volcanic Inner Banda Arc and has had a different evolutionary history to adjacent Timor island. Despite this, only the finschi race of Olive-brown Oriole Oriolus melanotis suggested any influence on the avifauna by Wetar island (18 km north-west), and no bird species characteristic of the Flores–Alor island chain was recorded (Trainor and Soares 2004). The presence of 14 restricted- range birds including the Endangered Timor Green Pigeon Treron psittaceus highlighted the conservation importance of the island (Trainor and Soares 2004). One site on Atauro, Mount Manucoco, has been recognised as a ‘protected wild area’ by the Timor-Leste government (UNTAET 2000) but there is limited management on the ground. The number of resident birds known on each island in Wallacea depends on many factors including: island size, habitat diversity, elevation range, extent of disturbance and degree of isolation from source populations as well as survey effort (Trainor 2002, 2005a). Understanding patterns of species richness on islands can therefore highlight survey priorities.