Cook Islands

Birds that are found only in the Cook Islands include the Cook Islands Fruit-Dove (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Rarotonga Flycatcher (ARKive), the Rarotonga Starling (ARKive), the Cook Islands Reed Warbler (ARKive), and the extinct Mysterious Starling (Cook Islands Biodiversity). Also sometimes recognized as full species are the Mangaia Kingfisher (ARKive) and the Atiu Swiftlet (Cook Islands Biodiversity).

A skink Emoia tuitarere (Zootaxa pdf file) known only from Rarotonga was described in 2011.

Two marine fish represent genera unique to the Cook Islands: the Cook Islands Flashlightfish Protoblepharon rosenblatti (Cook Islands Biodiversity) and Powell’s False Moray Powellichthys ventriosus (Cook Islands Biodiversity). Other endemic marine fish species include the Peppermint Angelfish Centropyge boylei (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Narc Angelfish Centropyge narcosis (eol), a fairy basslet Pseudanthias privitera (Cook Islands Biodiversity), Claire's Wrasse Cirrhilabrus claire (eol), and the Orange-spotted Soapfish Belonoperca pylei (eol).

Arthropods known exclusively from the Cook Islands include the Rarotonga Giant Weevil Rhyncogonus lineatus (Cook Islands Biodiversity), a planthopper Atylana rarotongae (Cook Islands Biodiversity), a plant bug Campylomma cookensis (Discover Life), the Rarotonga Spittlebug Lallemandana rarotongae (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Cook Islands Fruitfly Bactrocera melanotus (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Rarotonga Rata-Psyllid Trioza zimmermani (Cook Islands Biodiversity), and a jumping spider Trite satchelli (Cook Islands Biodiversity). Endemic landsnails (a list is at Wikipedia) include the Rarotonga Partula Partula assimilis (Cook Islands Biodiversity), Libera fratercula (Cook Islands Biodiversity), Lamprocystis venosa (Cook Islands Biodiversity), Sinployea peasei (Cook Islands Biodiversity), and the Te Kou Landsnail Tekoulina pricei (Cook Islands Biodiversity). The Cook Island Brittlestar Asterostegus maini (Cook Islands Biodiversity) is a marine endemic.

Among the 33 endemic species of vascular plants are the Rarotonga Ground-Orchid (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Mitiaro Daisy (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Rarotonga Fitchia (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Cook Islands Homalium (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Mitiaro Fan-Palm (PACSOA), the Cook Islands Myrsine (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Te Manga Cyrtandra (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Rarotonga Peperomia (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Cook Islands Pittosporum (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Makatea Geniostoma (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Rarotonga Haloragis (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Rarotonga Garnotia-Grass (Cook Islands Biodiversity), the Ngaputoru Pandanus (Cook Islands Biodiversity), and the Rarotonga Acrophorus (Cook Islands Biodiversity).

Included in the Polynesia-Micronesia biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots), the Cook Islands comprise the Cook Islands Tropical Moist Forests ecoregion (EoE) and part of the Central Polynesian Tropical Moist Forests ecoregion (EoE). The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan can be found at (Cook Islands National Environment Service pdf file).  For lists of endemic species of plants and animals see (p. 34 of CBD pdf file).