An Endemic Bird Area (EBA) is a territory of less than 50,000 km2, where at least two bird species with a restricted range are found together. A Secondary Area (SA) is a territory of of the same extend where only one endemic bird species is found. Many other animals and plants have evolved into unique species in these same areas of endemism. EBAs are also, therefore, excellent indicators of general biodiversity.

  An inventory of the EBAs has been conducted by BirdLife International (Endemic Bird Areas). The great majority of the world's 218 EBAs occur in tropical countries. No fewer than 2,500 bird species, 26% of all bird species on earth, are restricted to these areas, which cover only 5% of the world's land surface. And because this pattern in the birds is reflected in other life-forms, EBAs represent priority areas for global biodiversity conservation.   Because of the high rate of endemism, French Polynesia has 4 of the 218 IBAs in the world (Stattersfield et al. 1998). French Polynesia is also the second Pacific island country in term of IBAs after Papoua New-Guinea.

  French Polynesia includes four Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) which roughly cover the administrative subdivisions or the physical groups by archipelago. Three are Critical according to BirdLife International.

Rimatara island, in the Austral archipelago, is the second smallest IBA in the world (after Laysan island in the Hawaiian group).

Rapa island, in the Austral archipelago, is classified as a Secondary Area because only one restricted range species of bird is found uniquely in that island.

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