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The islands of ‘Ata and Late have been visited for the first time by an ornithologist. The islands are important breeding sites for seabirds. Fregata ariel and F. minor nest on both islands. ‘Ata is the only Tongan island where Sula serrator dactylatra breeds. It also has a large population of Puffinus pacificus, and a few Procelsterna cerulea have been seen. Among forest birds, the abundance of Gallicolumba stairii on Late was most conspicuous. Among the rare and locally distributed birds of Tonga, the whistler Pachycephala melanops and the fruit-dove Ptilinopus perousii were found to be common. The lory Vini australis was seen only occasionally. On Niuafo’ou, Jungle Mynas Acridotheres fuscus have increased dramatically since 1984; the species is now considered a pest on fruit crops. The megapode Megapodius pritchardii seems to be threatened not only by the collecting of eggs, but also by development plans of the Tongan government. Numbers are probably higher than estimated in 1984. The avifaunal history of the three islands is discussed in the light of recent palaeontological findings. Human activities probably had a significant influence on the present-day composition of fauna and flora. The avifauna of Late probably comes close to that of a young volcanic island in pre-human times and so offers great chances for comparative studies in avian ecology. Finally, conservation issues are discussed, stressing the importance of remote Tongan islands for a regional concept of bird preservation.