One of us (SMH) surveyed the Ninigo and Hermit Islands (27 January–13 February and 2–14 October 2019), providing the first observations of birds on these islands for c.50 years. KDB collated data from the unpublished diaries of W. F. Coultas, a member of the Whitney South Sea Expedition, including observations from the nearby Kaniet and Sae Islands. Four new landbirds, in addition to six new shorebirds and five new seabirds, were added to the list of birds for these poorly known islands, bringing the total list to 59 species. We also document significant extensions of the known breeding ranges of Brown Noddy Anous stolidus, Black Noddy A. minutus and Red-footed Booby Sula sula. The biological importance of the West Melanesian Trench is further emphasised by our seabird observations.