List of birds
Bird taxonomy
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- This is a list relating to extant species of birds. For a list of birds in history and fiction, see List of historical and fictional birds. For extinct birds, please see Extinct birds, Prehistoric birds and Fossil birds.
This page lists living orders and families of birds. The links below should then lead to family accounts and hence to individual species.
Taxonomy is very fluid in the age of DNA analysis, so comments are made where appropriate, and all numbers are approximate. In particular see Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy for a very different classification.
Paleognathae
The flightless and mostly giant Struthioniformes lack a keeled sternum and are collectively known as ratites. Together with the Tinamiformes, they form the Paleognathae or "old jaws", one of the two evolutionary superorders.
Struthioniformes
Africa; 1 species.
Rheiformes
South America; 2 species.
Casuariiformes
Australasia; 4 species.
Apterygiformes
New Zealand; 5 species.
Tinamiformes
South America; 45 species.
Neognathae
Nearly all living birds belong to the superorder of Neognathae or "new jaws". With their keels, unlike the ratites, they are known as carinatae. The passerines alone account for well over 5000 species.
Anseriformes
Worldwide; 150 species.
Galliformes
Worldwide; 250 species.
- Megapodidae: megapodes
- Cracidae: chachalacas, curassows, and guans
- Phasianoidea: pheasants and allies
Podicipediformes
Worldwide; 19 species; sometimes grouped with Phoenicopteriformes.
Phoenicopteriformes
Worldwide; 6 species.
Pteroclidiformes
Africa, Europe, Asia; 16 species; sometimes grouped with Columbiformes.
Columbiformes
Worldwide; 300 species.
- Columbidae: pigeons and doves
Caprimulgiformes
Worldwide; 76 species.
Steatornithiformes
South America; 1 species.
Podargiformes
Asia and Australasia; 13 species.
Apodiformes
Worldwide; 400 species.
Aegotheliformes
Oceania; 10 species; sometimes grouped with Apodiformes.
Cuculiformes
Worldwide; 149 species.
Opisthocomiformes
South America; 1 species.
Gruiformes
Worldwide; 193 species.
- Otididae: bustards
- Turnicidae: buttonquails
- Grui: cranes and allies
- Ralli: rails and allies
- Rallidae: rails and coots
- Heliornithidae: finfoots
Mesitornithiformes
Madagascar; 3 species.
Cariamiformes
South America; 2 species.
Gaviiformes
North America, Eurasia; 5 species.
Sphenisciformes
Antarctic and southern waters; 17 species.
Procellariiformes
Pan-oceanic; 120 species.
- Diomedeidae: albatrosses
- Procellariidae: petrels and shearwaters
- Pelecanoididae: diving petrels
- Hydrobatidae: storm petrels
Ciconiiformes
Worldwide; 102 species.
- Ciconiidae: storks
- Threskiornithidae: ibises and spoonbills
- Ardeidae: herons
- Rhynochetidae: Kagu
- Eurypygidae: Sunbittern
Pelecaniformes
Worldwide; 10 species.
Phaethontiformes
Oceanic; 3 species.
Phalacrocoraciformes
Worldwide; 59 species.
- Fregatidae: frigatebirds
- Sulidae: boobies and gannets
- Phalacrocoracidae: cormorants and shags
- Anhingidae: darters
Charadriiformes
Worldwide; 350 species; sometimes considered part of the Ciconiiformes order under the Sibley-Ahlquist system.
- Formerly divided into three sub-orders: waders and shorebirds, gulls and skuas, and auks.
- Scolopacidae: sandpipers and snipes
- Thinocori: aberrant charadriforms
- Lari: gulls and allies
- Chionidi: thick-knees and allies
- Charadrii: plover-like waders
Falconiformes
Worldwide; 60 species.
- Falconidae: falcons and relatives
Accipitriformes
Worldwide; 200 species.
- Cathartidae: New World vultures
- Pandionidae: Osprey
- Accipitridae: hawks, kites, eagles, and Old World vultures
- Sagittaridae: Secretarybird
Strigiformes
Worldwide; 130 species.
Coliiformes
Sub-Saharan Africa; 6 species.
Trogoniformes
Sub-Saharan Africa, Americas, Asia; 35 species.
Coraciiformes
Worldwide; 200 species.
- Meropidae: bee-eaters
- Coraciidae: rollers
- Brachypteraciidae: ground rollers
- Todidae: todies
- Momotidae: motmots
- Alcedines: kingfishers
Bucerotiformes
Worldwide; 50? species.
Leptosomatiformes
Madagascar; 1 species.
Piciformes
Worldwide except Australasia; 400 species.
- Galbulae: jacamars and puffbirds
- Pici: woodpeckers and allies
Psittaciformes
Pan-tropical, southern temperate zones; 330 species.
Passeriformes
Worldwide; 5000 species.
- Acanthisitti
- Tyranni: suboscines
- Eurylaimidae: broadbills
- Philepittidae: asities
- Pittidae: pittas
- Sapayoidae: Sapayoa
- Tyrannidae: tyrant flycatchers
- Tityridae: becards and tityras
- Furnariidae: ovenbirds
- Thamnophilidae: antbirds
- Formicariidae: ground antbirds
- Conopophagidae: gnateaters
- Rhinocryptidae: tapaculos
- Cotingidae: cotingas
- Pipridae: manakins
- Melanopareiidae: crescent-chests
- Passeri: oscines
- Atrichornithidae: scrub-birds
- Menuridae: lyrebirds
- Turnagridae: piopios
- Alaudidae: larks
- Hirundinidae: swallows and martins
- Motacillidae: wagtails and pipits
- Campephagidae: cuckoo-shrikes
- Eupetidae: Rail-Babbler
- Pycnonotidae: bulbuls
- Regulidae: kinglets
- Chloropseidae: leafbirds
- Aegithinidae: ioras
- Ptilogonatidae: silky-flycatchers
- Bombycillidae: waxwings
- Hypocoliidae: Hypocolius
- Dulidae: Palmchat
- Cinclidae: dippers
- Troglodytidae: wrens
- Mimidae: mockingbirds and thrashers
- Prunellidae: accentors
- Turdidae: thrushes
- Cisticolidae: cisticolas
- Sylviidae: true warblers
- Stenostiridae: stenostirid warblers
- Macrosphenidae: african warblers
- Cettiidae: cettiid warblers
- Phylloscopidae: leaf warblers
- Megaluridae: grass warblers
- Acrocephalidae: marsh warblers
- Bernieridae: malagasy warblers
- Pnoepygidae: pygmy wren-babblers
- Polioptilidae: gnatcatchers
- Muscicapidae: chats and flycatchers
- Platysteiridae: wattle-eyes and batises
- Petroicidae: Australasian robins
- Pachycephalidae: whistlers
- Picathartidae: bald crows
- Chaetopidae: rock-jumpers
- Timaliidae: babblers
- Pomatostomidae: australasian babblers
- Paradoxornithidae: parrotbills
- Orthonychidae: logrunners
- Cinclosomatidae: whipbirds and quail-thrushes
- Aegithalidae: long-tailed tits
- Maluridae: australasian wrens
- Neosittidae: sitellas
- Climacteridae: Australasian treecreepers
- Paridae: chickadees and tits
- Sittidae: nuthatches
- Tichodromidae: Wallcreeper
- Certhiidae: treecreepers
- Rhabdornithidae: Philippine creepers
- Remizidae: penduline tits
- Nectariniidae: sunbirds
- Melanocharitidae: berrypeckers
- Paramythiidae: painted berrypeckers
- Dicaeidae: flowerpeckers
- Dasyornithidae: bristlebirds
- Pardalotidae: pardalotes
- Acanthizidae: australasian warblers
- Zosteropidae: white-eyes
- Promeropidae: sugarbirds
- Meliphagidae: honeyeaters
- Oriolidae: orioles
- Irenidae: fairy-bluebirds
- Laniidae: shrikes
- Malaconotidae: bushshrikes
- Prionopidae: helmetshrikes
- Vangidae: vangas
- Dicruridae: drongos
- Rhipiduridae: fantails
- Monarchidae: monarch flycatchers
- Callaeidae: wattled crows
- Corcoracidae: mudnesters
- Artamidae: woodswallows and butcherbirds
- Pityriaseidae: bristlehead
- Paradisaeidae: birds-of-paradise
- Cnemophilidae: satinbirds
- Ptilonorhynchidae: bowerbirds
- Corvidae: jays and crows
- Sturnidae: starlings
- Buphagidae: oxpeckers
- Passeridae: Old World sparrows
- Ploceidae: weavers
- Estrildidae: estrildid finches
- Viduidae: whydahs
- Vireonidae: vireos and allies
- Fringillidae: finches and relatives
- Urocynchramidae: pink-tailed bunting
- Drepanididae: Hawaiian honeycreepers
- Peucedramidae: Olive Warbler
- Parulidae: american warblers
- Coerebidae: Bananaquit
- Thraupidae: tanagers and allies
- Emberizidae: buntings and New World sparrows
- Cardinalidae: cardinals and grosbeaks
- Icteridae: blackbirds and relatives
See also
- Lists of animals
- List of African birds
- List of Asian birds
- List of birds of Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica
- List of Australian birds
- List of European birds
- List of North American birds
- Extinct birds
- Prehistoric birds
- Fossil birds
- List of chicken breeds
- List of birds by common name
For regions smaller than continents see:
References
- ^ A Phylogenomic Study of Birds Reveals Their Evolutionary History. Shannon J. Hackett, et al. Science 320, 1763 (2008).
