List of birds

Bird taxonomy Neornithes  Struthioniformes* Tinamiformes Neoaves  Galloanserae  Anseriformes Galliformes Neoaves  Podicipediformes Phoenicopteriformes Phaethontidae Pteroclidiformes Mesitornithidae Columbiformes Eurypygidae Rhynochetidae  Cypselomorphae  Caprimulgiformes Apodiformes Aegotheliformes Opisthocomidae Gruiformes Cuculiformes "Waterbirds" Charadriiformes "Landbirds" "Waterbirds"  Gaviiformes Sphenisciformes Procellariiformes Ciconiiformes Pelecaniformes "Landbirds"  Accipitriformes Strigiformes Coliiformes Leptosomatidae Trogoniformes Bucerotiformes Coraciiformes Piciformes Cariamidae Falconidae Psittaciformes Passeriformes A phylogenetic tree of the modern birds, based on a recent study[1]. Note the polytomies.

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.

Contents 1 Paleognathae 1.1 Struthioniformes 1.2 Tinamiformes 2 Neognathae 2.1 Anseriformes 2.2 Galliformes 2.3 Podicipediformes 2.4 Phoenicopteriformes 2.5 Pteroclidiformes 2.6 Columbiformes 2.7 Caprimulgiformes 2.8 Apodiformes 2.9 Aegotheliformes 2.10 Cuculiformes 2.11 Gruiformes 2.12 Gaviiformes 2.13 Sphenisciformes 2.14 Procellariiformes 2.15 Ciconiiformes 2.16 Pelecaniformes 2.17 Charadriiformes 2.18 Falconiformes 2.19 Strigiformes 2.20 Coliiformes 2.21 Trogoniformes 2.22 Coraciiformes 2.23 Piciformes 2.24 Psittaciformes 2.25 Passeriformes 3 See also 4 References

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

Mainly southern hemisphere; 12 species; sometimes all families are raised to order rank.

• Struthionidae: Ostrich
• Rheidae: rheas
• Casuariidae: cassowaries, emus
• Apterygidae: kiwis

Tinamiformes

South America; 45 species.

• Tinamidae: tinamous

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.

• Anhimidae: screamers
• Anseranatidae: Magpie-goose
• Anatidae: ducks, eiders, geese, goldeneyes, mergansers, pintails, pochards, scaups, scoters, shovelers, swans, teals, wigeons

Galliformes

Worldwide; 250 species.

• Megapodidae: mound-builders
• Cracidae: chachalacas, curassows, guans
• Phasianoidea: pheasants and allies
  • Odontophoridae: New World quails
  • Numididae: guineafowl
  • Phasianidae: pheasants, chickens, francolins, grouse, junglefowl, monals, partridges, peafowl, Old World quail, turkeys

Podicipediformes

Worldwide; 19 species; sometimes grouped with Phoenicopteriformes.

• Podicipedidae: grebes

Phoenicopteriformes

Worldwide; 6 species.

• Phoenicopteridae: flamingoes

Pteroclidiformes

Africa, Europe, Asia; 16 species; sometimes grouped with Columbiformes.

• Pteroclididae: sandgrouse

Columbiformes

Worldwide; 300 species.

• Columbidae: pigeons, doves

Caprimulgiformes

Worldwide; 90 species.

• Steatornithidae: Oilbird; possibly a distinct order.
• Podargidae: frogmouths; possibly a distinct order.
• Nyctibiidae: potoos
• Caprimulgidae: nightjars, nighthawks, pauraques, poorwills
• Eurostopodidae: eared-nightjars

Apodiformes

Worldwide; 400 species.

• Trochilidae: hummingbirds and allies
• Apodidae: swifts, needletails, swiftlets
• Hemiprocnidae: tree swifts

Aegotheliformes

Oceania; 10 species; sometimes grouped with Apodiformes.

• Aegothelidae: owlet-nightjars

Cuculiformes

Worldwide; 150 species.

• Opisthocomidae: Hoatzin; probably a distinct order.
• Musophagidae: turacos, go-away-birds, plantain-eaters
• Cuculidae: cuckoos, anis, couas, coucals, koels, malkohas, roadrunners

Gruiformes

Worldwide; 200 species.

• Mesitornithidae: mesites; probably a distinct order.
• Eurypygidae: Sunbittern; probably a distinct order.
• Rhynochetidae: Kagu; probably a distinct order.
• Otididae: bustards
• Grui: cranes and allies
  • Gruidae: cranes
  • Aramidae: Limpkin
  • Psophiidae: trumpeters
• Ralli: rails and allies
  • Rallidae: rails, coots, crakes, flufftails, moorhens
  • Heliornithidae: finfoots
• Cariamidae: seriemas; probably a distinct order.

Gaviiformes

North America, Eurasia; 5 species.

• Gaviidae: divers, loons

Sphenisciformes

Antarctic and southern waters; 17 species.

• Spheniscidae: penguins

Procellariiformes

Pan-oceanic; 120 species.

• Diomedeidae: albatrosses
• Procellariidae: fulmarine petrels, gadfly petrels, prions, shearwaters
• Pelecanoididae: diving petrels
• Hydrobatidae: storm petrels

Ciconiiformes

Worldwide; 100 species.

• Ciconiidae: storks
• Threskiornithidae: ibises, spoonbills
• Ardeidae: herons, bitterns, egrets

Pelecaniformes

Worldwide; 68 species.

• Phaethontidae: tropicbirds; probably a distinct order.
• Balaenicipitidae: Shoebill
• Scopidae: Hammerkop
• Pelecanidae: pelicans
• Sulae: cormorants and allies; sometimes Sulae or Phalacrocoracidae are considered a distinct order.
  • Fregatidae: frigatebirds
  • Sulidae: boobies, gannets
  • Phalacrocoracidae: cormorants, 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: snipe, sandpipers, phalaropes, and allies
• Thinocori: aberrant charadriforms
  • Rostratulidae: painted snipe
  • Jacanidae: jacanas
  • Thinocoridae: seedsnipe
  • Pedionomidae: Plains Wanderer
• Lari: gulls and allies
  • Laridae: gulls
  • Rhynchopidae: skimmers
  • Sternidae: terns
  • Alcidae: puffins, guillemots, murres, and allies
  • Stercorariidae: skuas
  • Glareolidae: pratincoles and coursers
  • Dromadidae: Crab Plover
• Turnicidae: buttonquails
• Chionidi: thick-knees and allies
  • Burhinidae: thick-knees
  • Chionididae: sheathbills
  • Pluvianellidae: Magellanic Plover
• Charadrii: plover-like waders
  • Ibidorhynchidae: Ibisbill
  • Recurvirostridae: avocets and stilts
  • Haematopodidae: oystercatchers
  • Charadriidae: plovers and lapwings

Falconiformes

Worldwide; 260 species; sometimes all families except Falconidae, or all families except Falconidae and Cathartidae, are separated as Accipitriformes.

• Falconidae: caracaras, falcons, falconets, hobbies, kestrels
• Cathartidae: New World vultures, condors
• Pandionidae: Osprey
• Accipitridae: buzzards, eagles, harriers, hawks, kites, Old World vultures
• Sagittaridae: Secretary Bird

Strigiformes

Worldwide; 130 species.

• Tytonidae: barn owls
• Strigidae: true owls

Coliiformes

Sub-Saharan Africa; 6 species.

• Coliidae: mousebirds

Trogoniformes

Sub-Saharan Africa, Americas, Asia; 35 species.

• Trogonidae: trogons, quetzals

Coraciiformes

Worldwide; 200 species; sometimes Bucerotidae, Upupidae and Phoeniculidae are separated as Bucerotiformes.

• Leptosomatidae: Cuckoo-roller; probably a distinct order.
• Bucerotidae: hornbills
• Upupidae: Hoopoe
• Phoeniculidae: woodhoopoes
• Meropidae: bee-eaters
• Coraciidae: rollers
• Brachypteraciidae: ground rollers
• Todidae: todies
• Momotidae: motmots
• Alcedines: kingfishers
  • Alcedinidae: river kingfishers
  • Halcyonidae: tree kingfishers
  • Cerylidae: water kingfishers

Piciformes

Worldwide except Australasia; 400 species.

• Galbulae: jacamars, puffbirds
  • Galbulidae: jacamars
  • Bucconidae: puffbirds
• Pici: woodpeckers and allies
  • Lybiidae: African barbets
  • Megalaimidae: Asian barbets
  • Ramphastidae: toucans
  • Semnornithidae: toucan-barbets
  • Capitonidae: American barbets
  • Picidae: woodpeckers, piculets, wrynecks
  • Indicatoridae: honeyguides

Psittaciformes

Pan-tropical, southern temperate zones; 330 species.

• Cacatuidae: cockatoos
• Psittacidae: parrots, amazons, conures, lories, lorikeets, macaws, parakeets, parrotlets, racquet-tails, rosellas

Passeriformes

Worldwide; 5000 species.

• Acanthisitti
  • Acanthisittidae: New Zealand wrens
• Tyranni: suboscines
  • Tyrannidae: tyrant flycatchers
  • Pittidae: pittas
  • Furnariidae: ovenbirds
  • Thamnophilidae: antbirds
  • Formicariidae: antpittas and antthrushes
  • Conopophagidae: gnateaters
  • Rhinocryptidae: tapaculos
  • Cotingidae: cotingas
  • Pipridae: manakins
  • Philepittidae: asities
• Passeri: oscines
  • Atrichornithidae: scrub-birds
  • Menuridae: lyrebirds
  • Turnagridae: Piopio
  • Alaudidae: larks
  • Hirundinidae: swallows
  • 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, thrashers and Gray Catbird
  • Prunellidae: accentors
  • Turdidae: thrushes and allies
  • Cisticolidae: cisticolas and allies
  • Sylviidae: Old World warblers
  • Polioptilidae: gnatcatchers
  • Muscicapidae: Old World flycatchers
  • Platysteiridae: wattle-eyes
  • Petroicidae: Australasian robins
  • Pachycephalidae: whistlers and allies
  • Picathartidae: rockfowl
  • Timaliidae: babblers
  • Pomatostomidae: pseudo-babblers
  • Paradoxornithidae: parrotbills
  • Orthonychidae: logrunner and chowchilla
  • Cinclosomatidae: whipbirds and quail-thrushes
  • Aegithalidae: long-tailed tits
  • Maluridae: fairy-wrens, emu-wrens and grasswrens
  • Neosittidae: sitellas
  • Climacteridae: Australasian treecreepers
  • Paridae: chickadees and tits
  • Sittidae: nuthatches
  • Tichodromidae: Wallcreeper
  • Certhiidae: treecreepers
  • Rhabdornithidae: Philippine creepers
  • Remizidae: penduline tits
  • Nectariniidae: sunbirds and spiderhunters
  • Melanocharitidae: berrypeckers and longbills
  • Paramythiidae: tit berrypecker and crested berrypeckers
  • Dicaeidae: flowerpeckers
  • Pardalotidae: pardalotes, thornbills and allies
  • Zosteropidae: white-eyes
  • Promeropidae: sugarbirds
  • Meliphagidae: honeyeaters and chats
  • Oriolidae: Old World orioles
  • Irenidae: fairy-bluebirds
  • Laniidae: shrikes
  • Malaconotidae: bushshrikes and allies
  • Prionopidae: helmetshrikes
  • Vangidae: vangas
  • Dicruridae: drongos
  • Callaeidae: wattlebirds
  • Corcoracidae: White-winged Chough and Apostlebird
  • Artamidae: currawongs, woodswallows, butcherbirds & allies
  • Pityriaseidae: bristlehead
  • Paradisaeidae: birds-of-paradise
  • Ptilonorhynchidae: bowerbirds
  • Corvidae: crows, jays and magpies
  • Sturnidae: starlings
  • Passeridae: Old World sparrows
  • Ploceidae: weavers and allies
  • Estrildidae: waxbills and allies
  • Viduidae: indigobirds
  • Vireonidae: vireos and allies
  • Fringillidae: finches, crossbills and allies
  • Drepanididae: Hawaiian honeycreepers
  • Peucedramidae: Olive Warbler
  • Parulidae: New World warblers
  • Coerebidae: Bananaquit
  • Thraupidae: tanagers and allies
  • Emberizidae: buntings, seedeaters and allies
  • Cardinalidae: saltators, cardinals and allies
  • Icteridae: New World blackbirds, orioles, and allies

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:

• Lists of birds by region

References

v • d • e Birds (class: Aves) Anatomy Bird anatomy • Flight • Eggs • Feathers • Plumage • Beak • Vision • Dactyly • Preen gland Behaviour Singing • Intelligence • Migration • Incubation • Brood parasites • Nesting • Hybrids Evolution Bird evolution • Origin of birds • Darwin's finches • Seabirds Orders of Neornithes (modern birds) Superorder: Palaeognathae Struthioniformes (ratites) • Tinamiformes (tinamous) Superorder: Neognathae Accipitriformes • Anseriformes (waterfowl) • Apodiformes (swifts and hummingbirds) • Caprimulgiformes (nightjars and relatives) • Cariamae (seriemas and relatives) • Charadriiformes (gulls and relatives) • Ciconiiformes (storks) • Coliiformes (mousebirds) • Columbiformes (doves and pigeons) • Coraciiformes (kingfishers and relatives) • Cuculiformes (cuckoos and relatives) • Falconiformes (falcons and relatives) • Galliformes (gamebirds) • Gaviiformes (loons or divers) • Gruiformes (cranes and relatives) • Passeriformes (perching birds) • Pelecaniformes (pelicans and relatives) • Phaethontiformes (tropicbirds) • Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos) • Piciformes (woodpeckers and relatives) • Podicipediformes (grebes) • Procellariiformes (albatrosses and petrels) • Psittaciformes (parrots) • Pteroclidiformes (sandgrouses) • Sphenisciformes (penguins) • Strigiformes (owls) • Trogoniformes (trogons and quetzals) Fossil birds Archaeopteryx • Enantiornithes • Hesperornithes Birds and humans Ringing • Ornithology • Bird collections • Birdwatching • Bird feeding • Conservation • Aviculture • Waterfowl hunting • Pigeon racing Lists Families and orders • Genera • Lists by region • Extinct birds • Late Quaternary prehistoric birds • Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy Category • Portal