This page lists living orders and families of birds, subclass Neornithes (for extinct birds, please see Extinct birds, Prehistoric birds and Fossil 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.
Ratites; mainly southern hemisphere; 12 species. Sometimes all families are raised to order rank.
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 carinates. The passerines alone account for well over 5000 species.
Waterfowl; worldwide; 150 species.
Landfowl; worldwide except northern Eurasia; 250 species.
Worldwide; 19 species.
Worldwide; 6 species.
Africa, Europe, Asia; 16 species.
Worldwide; 300 species.
Worldwide; 90 species.
Worldwide; 400 species.
Oceania; 10 species.
Worldwide; 150 species.
Worldwide; 200 species.
North America, Eurasia; 5 species.
Antarctic and southern waters; 17 species.
Tubenoses; pan-oceanic; 120 species.
Worldwide; 100 species.
Worldwide; 68 species.
Waders or shorebirds and allies; worldwide; 300 species.
Diurnal birds of prey; worldwide; 260 species. Sometimes all families except Falconidae are separated as Accipitriformes.
Owls; worldwide; 130 species.
Sub-Saharan Africa; 6 species.
Sub-Saharan Africa, Americas, Asia; 35 species.
Worldwide; 200 species. Sometimes Bucerotidae, Upupidae and Phoeniculidae are seperated as Bucerotiformes.
Worldwide except Australasia; 400 species.
Pan-tropical, southern temperate zones; 330 species.
Perching birds; worldwide; 5000 species.
See also
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).
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