Avian Orders

							Traditional Classification

       Palaeognathae
              Tinamiformes - tinamous
           Ratitae - ratites
              Struthioniformes – ostriches (sometimes includes all ratites)
              Rheiformes – rheas
              Casuariiformes – cassowaries and emus
              Apterygiformes – kiwis
              Aepyornithiformes – elephant birds
              Dinornithiformes - moas
       Neognathae
              Gaviiformes - loons
              Podicipediformes - grebes
              Sphenisciformes - penguins
              Procellariiformes – tubenoses: albatrosses, shearwaters (petrels), storm
                   petrels, diving petrels
              Pelecaniformes (polyphyletic) – totipalmate birds: pelicans, tropicbirds,
                   gannets (boobies), darters (anhingas), cormorants, frigatebirds
              Ciconiiformes (polyphyletic) – storks, herons, ibises, shoebill,
                   hammerkop, flamingos
              Anseriformes – waterfowl: screamers, magpie goose, whistling ducks,
                   ducks (swans, geese)
              Falconiformes (polyphyletic) - diurnal birds-of-prey: New World vultures,
                   hawks (eagles, buzzards,kites), falcons, osprey, secretarybird
              Galliformes – fowl: mound-builders, currasows, pheasants (turkeys,
                   grouse, quail), guineafowl
              Gruiformes (polyphyletic) – cranes, rails, bustards, seriemas, finfoots
                   (sungrebe), sunbittern, kagu, mesites, button quail, plains wanderer
              Charadriiformes (polyphyletic) – shorebirds: sandpipers, seedsnipe,
                   painted snipe, jaçanas, coursers and pratincoles, jaegers, auks, gulls,
                   thick-knees, plovers, stilts, oystercatchers, sheathbills, ibisbill, crab
                   plover, sand grouse
              Columbiformes – doves (pigeons), dodos
              Psittaciformes – parrots
              Cuculiformes (polyphyletic) – cuckoos, turacos, hoatzin
              Strigiformes – owls, barn owls
              Caprimulgiformes (paraphyletic) – goatsuckers: frogmouths, potoos,
                   nighthawks, owlet-nightjars, oilbirds
              Apodiformes – crested swifts, swifts, hummingbirds
              Coliiformes – mousebirds (colies)
              Trogoniformes – trogons
              Coraciiformes (polyphyletic) – kingfishers, todies, motmots, bee-eaters,
                   rollers, cuckoo-roller, ground rollers, hornbills, hoopoes, wood-
                   hoopoes
              Piciformes
   Pici – woodpeckers, toucans, barbets, honeyguides
   Galbulae – puffbirds, jacamars
Passeriformes – perching birds, ~ 60 families
   Suboscines - mostly Southern Hemisphere except flycatchers
   Oscines – songbirds, worldwide
Evolving Classification

Palaeognathae
            Tinamiformes - tinamous
    Ratitae
            Struthioniformes (see Rheiformes, Casuariiformes, Apterygiformes,
                       Aepyornithiformes, Dinornithiformes)
Neognathae
    Galloanserae
            Galliformes
                Cracidae - currasows (guans)
                Megapodidae - mound builders (megapodes)
                Phasianidae – pheasants (including Odontophoridae - quails, Tetraonidae -
                    grouse, Meleagridae - turkeys)
                Numinidae - guineafowl
            Anseriformes
                Anhimidae - screamers,
                Anseranatidae - magpie goose,
                Dendrocygnidae - whistling ducks,
                Anatidae – ducks, geese, swans
    Neoaves
       Metaves
            Opisthocomiformes (1) – hoatzin (traditionally “Cuculiformes”)
            Columbiformes (2) – doves and dodos
            Pterocliformes (1) – sandgrouse (traditionally Charadriiformes)
            Phoenicopteriformes (1) – flamingos (traditionally “Ciconiiformes”)
            Podicipedidae (1) – grebes
            Apodiformes (3) – crested swifts, swifts, hummingbirds
            “Caprimulgiformes” (5+, non-monophyletic)
                Podargidae – frogmouths
                Nyctibiidae - potoos
                Caprimulgidae - nighthawks
                Aegothelidae - owlet-nightjars (sister to Apodiformes)
                Steatornithidae - oilbirds
            Rhynochetidae and Eurypygidae (2) – kagu and sunbittern (traditionally
                “Gruiformes”)
            Mesitornithidae (1) – mesites (traditionally “Gruiformes”)
            Phäethontidae (1) – tropicbirds (traditionally “Pelecaniformes”)

       Coronaves
          “water birds”
             Charadriiformes (18) – “shorebirds”: sandpipers, plains wanderer,
             seedsnipe, painted snipe, jaçanas, button quails, coursers and pratincoles,
             jaegers, auks, gulls, terns, skimmers, thick-knees, plovers, Egyptian
             plover, Magellanic plover, stilts, oystercatchers, sheathbills, ibisbill, crab
             plover
    “Gruiformes” (5) – cranes, limpkin, trumpeters, sungrebe and finfoots,
        rails
    Musophagiformes (1) – turacos and plaintain-eaters
    Cuculiformes (1) – cuckoos
    Otididae (1) - bustards
    “Pelecaniformes” (3) -pelicans, shoebill, hammerkop
    Suliformes (3) – frigatebirds, gannets and boobies, darters, cormorants
    Sphenisciformes (1) - penguins
     Ardeiformes (2) – herons and egrets, ibises and spoonbills
     “Ciconiiformes” (1) – storks
    Gaviiformes (1) -loons
    Procellariiformes (4) – tubenoses: albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels,
        storm petrels, diving petrels
“arboreal birds”
    Accipitriformes (3) – hawks, buzzards, eagles, kites, osprey secretarybird
    Cathartiformes (1) – New World vultures
    Leptosomidae (1) – cuckoo-roller (traditionally Coraciiformes)
    Trogoniformes (1) - trogons
    Bucerotiformes (3) - hornbills, hoopoes, wood-hoopoes
    “Coraciiformes” (6) - kingfishers, todies, motmots, bee-eaters, rollers,
        ground rollers
    Piciformes (6) - woodpeckers, toucans and New World barbets, Old World
        barbets, honeyguides, puffbirds, jacamars
    Strigiformes (2) – owls, barn owls
    Coliiformes (1) - mousebirds
    Psittaciformes (3) – parrots, cockatoos, kea
    Falconiformes (1) - falcons
    Cariamidae (1) – seriemas
    Passeriformes (>60) – perching birds
        Suboscines
        Oscines - songbirds