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This article lists living
orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
and
families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...
of
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s. The links below should then lead to family accounts and hence to individual species. The
passerines A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...
(perching birds) alone account for well over 5,000 species. In total there are about 10,000 species of birds described worldwide, though one estimate of the real number places it at almost twice that. 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.


Phylogeny

Cladogram A cladogram (from Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an evolutionary tree because it does not show how ancestors are related to ...
of modern bird relationships based on Jarvis, E.D. et al. (2014) with some clade names after Yuri, T. et al. (2013).


Paleognathae Palaeognathae (; ) is a infraclass of birds, called paleognaths, within the class Aves of the clade Archosauria. It is one of the two extant infraclasses of birds, the other being Neognathae, both of which form Neornithes. Palaeognathae contain ...

The
Paleognathae Palaeognathae (; ) is a infraclass of birds, called paleognaths, within the class Aves of the clade Archosauria. It is one of the two extant infraclasses of birds, the other being Neognathae, both of which form Neornithes. Palaeognathae contain ...
, or "old jaws", are one of the two superorders recognized within the taxonomic class Aves and consist of the ratites and
tinamou Tinamous () form an order of birds called Tinamiformes (), comprising a single family called Tinamidae (), divided into two distinct subfamilies, containing 46 species found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. The word "tinamou" come ...
s. The ratites are mostly large and long-legged,
flightless Flightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species, including the well known ratites (ostriches, emu, cassowaries, rheas, and kiwi) and penguins. The smallest flightless bird is the ...
birds, lacking a keeled sternum. Traditionally, all the ratites were place in the order Struthioniformes. However, recent genetic analysis has found that the group is not monophyletic, as it is paraphyletic with respect to the
tinamou Tinamous () form an order of birds called Tinamiformes (), comprising a single family called Tinamidae (), divided into two distinct subfamilies, containing 46 species found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. The word "tinamou" come ...
s, so the ostriches are classified as the only members of the order Struthioniformes and other rattites placed in other orders.


Struthioniformes Struthioniformes is an order of birds with only a single extant family, Struthionidae, containing the ostriches. Several other extinct families are known, spanning across the Northern Hemisphere, from the Early Eocene to the early Pliocene, includ ...

Africa; 2 species * Struthionidae: ostrich


Notopalaeognathae


Rheiformes Rheiformes is an order that contains the family Rheidae (rheas). It is in the infraclass Paleognathae, which contains all ratites. Extant members are found in South America. While the IOC World Bird List and the Clements Checklist categorise Rh ...

South America; 2 species * †Opisthodactylidae *
Rheidae Rheidae is a family of flightless ratite birds which first appeared in the Paleocene. It is today represented by the sole living genus '' Rhea'', but also contains several extinct genera. Taxonomy Order Rheiformes (Forbes, 1884) Furbringer, 18 ...
: rheas


Casuariiformes The Casuariiformes is an order of large flightless birds that has four surviving members: the three species of cassowary, and the only remaining species of emu. They are divided into either a single family, Casuariidae, or more typically two, w ...

Australasia; 4 species * Casuariidae: cassowaries and emu


Apterygiformes

Australasia; 5 species * Apterygidae: kiwis


Aepyornithiformes

Madagascar * † Aepyornithidae: elephant birds


Dinornithiformes Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand. The term has also come to be used for chicken in many Polynesian cultures and is found in the names of many chicken recipes, such as Kale moa and Moa Samoa. Moa or MOA may also refer ...

New Zealand * † Megalapteryidae: upland moas * †
Dinornithidae The giant moa (''Dinornis'') is an extinct genus of birds belonging to the moa family. As with other moa, it was a member of the order Dinornithiformes. It was endemic to New Zealand. Two species of ''Dinornis'' are considered valid, the Nort ...
: great moas * † Emeidae: lesser moas


Tinamiformes

South America; 45 species * Tinamidae: tinamous


Neognathae

Nearly all living birds belong to the superorder Neognathae or "new jaws". With their keeled sternum (breastbone), unlike the ratites, they are known as
carinatae Carinatae is the group of all birds and their extinct relatives to possess a keel, or "carina", on the underside of the breastbone used to anchor large flight muscles. Classification Definition Traditionally, Carinatae were defined as all bird ...
.


Galloanserae


Galliformes Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are ofte ...

Worldwide; 250 species * † Sylviornithidae * Megapodii **
Megapodidae The megapodes, also known as incubator birds or mound-builders, are stocky, medium-large, chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. Their name literally means "large foot" and is a reference to the heavy legs ...
: megapodes * Craci **
Cracidae The chachalacas, guans and curassows are birds in the family Cracidae. These are species of tropical and subtropical Central and South America. The range of one species, the plain chachalaca, just reaches southernmost parts of Texas in the Unite ...
:
chachalaca Chachalacas are galliform birds from the genus ''Ortalis''. These birds are found in wooded habitats in the far southern United States (Texas), Mexico, and Central and South America. They are social, can be very noisy and often remain fairly c ...
s, curassows, and guans * Phasiani ** Numidioidea ***
Numididae Guineafowl (; sometimes called "pet speckled hens" or "original fowl") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched o ...
: guineafowl ** Phasianoidea:
pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...
s and allies ***
Odontophoridae The New World quail are small birds only distantly related to the Old World quail, but named for their similar appearance and habits. The American species are in their own family, the Odontophoridae, whereas Old World quail are in the pheasant ...
: New World quail *** Phasianidae:
pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...
s and relatives


Gastornithiformes Gastornithiformes were an extinct order of giant flightless fowl with fossils found in North America, Eurasia, and possibly Australia. Members of Gastornithidae were long considered to be a part of the order Gruiformes. However, the traditiona ...

* †
Gastornithidae ''Gastornis'' is an extinct genus of large flightless birds that lived during the mid Paleocene to mid Eocene epochs of the Paleogene period. Fossils have been found in Europe, Asia and North America, with the remains from North America origina ...
* †
Dromornithidae Dromornithidae, known as mihirungs and informally as thunder birds or demon ducks, were a clade of large, flightless Australian birds of the Oligocene through Pleistocene Epochs. All are now extinct. They were long classified in Struthioniform ...
: mihirungs


Anseriformes

Worldwide; 150 species * Anhimidae: screamers *
Anseranatidae Anseranatidae, the magpie-geese, is a biological family of waterbirds. The only living species, the magpie goose, is a resident breeder in northern Australia and in southern New Guinea. Systematics and evolution This family is placed in the o ...
: magpie-goose *
Anatidae The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating ...
:
duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...
s,
geese A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the she ...
, and swans


Mirandornithes Mirandornithes () is a clade that consists of flamingos and grebes. Many scholars use the term Phoenicopterimorphae for the superorder containing flamingoes and grebes. Determining the relationships of both groups has been problematic. Flamingos ...


Podicipediformes

Worldwide; 19 species * Podicipedidae: grebes


Phoenicopteriformes Phoenicopteriformes is a group of water birds which comprises flamingos and their extinct relatives. Flamingos (Phoenicopteriformes) and the closely related grebes ( Podicipedidae) are contained in the parent clade Mirandornithes. Fossil re ...

Worldwide; 6 species * † Palaelodidae: swimming flamingos *
Phoenicopteridae Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbean ...
: flamingos


Columbimorphae Columbimorphae is a clade discovered by genome analysis that includes birds of the orders Columbiformes (pigeons and doves), Pterocliformes Sandgrouse is the common name for Pteroclidae , a family (biology), family of sixteen species of bird ...


Columbiformes Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

Worldwide; 300 species *
Columbidae Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...
: pigeons and doves


Pterocliformes Sandgrouse is the common name for Pteroclidae , a family (biology), family of sixteen species of bird, members of the order Pterocliformes . They are traditionally placed in two Genus, genera. The two central Asian species are classified as ''Sy ...

Africa, Europe, Asia; 16 species *
Pteroclidae Sandgrouse is the common name for Pteroclidae , a family of sixteen species of bird, members of the order Pterocliformes . They are traditionally placed in two genera. The two central Asian species are classified as '' Syrrhaptes'' and the othe ...
: sandgrouse


Mesitornithiformes

Madagascar; 3 species *
Mesitornithidae The mesites (Mesitornithidae) are a family of birds that are part of a clade (Columbimorphae) that include Columbiformes and Pterocliformes. They are smallish flightless or near flightless birds endemic to Madagascar. They are the only family wit ...
: mesites


Cypselomorphae


Caprimulgiformes Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called goatsuckers, due to the ancient folk tal ...

Worldwide; 97 species * Caprimulgidae: nightjars


Steatornithiformes

South America; 1 species *
Steatornithidae The oilbird (''Steatornis caripensis''), locally known as the , is a bird species found in the northern areas of South America including the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is the only species in the genus ''Steatornis'', the family Steatornith ...
: oilbird


Nyctibiiformes

Americas; 7 species * Nyctibiidae: potoos


Podargiformes Vertebrates Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () (chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Cho ...

Asia and Australasia; 14 species * Podargidae: frogmouths


Aegotheliformes

Australasia; 10 species * Aegothelidae: owlet-nightjars


Apodiformes Traditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three living families: the swifts (Apodidae), the treeswifts (Hemiprocnidae), and the hummingbirds (Trochilidae). In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this order is raised to a superorder Apodi ...

Worldwide; 478 species * Hemiprocnidae: treeswifts *
Apodidae The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are not closely related to any passerine species. Swifts are placed in the order Apodiformes with hummingbirds. The treeswifts are closely ...
: swifts *
Trochilidae Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...
: hummingbirds


Otidimorphae The Otidimorphae is a clade of birds that contains the orders Cuculiformes (cuckoos), Musophagiformes (turacos), and Otidiformes (bustards) identified in 2014 by genome analysis. While the bustards seem to be related to the turaco The tura ...


Cuculiformes Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separa ...

Worldwide; 150 species *
Cuculidae Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separa ...
: cuckoos and relatives


Musophagiformes

Africa; 23 species *
Musophagidae The turacos make up the bird family Musophagidae ( "banana-eaters"), which includes plantain-eaters and go-away-birds. In southern Africa both turacos and go-away-birds are commonly known as loeries. They are semi-zygodactylous: the fourth ( ...
: turacos and relatives


Otidiformes

Africa and Eurasia; 27 species *
Otididae Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustard ...
: bustards


Gruae Gruae is a clade of birds that contains the order Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) and Gruimorphae (shorebirds and rails) identified in 2014 by genome analysis.Jarvis, E.D. ''et al''. (2014Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of ...


Opisthocomiformes

South America; 1 species *
Opisthocomidae Opisthocomidae is a family of birds, the only named family within the order Opisthocomiformes. The only living representative is the hoatzin (''Opisthocomus hoazin'') which lives in the Amazon and the Orinoco delta in South America. Several fossi ...
: hoatzin


Gruiformes The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and terrestrial bird families that did ...

Worldwide; 164 species *
Grui The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and terrestrial bird families that did ...
: cranes and allies ** Gruidae: cranes **
Aramidae Aramidae is a bird family in the order Gruiformes. The limpkin (''Aramus guarauna'') is the only living member of this family, although other species are known from the fossil record, such as '' Aramus paludigrus'' from the Middle Miocene and '' ...
: limpkin **
Psophiidae ''Psophia'' is a genus of birds restricted to the humid forests of the Amazon and Guiana Shield in South America. It is the only genus in the family Psophiidae. Birds in the genus are commonly known as trumpeters, due to the trumpeting or cackli ...
: trumpeters * Ralli: rails and allies ** † Aptornithidae: adzebills ** Heliornithidae: finfoots **
Sarothruridae Sarothruridae is a family of small- to medium-sized ground-living birds found mostly in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa, with the genus ''Rallicula'' being restricted to New Guinea and the Moluccas. The species in this family were once consider ...
: flufftails **
Rallidae The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small- to medium-sized, ground-living birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules. Many species are associated with wetlands, althou ...
: rails and relatives


Charadriiformes Charadriiformes (, from ''Charadrius'', the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water an ...

Worldwide; 350 species * Charadrii ** Chionida: thick-knees and allies ***
Burhinidae The stone-curlews, also known as dikkops or thick-knees, consist of 10 species within the family Burhinidae, and are found throughout the tropical and temperate parts of the world, with two or more species occurring in some areas of Africa, Asia, ...
: thick-knees and relatives *** Chionididae: sheathbills *** Pluvianellidae: Magellanic plover ** Charadriida: plover-like waders *** Pluvialidae:
golden plover '' Pluvialis '' is a genus of plovers, a group of wading birds comprising four species that breed in the temperate or Arctic Northern Hemisphere. In breeding plumage, they all have largely black underparts, and golden or silvery upperparts. The ...
s *** Ibidorhynchidae: ibisbill *** Haematopodidae: oystercatchers ***
Recurvirostridae The Recurvirostridae are a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups of birds, the avocets (one genus) and the stilts (two genera). Description Avocets and stilts range in length from and in weight fro ...
:
avocet The four species of avocets are a genus, ''Recurvirostra'', of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. The genus name comes from Latin , 'curved backwards' and , 'bill'. The common name is thought to derive from the Italian ( Ferrarese) ...
s and
stilt Stilt is a common name for several species of birds in the family Recurvirostridae, which also includes those known as avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates. They have extremely long legs, hence the grou ...
s ***
Charadriidae The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 68 species in all. Taxonomy The family Charadriidae was introduced (as Charadriadæ) by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the con ...
:
plover Plovers ( , ) are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. Description There are about 66 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subf ...
s and
lapwing Lapwings (subfamily Vanellinae) are any of various ground-nesting birds (family Charadriidae) akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from in length, and are noted for their slow, irregular wingbeats in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. A gro ...
s * Scolopaci ** Jacanida: jacana-like waders *** Rostratulidae: painted snipes *** Pluvianidae: Egyptian plover *** Jacanidae: jacanas ***
Thinocoridae The seedsnipes are a small family, Thinocoridae, of small gregarious waders which have adapted to a herbivorous diet. The family is divided into two genera, ''Attagis'' and ''Thinocorus'', each containing two species. The family has a South Am ...
: seedsnipes *** Pedionomidae: plains-wanderer ** Scolopacida ***
Scolopacidae Sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. ...
: sandpipers and relatives * Lari ** Turnicida ***
Turnicidae Buttonquail or hemipodes are members of a small family of birds, Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quails of Phasianidae. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. There are 18 species in two genera ...
: buttonquail ** Larida: gulls and allies ***
Glareolidae Glareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups, the pratincoles and the coursers. The atypical Egyptian plover (''Pluvianus aegyptius''), traditionally placed in this family, is now known to ...
:
courser The coursers are a group of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. Their most unusual feature for birds classed as waders is that ...
s and
pratincole The pratincoles or greywaders are a group of birds which together with the coursers make up the family Glareolidae. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails. Description Their most unusual feature for birds classed a ...
s *** Dromadidae: crab-plover *** Stercorariidae: skuas and jaegers ***
Alcidae An auk or alcid is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. The alcid family includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets. The word "auk" is derived from Icelandic ''álka'', from Old Norse ''alka'' (a ...
: auks and puffins ***
Laridae Laridae is a family of seabirds in the order Charadriiformes that includes the gulls, terns, skimmers and kittiwakes. It includes around 100 species arranged into 22 genera. They are an adaptable group of mostly aerial birds found worldwide. ...
:
gull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century ...
s, skimmers and
tern Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated as a subgroup of the family Laridae which includes gulls and skimmers and consists of e ...
s


Phaethontimorphae


Eurypygiformes Eurypygiformes is an order formed by the kagus, comprising two species in the family Rhynochetidae endemic to New Caledonia, and the sunbittern (''Eurypyga helias'') from the tropical regions of the Americas. Its closest relatives appear to b ...

Neotropics and New Caledonia; 2 species *
Rhynochetidae ''Rhynochetos'' is a genus of ground-dwelling birds in the monotypic family Rhynochetidae. It contains two species, both endemic to New Caledonia, one of which is extinct. Taxonomy ''Rhynochetos jubatus'' is the only extant species of this gen ...
: kagu * Eurypygidae: sunbittern


Phaethontiformes The Phaethontiformes are an order of birds. They contain one extant family, the tropicbirds (Phaethontidae), and one extinct family Prophaethontidae from the early Cenozoic. Several fossil genera have been described. The tropicbirds were tradit ...

Oceanic; 3 species *
Phaethontidae Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic seabirds. They are the sole living representatives of the order Phaethontiformes. For many years they were considered part of the Pelecaniformes, but genetics indicates they are most ...
: tropicbirds


Aequornithes


Gaviiformes Gaviiformes is an order of aquatic birds containing the loons or divers and their closest extinct relatives. Modern gaviiformes are found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia (Europe, Asia and debatably Africa), though prehistoric ...

North America, Eurasia; 5 species * Gaviidae: loons


Sphenisciformes Penguins (order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapt ...

Antarctic and southern waters; 17 species *
Spheniscidae Penguins (order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapte ...
: penguins


Procellariiformes Procellariiformes is an order (biology), order of seabirds that comprises four family (biology), families: the albatrosses, the Procellariidae, petrels and shearwaters, and two families of storm petrels. Formerly called Tubinares and still call ...

Pan-oceanic; 120 species *
Diomedeidae Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacif ...
: albatrosses *
Oceanitidae Austral storm petrels, or southern storm petrels, are seabirds in the family Oceanitidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. These smallest of seabirds feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hove ...
: austral storm petrels *
Hydrobatidae Northern storm petrels are seabirds in the genus ''Hydrobates'' in the family Hydrobatidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. The family was once lumped with the similar austral storm petrels in the combined storm petrels, but have been split ...
: northern storm petrels *
Procellariidae The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the diving petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order Procellariiformes (or tubenoses), which als ...
:
petrel Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. Description The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group (all except the albatross f ...
s and relatives


Ciconiiformes Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons a ...

Worldwide; 19 species * Ciconiidae: storks


Suliformes The order Suliformes (, dubbed "Phalacrocoraciformes" by ''Christidis & Boles 2008'') is an order recognised by the International Ornithologist's Union. In regard to the recent evidence that the traditional Pelecaniformes is polyphyletic, it has ...

Worldwide; 59 species * Fregatae **
Fregatidae Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked ...
: frigatebirds * Sulae **
Sulidae The bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulids, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. The 10 species in this family are often considered congeneric in older ...
:
boobies A booby is a seabird in the genus ''Sula'', part of the family Sulidae. Boobies are closely related to the gannets (''Morus''), which were formerly included in ''Sula''. Systematics and evolution The genus ''Sula'' was introduced by the Fren ...
and
gannet Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus ''Morus'' in the family Sulidae, closely related to boobies. Gannets are large white birds with yellowish heads; black-tipped wings; and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the ...
s ** Anhingidae: darters **
Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the IOC adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven gen ...
: cormorants and shags


Pelecaniformes The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such n ...

Worldwide; 108 species * Threskiornithes **
Threskiornithidae The family Threskiornithidae includes 36 species of large wading birds. The family has been traditionally classified into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills; however recent genetic studies have cast doubt on this arrangement, and ha ...
:
ibis The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word ...
es and spoonbills * Pelecani **
Scopidae ''Scopus'' is a genus of wading birds containing the hamerkop ''(Scopus umbretta)'' and its extinct Pliocene relative, ''Scopus xenopus''. This genus is the sole representative of the family Scopidae. Taxonomy Hamerkops were traditionally includ ...
: hamerkop ** Balaenicipitidae: shoebill **
Pelecanidae The Pelecanidae is a family of pelecaniform birds within the Pelecani that contains two genera: the extinct ''Eopelecanus'' and the extant '' Pelecanus''. The family was monotypic until the description of ''Eopelecanus'' in 2021. Pelecanids ha ...
: pelicans * Ardeae **
Ardeidae The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychu ...
: herons and relatives


Afroaves Afroaves is a clade of birds, consisting of the kingfishers and kin (Coraciiformes), woodpeckers and kin (Piciformes), hornbills and kin (Bucerotiformes), trogons (Trogoniformes), cuckoo roller ( Leptosomiformes), mousebirds ( Coliiformes), owls ...


Accipitriformes The Accipitriformes (; from Latin ''accipiter''/''accipitri-'' "hawk", and New Latin ''-formes'' "having the form of") are an order of birds that includes most of the diurnal birds of prey, including hawks, eagles, vultures, and kites, but not f ...

Worldwide; 260 species * Cathartae **
Cathartidae The New World vulture or condor family, Cathartidae, contains seven extant species in five genera. It includes five extant vultures and two extant condors found in warm and temperate areas of the Americas. The "New World" vultures were widespre ...
: New World vultures * Accipitres **
Sagittariidae Sagittariidae is a family of raptor with one living species—the secretarybird (''Sagittarius serpentarius'') native to Africa. This single extant species, has effected the fossil record of the group by ‘pulling’ the temporal range of the fa ...
: secretarybird **
Pandionidae ''Pandion'' is a genus of birds of prey, known as ospreys, the only genus of family Pandionidae. Most taxonomic treatments have regarded this genus as describing a single extant species, separated to subspecies or races, while some treatments rec ...
: osprey **
Accipitridae The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-s ...
: hawks, eagles, buzzards, harriers, kites and Old World vultures


Strigiformes

Worldwide; 250 species *
Tytonidae Barn-owls (family Tytonidae) are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls or typical owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs wit ...
: barn owls *
Strigidae The true owls or typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species in 24 genera. The typical owl ...
: true owls


Coliiformes

Sub-Saharan Africa; 6 species *
Coliidae The mousebirds are birds in the order Coliiformes. They are the sister group to the clade Eucavitaves, which includes the Leptosomiformes (the cuckoo roller), Trogoniformes ( trogons), Bucerotiformes (hornbills and hoopoes), Piciformes (woo ...
: mousebirds


Leptosomiformes

Madagascar; 1 species * Leptosomidae: cuckoo-roller


Trogoniformes The trogons and quetzals are birds in the order Trogoniformes which contains only one family, the Trogonidae. The family Trogonidae contains 46 species in seven genera. The fossil record of the trogons dates back 49 million years to the Earl ...

Sub-Saharan Africa, Americas, Asia; 35 species *
Trogonidae The trogons and quetzals are birds in the order Trogoniformes which contains only one family, the Trogonidae. The family Trogonidae contains 46 species in seven genera. The fossil record of the trogons dates back 49 million years to the Early E ...
: trogons and quetzals


Bucerotiformes Bucerotiformes is an order of birds that contains the hornbills, ground hornbills, hoopoes and wood hoopoes. These birds were previously classified as members of Coraciiformes. The clade is distributed in Africa, Asia, Europe and Melanesia. ...

Old World, New Guinea; 64 species * Buceroidea **
Bucerotidae Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandibl ...
: hornbills * Upupoidea **
Upupidae Hoopoes () are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive "crown" of feathers. Three living and one extinct species are recognized, though for many years all of the extant species were lumped as a single ...
: hoopoe ** Phoeniculidae: woodhoopoes


Coraciiformes The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their base) ...

Worldwide; 144 species * Meropi **
Meropidae The bee-eaters are a group of non-passerine birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and thirty species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by ...
: bee-eaters * Coracii **
Coraciidae Coraciidae is a family of Old World birds, which is known as rollers because of the aerial acrobatics some of these birds perform during courtship or territorial flights. Rollers resemble crows in size and build, and share the colourful appeara ...
: rollers **
Brachypteraciidae The ground rollers are a small family of non-migratory near-passerine birds restricted to Madagascar. They are related to the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers. They most resemble the latter group, and are sometimes considered a sub-family of ...
: ground rollers * Coracii ** Todidae: todies ** Momotidae: motmots ** Alcedinidae: kingfishers


Piciformes Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes , the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives. The Piciformes contain about 71 living genera with a little over 450 species, of ...

Worldwide except Australasia; 400 species * Galbuli **
Galbulidae The jacamars are a family, Galbulidae, of near passerine birds from tropical South and Central America, extending up to Mexico. The family contains five genera and 18 species. The family is closely related to the puffbirds, another Neotropical ...
: jacamars **
Bucconidae The puffbirds and their relatives in the near passerine family Bucconidae are tropical tree-dwelling insectivorous birds that are found from South America up to Mexico. Together with their closest relatives, the jacamars, they form a divergent ...
: puffbirds * Pici **
Lybiidae The African barbets are birds in the family Lybiidae. There are 43 species ranging from the type genus ''Lybius'' of forest interior to the tinkerbirds (''Pogoniulus'') of forest and scrubland. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with ...
: African barbets **
Megalaimidae The Asian barbets are a family of bird species, the Megalaimidae, comprising two genera with 35 species native to the forests of the Indomalayan realm from Tibet to Indonesia. They were once clubbed with all barbets in the family Capitonidae bu ...
: Asian barbets **
Ramphastidae Toucans (, ) are members of the Neotropical near passerine bird family Ramphastidae. The Ramphastidae are most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five g ...
: toucans ** Semnornithidae: toucan barbets ** Capitonidae: American barbets ** Picidae: woodpeckers **
Indicatoridae Honeyguides (family Indicatoridae) are near passerine birds in the order Piciformes. They are also known as indicator birds, or honey birds, although the latter term is also used more narrowly to refer to species of the genus ''Prodotiscus''. T ...
: honeyguides


Australaves


Cariamiformes

South America; 2 species * Cariamidae: seriemas


Falconiformes The order Falconiformes () is represented by the extant family Falconidae (falcons and caracaras) and a handful of enigmatic Paleogene species. Traditionally, the other bird of prey families Cathartidae (New World vultures and condors), Sagitt ...

Worldwide; 60 species * Falconidae: falcons and relatives


Psittaciformes

Pan-tropical, southern temperate zones; 330 species * Strigopoidea ** Strigopidae: kakapo **
Nestoridae The New Zealand parrot family, Strigopidae,Nestoridae and Strigopidae are described in the same article, Bonaparte, C.L. (1849) ''Conspectus Systematis Ornithologiae''. Therefore, under rules of the ICZN, the first reviser determines priority, w ...
: kea and kakas * Cacatuoidea **
Cacatuidae A cockatoo is any of the 21 parrot species belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the orde ...
: cockatoos and cockatiel * Psittacoidea **
Psittacidae The family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of true parrots. It comprises the roughly 10 species of subfamily Psittacinae (the Old World or Afrotropical parrots) and 157 of subfamily Arinae (the New World or Neotropi ...
: African and American parrots **
Psittaculidae Psittaculidae is a family containing Old World parrots. It consists of five subfamilies: Agapornithinae, Loriinae, Platycercinae, Psittacellinae and Psittaculinae. This family has been accepted into ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World' ...
: Australasian parrots **
Psittrichasiidae Psittrichasiidae is a family of birds belonging to the superfamily of the true parrots (Psittacoidea).Leo Joseph, Alicia Toon, Erin E. Schirtzinger, Timothy F. Wright, Richard Schodde. 2012. A revised nomenclature and classification for family-gr ...
: Pesquet's parrot, vasa parrots


Passeriformes A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...

Worldwide; 6,500 species *
Acanthisitti The New Zealand wrens are a family (Acanthisittidae) of tiny passerines endemic to New Zealand. They were represented by seven Holocene species in four or five genera, although only two species in two genera survive today. They are understood to ...
**
Acanthisittidae The New Zealand wrens are a family (Acanthisittidae) of tiny passerines endemic to New Zealand. They were represented by seven Holocene species in four or five genera, although only two species in two genera survive today. They are understood to ...
: New Zealand wrens *
Tyranni The Tyranni (suboscines) are a suborder of passerine birds that includes more than 1,000 species, the large majority of which are South American. It is named after the type genus '' Tyrannus''. These have a different anatomy of the syrinx mus ...
: suboscines **
Eurylaimides Eurylaimides (Old World suboscines) is a clade of passerine birds that are distributed in tropical regions around the Indian Ocean and a single American species, the sapayoa. This group is divided into five families The families listed here are ...
: Old World suboscines ***
Sapayoidae The sapayoa or broad-billed sapayoa (''Sapayoa aenigma'') is a suboscine passerine found in lowland rainforests in Panama and north-western South America. As the epithet ''aenigma'' ("the enigma") implies, its relationships have long been elusive ...
: sapayoa ***
Calyptomenidae Calyptomenidae is a family of passerine birds found in Africa, the Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula ( Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and a ...
: Calyptomenid broadbills *** Pittidae: pittas ***
Eurylaimidae The Eurylaimidae are a family of suboscine passerine birds that occur from the eastern Himalayas to Indonesia and the Philippines. The family previously included the sapayoa from the Neotropics, the asities from Madagascar, and the Calyptomeni ...
: broadbills ***
Philepittidae The asities are a family of birds, Philepittidae, that are endemic to Madagascar. The asities consist of four species in two genera. The ''Neodrepanis'' species are known as sunbird-asities and were formerly known as false sunbirds.del Hoyo, J. ...
: asities **
Tyrannides Tyrannides (New World suboscines) is a clade of passerine birds that are endemic of America.Ohlson, J.I. ''et al''. (2013Phylogeny and classification of the New World suboscines (Aves, Passeriformes) ''Zootaxa'', 3613:1-35. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa. ...
: New World suboscines *** Tyrannida: bronchophones ****
Pipridae The manakins are a family, Pipridae, of small suboscine passerine birds. The group contains some 54 species distributed through the American tropics. The name is from Middle Dutch ''mannekijn'' "little man" (also the source of the different bird ...
: manakins **** Cotingidae: cotingas **** Oxyruncidae: sharpbills **** Onychorhynchidae: royal flycatchers and allies ****
Tityridae Tityridae is family of suboscine passerine birds found in forest and woodland in the Neotropics. The 45 species in this family were formerly spread over the families Tyrannidae, Pipridae and Cotingidae (''see Taxonomy''). As yet, no widely ac ...
:
becard A becard is a bird of the genus ''Pachyramphus'' in the family Tityridae. Taxonomy The genus ''Pachyramphus'' was introduced in 1839 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in the volume on birds by John Gould that formed part of Charles Dar ...
s and tityras **** Pipritidae: pipriteses **** Platyrinchidae: spadebills **** Tachurididae: many-colored rush tyrants **** Rhynchocyclidae: mionectine flycatchers ****
Tyrannidae The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds known to exist in the world, with more than 400 species. They are the most dive ...
: tyrant flycatchers *** Furnariida: tracheophones **** Melanopareiidae: crescent-chests ****
Conopophagidae The gnateaters are a bird family, Conopophagidae, consisting of ten small passerine species in two genera, which occur in South and Central America. The family was formerly restricted to the gnateater genus ''Conopophaga''; analysis of mtDNA cy ...
: gnateaters ****
Thamnophilidae The antbirds are a large passerine bird family, Thamnophilidae, found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 230 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire ...
: antbirds ****
Grallariidae Grallariidae is a family of smallish passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America known as antpittas. They are between 10 and 20 cm (4–8 in) in length, and are related to the antbirds, Thamnophilidae, and gna ...
: antpittas **** Rhinocryptidae tapaculos ****
Formicariidae Formicariidae is a family of smallish passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America known as formicariids. They are between in length, and are related to the antbirds, Thamnophilidae, and gnateaters, Conopophagidae. This ...
: ground antbirds **** Furnariidae: ovenbirds * Passeri: oscines ** Menurides *** Atrichornithidae: scrub-birds *** Menuridae: lyrebirds ** Climacterides *** Ptilonorhynchidae: bowerbirds *** Climacteridae: Australasian treecreepers ** Meliphagides *** Maluridae: Australasian wrens *** Dasyornithidae: bristlebirds *** Pardalotidae: pardalotes *** Acanthizidae: gerygones, thornbills and allies *** Meliphagidae: honeyeaters and relatives ** Orthonychides *** Pomatostomidae: Australasian babblers *** Orthonychidae: logrunners ** Corvides *** Cinclosomatoidea **** Cinclosomatidae: quail-thrushes and jewel-babblers *** Campephagoidea **** Campephagidae: cuckoo-shrikes *** Mohouoidea **** Mohouidae: whitehead and allies *** Neosittoidea **** Neosittidae: sittellas *** Orioloidea **** Eulacestomidae: wattled ploughbills **** Psophodidae: whipbirds and quail-thrushes **** Oreoicidae: Australo-Papuan bellbirds **** Falcunculidae: crested shriketits **** Paramythiidae: painted berrypeckers **** Pteruthiidae: shrike-babblers **** Vireonidae: vireos and relatives **** Pachycephalidae: whistler (bird), whistlers and relatives (Colluricinclidae) **** Oriolidae: Old World orioles *** Malaconotoidea **** Machaerirhynchidae: boatbills **** Artamidae: woodswallows and butcherbirds **** Rhagologidae: mottled berryhunter **** Aegithinidae: ioras **** Pityriaseidae: bristlehead **** Malaconotidae: bushshrikes and relatives **** Platysteiridae: wattle-eyes and Batis (bird), batises **** Vangidae: vangas (Tephrodornithidae; Prionopidae) *** Corvoidea **** Rhipiduridae: fantails **** Lamproliidae: silktail, drongo fantail **** Dicruridae: drongos **** Ifritidae: blue-capped ifrits **** Melampittidae: melampittas **** Corcoracidae: Australian mudnesters **** Paradisaeidae: birds-of-paradise **** Monarchidae: monarch flycatchers **** Laniidae: shrikes **** Corvidae: jays and crows ** Passerides *** Melanocharitida **** Melanocharitidae: berrypeckers *** Cnemophilida **** Cnemophilidae: satinbirds *** Petroicida **** Petroicidae: Australasian robins **** Notiomystidae: stitchbird **** Callaeidae: wattlebirds *** Eupetida **** Picathartidae: rockfowl **** Chaetopidae: rock-jumpers **** Eupetidae: rail-babbler *** Sylviida **** Paroidea ***** Stenostiridae: fairy warblers ***** Hyliota, Hyliotidae: hyliotas ***** Remizidae: penduline tits ***** Paridae: chickadees and true tits **** Alaudoidea ***** Nicatoridae: nicators ***** Panuridae: bearded reedling ***** Alaudidae: larks **** Macrosphenidae: African warblers **** Locustelloidea ***** Cisticolidae: cisticolas and relatives ***** Acrocephalidae: marsh warblers ***** Pnoepygidae: pygmy wren-babblers ***** Locustellidae: grass warblers ***** Donacobiidae: donacobius ***** Bernieridae: Malagasy warblers **** Hirundinidae: swallows and martins **** Pycnonotidae: bulbuls **** Aegithaloidea ***** Phylloscopidae: leaf warblers ***** Cettiidae: bush warblers (Erythrocercidae; Scotocercidae) ***** Hyliidae: hylias ***** Aegithalidae: bushtits **** Sylvioidea ***** Sylviidae: true warblers ***** Paradoxornithidae: parrotbills, fulvettas ***** Zosteropidae: white-eyes ***** Timaliidae: babblers and relatives ***** Pellorneidae: fulvettas, ground babblers ***** Leiothrichidae: laughing thrushes *** Muscicapida **** Reguloidea ***** Regulidae: kinglets **** Bombycilloidea ***** Elachuridae: spotted wren-babblers ***** †Mohoidae: Hawaiian honeyeaters ***** Ptiliogonatidae: silky-flycatchers ***** Bombycillidae: waxwings ***** Dulidae: palmchat ***** Hypocoliidae: hypocolius **** Certhioidea ***** Tichodromidae: wallcreeper ***** Sittidae: nuthatches ***** Certhiidae: treecreepers ***** Troglodytidae: wrens ***** Polioptilidae: gnatcatchers **** Muscicapoidea ***** Cinclidae: dippers ***** Turdidae: thrushes and relatives ***** Muscicapidae: flycatchers and relatives ***** Buphagidae: oxpeckers ***** Mimidae: mockingbirds and thrashers ***** Sturnidae: starlings and mynas (Rhabdornithidae) *** Passerida **** Promeropidae: sugarbirds **** Arcanatoridae: dapplethroat and allies **** Dicaeidae: flowerpeckers **** Nectariniidae: sunbirds **** Irenidae: fairy-bluebirds **** Chloropseidae: leafbirds **** Peucedramidae: olive warbler **** Prunellidae: accentors **** Ploceoidea ***** Urocynchramidae: pink-tailed bunting ***** Ploceidae: weavers and relatives ***** Viduidae: whydahs and indigobirds ***** Estrildidae: weaver finches **** Passerid clade ***** Passeridae: Old World sparrows ***** Motacillidae: wagtails and pipits ***** Fringillidae: finches and relatives ***** Calcariidae: longspurs, snow buntings ***** Rhodinocichlidae: rosy thrush-tanagers ***** Emberizidae: Bunting (bird), Old World buntings ***** Passerellidae: American sparrows ***** Phaenicophilidae: palm-tanager and allies ***** Icteridae: New World blackbirds and New World orioles ***** Teretistridae: Cuban warblers ***** Parulidae: wood warblers ***** Mitrospingidae ***** Cardinalidae: cardinals, grosbeaks, and New World buntings ***** Thraupidae: tanagers and relatives (Coerebidae)


See also

* Lists of animals * List of chicken breeds * List of birds by common name * List of individual birds * Lists by continent ** List of birds of Africa ** List of birds of Antarctica ** List of birds of Asia ** List of birds of Australia ** List of birds of Europe ** List of birds of North America ** List of birds of South America * Lists by smaller geographic unit ** Lists of birds by region * Extinct birds ** List of recently extinct bird species ** List of Late Quaternary prehistoric bird species ** List of fossil bird genera * List of fictional birds


References

{{Birds Bird families, Bird orders, Birds by classification, Lists of birds, Ornithology lists,