OEB 190 Avian Diversity Labs

Order, Family, Species

Struthioniformes

Ostriches (1 family, 2 spp)

• Afrotropical

Aepyornithiformes

Elephant Birds (1 family, ~4 spp)

• Afrotropical - specifically Madagascar

Rheiformes

Rheas (1 family, 3 spp)

• Neotropical (South America)

Tinamiformes

Tinamous (1 family, 48 spp)

• Neotropical

Tinamidae

Tinamous (48 spp)

Diornithiformes

Moas (1 family, ~9 spp)

• Australasian (New Zealand)

Lithornithiformes

Lithornithids (1 family, ~11 spp)

• Originally widespread (mainly Palearctic + Nearctic fossil record)

Apterygiformes

Kiwis (1 family, 5 spp)

• Australasian (New Zealand)

Casuariiformes

Cassowaries and Emus (2 families, 4 spp)

• Australasian (Australia & New Guinea)

Palaeognathae includes 8 orders:

Galloanseres includes

Galliformes and Anseriformes

Galliformes

Fowl / gamebirds (5 families, 307 spp)

• Basically global except extreme polar regions

Odontophoridae aka ___

New World Quail

Odontophoridae MA species

Northern Bobwhite

Phasianidae

Pheasants, Partriges, Grouse, Chickens, Old World Quail, Peafowl (187 spp)

Phasianidae examples

• Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)*

• Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus)

• Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Anseriformes

Waterfowl (3 families, 169 spp)

• All major regions (especially Nearctic, Palearctic, Neotropical)??

Anatidae

Ducks, Geese, and Swans (165 spp)

Galliformes includes 5 families, what are 3 main ones?

• Cracidae – Guans and Curassows (58 spp)

• Odontophoridae – New World Quail (35 spp)

• Phasianidae – Pheasants, Partriges, Grouse, Chickens, Old World Quail, Peafowl (187 spp)

Columbaves includes:

Grebes, flamingos, pigeons, doves, sand grouse, mesites

Podicipediformes

Grebes (1 family, 20 spp)

• Near-global

Podicipedidae

Grebes (20 spp)

Phoenicopteriformes

Flamingos (1 family, 6 spp)

• Neotropical, Afrotropical, Palearctic (limited)

Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos (6 spp)

Columbiformes

Pigeons and Doves (1 family, 351 spp)

• Widespread

Columbidae

Pigeons and Doves (351 spp)

Mesitornithiformes

Mesites (1 family, 3 spp)

• Afrotropical (Madagascar endemic)

Pterocliformes

Sandgrouse (1 family, 16 spp)

• Afrotropical, Palearctic (especially arid regions)

Otidimorphae includes

Cuckoos, Turacos, and Bustards

Cuculiformes

Cuckoos (1 family, 149 spp)

• Widespread

Cuculidae

Cuckoos (149 spp)

Musophagiformes

Turacos (1 family, 24 spp)

• Afrotropical only

Otidiformes

Bustards (1 family, 26 spp)

• Afrotropical, Palearctic, (Some extend into Indomalayan)

Palaeognathae vs Neognathae

• Palaeognathae (“old jaws”)

  • Have a more rigid, primitive palate structure

  • Bones in the roof of the mouth are fused and less flexible

  • This resembles early bird ancestors

• Neognathae (“new jaws”)

  • Have a more flexible, derived palate

  • Bones are arranged to allow greater movement (kinetic skull)

  • This contributes to more diverse feeding strategies

8 major zoogeographical regions:

1. Nearctic

2. Neotropical

3. Palearctic

4. Afrotropical

5. Indomalayan

6. Australasian

7. Oceanian

8. Antarctic

Holarctic

Nearctic + Palearctic

Pantropical

Neotropical + Afrotropical + Indomalayian + Oceania + Australasian

Opisthocomiformes

Hoatzin (1 family, 1 sp)

Gruiformes

cranes, rails, coots, trumpeters, limpkin, flufftails, finfoots (6 families, 193 sp)

Rallidae

Rails & coots (156 sp)

Gruidae

cranes (15 sp)

Charadriiformes

shorebirds, gulls, terns, puffins, auks, jaegers, jacanas, buttonquail (19 families, 392 sp)

Palaeognathae vs Neognathae vs Galloanserae vs Neoaves

Birds (Aves)

├── Palaeognathae (primitive palate)

└── Neognathae (modern palate)

• Galloanserae (ducks, chickens)

• Neoaves (most other birds)

Charadriidae

plovers (69 spp)

Haematopodidae

Oystercatchers (9 spp)

Scolopacidae

Sandpipers (91 spp)

Alcidae

alcids and puffins (25 spp)

Laridae

gulls and terns

Strisores

nightjars, potoos, oilbird, frogmouths, owlet-nightjars, swifts, treeswifts, hummingbirds (6 orders, 8 families, 608 spp)

Caprimulgiformes

nightjars (1 family, 98 spp)

Caprimulgidae

nightjars (98 spp)

Steatornithiformes

Oilbird (1 family, 1 species)

Apodiformes

swifts, treeswifts, and hummingbirds (3 families, 476 spp)

Apodidae

swifts (109 spp)

Trochilidae

hummingbirds (363 spp)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochis colubris

Eurypygiformes

Sunbittern and Kagu (2 families, 2 sp)

Phaethontiformes

tropicbirds (1 family, 3 species)

Gaviiformes

loons (1 family, 5 sp)

Gaviidae

loons (5 species)

Sphenisciformes

penguins (1 family, 19spp)

Procellariformes

tubenoses, albatrosses, petrels, storm petrels (4 families, 148 sp)

Ciconiiformes

storks (1 family, 20sp)

Suliformes

cormorants and shags, frigatebirds, boobies, gannets, darters (4 families, 54 species)

Phalacrocoracidae

cormorants and shags (34 spp)

Sulidae

boobies & gannets (11 spp)

Pelecaniformes

Shoebill, Hamerkop, pelicans, herons, egrets, ibises, and spoonbills (5 families, 120sp)

Ardeidae

herons and egrets (74 spp)

Threskiornithidae

ibises (36sp)

Cathartiformes

new world vultures (1 family, 7sp)

Cathartidae

New world vultures (7 sp)

Accipitriformes

hawks, eagles, Old world vultures, harriers, kites, buzzards, secretarybird (3 families, 252 sp)

Pandiondidae

osprey (1 spp)

Accipitridae

hawks, eagles, harriers, kites, buzzards (250sp)

Strigiformes

owls (2 families, 248 spp)

Tytonidae

Barn owls (20 sp)

Strigidae

‘typical’ owl (228 sp)

Coliiformes

mousebird (1 family, 6 sp)

Leptosomiformes

Cuckoo roller (1 family, 1 sp)

Trogoniformes

trogons & quetzals (1 family, 47 spp)

Trogonidae

trogons & quetzals (47 spp)

Bucerotiformes

hornbills, hoopoes, woodhoopoes (3 families, 75 spp)

Coraciiformes

rollers, bee-eaters, ground rollers, todies, motmots, kingfishers (6 families, 185 spp)

Motmotidae

motmots (14 spp)

Alcedinidae

kingfishers (117 spp)

Picidae

woodpeckers (236 spp)