Study Guide: Avian Orders and Families (General)

## Key Statistics

- Total number of orders: 44

- Total number of families: 249

- Largest order by number of families: Passeriformes (family of perching birds)

- Most diverse family: Thraupidae (Tanagers and Allies) with 384 species

## Major Bird Groups Overview

### Flightless Birds (Early Orders)

- Struthioniformes (Ostriches)

- Contains only Struthionidae family with 2 species

- Largest living birds

- Casuariiformes (Cassowaries and Emu)

- Single family Casuariidae with 4 species

- Large flightless birds of Australia and New Guinea

- Apterygiformes (Kiwis)

- Single family Apterygidae with 5 species

- Small, flightless birds native to New Zealand

### Waterfowl and Gamebirds

- Anseriformes (Waterfowl)

- Major families:

* Anatidae (174 species) - Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

* Anhimidae (3 species) - Screamers

* Anseranatidae (1 species) - Magpie Goose

- Galliformes (Gamebirds)

- Notable families:

* Phasianidae (34 species) - Pheasants and Grouse

* Odontophoridae (186 species) - New World Quail

* Cracidae (57 species) - Guans and Curassows

### Major Flying Bird Groups

- Columbiformes (Pigeons and Doves)

- Single large family Columbidae with 353 species

- Apodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)

- Key families:

* Trochilidae (363 species) - Hummingbirds

* Apodidae (109 species) - Swifts

### Birds of Prey

- Accipitriformes

- Accipitridae (250 species) - Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

- Includes Sagittariidae (Secretarybird) and Pandionidae (Osprey)

- Strigiformes (Owls)

- Two families:

* Strigidae (229 species) - Typical Owls

* Tytonidae (20 species) - Barn Owls

### Passeriformes (Perching Birds)

The largest and most diverse order, containing numerous families including:

- Tyrannidae (440 species) - Tyrant Flycatchers

- Thraupidae (384 species) - Tanagers and Allies

- Muscicapidae (353 species) - Old World Flycatchers

- Furnariidae (318 species) - Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers

## Study Tips

1. Hierarchical Organization

- Learn orders first, then major families within each order

- Focus on distinctive characteristics of each group

- Pay attention to the number of species as an indicator of diversity

2. Notable Patterns

- Many orders contain just 1-2 families

- Some families contain just 1 species (monotypic families)

- Passeriformes contains the most families and species

3. Geographical Distribution

- Note the "Old World" vs "New World" distinctions in family names

- Pay attention to regional specializations (e.g., Australian birds, African birds)

4. Evolutionary Relationships

- Notice the progression from flightless birds to increasingly specialized flying birds

- Observe the clustering of related groups (e.g., waterbirds, birds of prey)

## Key Terms to Remember

- Extant: Currently living/existing species

- Order: Major taxonomic rank ending in "-iformes"

- Family: Taxonomic rank ending in "-idae"

- Monotypic: Contains only one species

- Passerines: Members of the order Passeriformes (perching birds)

## Memory Aids

1. Size order of major groups:

- Passeriformes (largest)

- Charadriiformes

- Piciformes

- Accipitriformes

2. Common name patterns:

- "-bird" endings often indicate specialized families

- Geographic prefixes (African, Asian, New World) help indicate distribution

- Descriptive names often indicate behavior or appearance

## Common Groupings for Study

1. Flightless Birds

- Struthioniformes

- Casuariiformes

- Apterygiformes

- Rheiformes

2. Aquatic Birds

- Anseriformes

- Gaviiformes

- Sphenisciformes

- Pelecaniformes

3. Birds of Prey

- Accipitriformes

- Strigiformes

- Falconiformes

4. Specialized Feeders

- Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)

- Nectariniidae (Sunbirds)

- Picidae (Woodpeckers)