Orders Flashcards
Columbiformes
(Pigeons, Doves)
Family: 1(1) – Columbidae (Raphidae)
Genera: ~40
Species: ~310
Distribution: Worldwide except poleward & Sahara
Habitat: Almost all terrestrial habitats from temperate areas to the tropics
Diet: Granivorous, frugivorous, drink w/sucking mechanism
Stout bodies, small heads, short bills and legs, dense plumagethat easily detaches from thin skin, wide range of colors, some have ornamental feathers
1-2 white eggs, “Squab,” altricial, male & female parental care, pigeon milk in crop, flimsy nests
Mainly monogamous; most stay in flocks or colonies
Vocalizations: usually coos, some whistle, croak, grunt, click, few spp. “silent”
Human interaction: food, pets/breeding, communication, symbols
Conservation: 7 Critically endangered, 15 Endangered, 15 Extinct - forest destruction, hunting, trade
- *Psittaciformes**
- *(Parrots, Macaws, Cockatoos, Lories)**
Family: 1, sometimes 2-3 - true parrots (Psittacidae), cockatoos (Cacatuidae), NZ parrots (Strigopidae)
Genera: 85
Species: 364
Distribution: Mainly S.Hemisphere, concentrated in S. America & Australasia
Habitat: Mainly forests, some open grassland, mountain (kea)
Diet: Omnivore (seeds, nuts, fruit, nectar, flowers)
Upright stance and curved, slightly mobile upper bills; zygodactyl feet; more taste buds than other birds
Brightly colored; little to no sexual dimorphism (UV)
Mostly monogamous with strong pair bonds; usually 2-3 white, spherical eggs; altricial young; most nest in hollows or natural cavities
Live in small groups or as individual pairs/families; single-or multi-species flocks
Conservation: illegal pet trade, habitat loss, invasive species, hunting for food, feathers, and protection of agriculture/livestock
Opisthocomiformes
(Hoatzin)
Family: 1
Genera: 1
Species: 1 (Opisthocomus hoazin)
Distribution: S. America
Habitat: Occur along rivers and lakes in riparian habitats
Diet: Obligate folivore
Pheasant sized; Foregut fermentation (large crop); Reduced size of anterior sternum à reduced area for flight muscle attachment à poor flyers
Young take 60-70 days to fly, have functional wing claws in the 1st and 2nd digits used for climbing in the branches around its nest; Can dive into water when threatened
Nests built over waterways, 2 – 3 eggs, incubation ~1 month
Cooperative breeders
Conservation: “least concern” due to large range; population trend decreasing, but not rapidly enough for “vulnerable” status
Musophagiformes
(Turacos, Go-away birds, Plantain eaters)
Family: 1
Genera: 6
Species: 23
Distribution: Endemic to Africa
Habitat: Arboreal, live in forests and dense woodland habitats
Diet: Primarily frugivores, but some spp. eat leaves as well; seed dispersers; inefficient digestion so eat a lot
Colorful, crested, long tails, sociable in small flocks
Poor fliers, good runners, 4th toe sideways can go front or back
Mostly monogamous; courtship begins with calling and chasing from tree to tree
Shared parental care, some cooperative care, 2-3 colorful eggs, hatch 18 days
Unique pigments – bright magenta, true green, copper from diet
Conservation: Bannerman’s – endangered, Fischer’s – near threatened, Ruspoli’s – Vulnerable, all others are least concern
Cuculiformes
(Cuckoos, Coucals, Roadrunners, Anis)
Family: 1
Genera: 35
Species: 138
Distribution: Almost worldwide except Canada, Patagonia, Middle East
desert
Habitat: Tropical & temperate zones; Jungles, woodlands, forests
Diet: Almost all insect eaters, many specialize on toxic, hairy caterpillars
Slender, slightly down curved bill, medium to long wings, long tails,
powerful legs & feet, zygodactyl feet, sexual dimorphism rare
Solitary, shy
~ 50 species – obligate brood parasitism, egg mimicry, altricial young
Distinct and varied vocalizations (cuck-oo clocks)
Conservation: Most are LC, 9 Near Threatened, 6 Vulnerable, Endangered - Bay-breasted cuckoo, Banded ground-cuckoo, Critically Endangered - Sumatran ground-cuckoo, black-hooded coucal
Strigiformes
(Owls)
Family: 2 [Tytonidae (heart shaped facial disk, longer legs & beak), Strigidae]
Genera: 29
Species: 180
Distribution: Worldwide, non-migratory
Habitat: deserts, plains, tundra, grassland, rainforest, woodland (limited by nesting rather than prey)
Diet: Carnivorous, mostly small mammals, some fish, insects, crustaceans
Flat face, small hooked beak, large and forward facing eyes, nictating membrane; zygodactyl feet, talons; cryptic plumage w/color phases; no crop swallow whole
Eyes are pretty much immovable; compensated by neck flexibility (270°) = more vertebrate in neck, more “slack” in arteries in neck & arteries expand
Serial monogamy; site fidelity; nest cavities, 1-7 eggs, siblicide, female incubates, male feeds her & both feed chick
Nocturnal, quiet, nighttime activity leaves them poorly studied
Conservation: Small ranges, habitat loss; most LC, 20 Vulnerable, 9 Endangered, 6 Critically Endangered
Apodiformes
(Hummingbirds, Swifts, Treeswifts)
Family: 3
Genera: 124
Species: ~450
Distribution: Cosmopolitan (Swifts), SE Asia (Treeswifts), New World
(Hummingbirds), Migration
Habitat: Wide variety of habitats
Diet: Insectivores, Nectarivores
Very short legs, tiny feet, no foot scales (only good for perching); long wings w/short, stout humeri, excellent flying
Apodidae – Extremely long primaries/very short secondaries; sharp claws, drab plumage, round head, broad face, deep set eyes, bristles to reduce glare; monomorphic; drink on the wing; echolocation
- Monogamous; 1-7 eggs, nest in the dark, cup shaped nests, use saliva to form nests; roost/nest/forage in large groups
Hemiprocnidae – branch-perching, glossier than swifts, all with crest, long wingtips fold like scissors, deeply forked tail
Trochilidae – Hovering; iridescent plumage (strikingly colored gorget or crest), dimorphic; thin & variable bills, some highly modified tails, feed with highly modified tongue; extremely high metabolism, extra large heart, enter state of torpor at night
- Polygamous, males in leks of 5-10, always 2 eggs, females do all parenting
Conservation: Birds nest soup, habitat loss/conversion, energy production, invasive species, climate change, pollution
Caprimulgiformes
(“Goatsuckers” – Nightjars, Nightawks, Oilbirds)
Family: ~5
Genera: 22
Species: 118
Distribution: Worldwide except near poles/Sahara; temperate &tropical zones
Habitat: Wide range (rainforests – semi desert)
Diet: Typically insectivorous except oilbird
Large tail and eyes with reflective membrane, tiny bill, large rictal bristles around gape, very short/weak legs, camouflage pattern, “Comb” on middle toe
Monogamous (seasonal or multiple); 1-3 patterned eggs, altricial; laying synced to moon cycle
Males have elaborate courtship behavior
Nocturnal, typically rest on limbs or ground during the day
Oilbirds: Only spp. of nocturnal frugivorous bird, can ecolocate
Conservation: Habitat loss; 2 critically endangered (New Caledonia Owlet-nightjar, Jamaican Pauraque), 3 endangered, 3 vulnerable, 11 near threatened
Coliiformes
(Mousebirds)
Family: 1 (Coliidae)
Genera: 2
Species: 6
Distribution: Africa
Habitat: Arboreal
Diet: Frugivore, herbivore
Slender ,gray/brown, crests, long tails, large feet, wide- spaced legs; monomorphic
Pamprodactylous – 2 outer toes reversible
Gregarious (groups ~20), cluster at night (heat control), go into torpor
Cooperative breeders, both parents incubate, 2-4 eggs, precocial young
Sandbathing
Conservation: No species threatened or extinct
Trogoniformes
(Trogons, Quetzals)
Family: 1 (Trogonidae)
Genera: 6-7
Species: 39
Distribution: Southern Hemisphere, tropical areas; non-migratory
Habitat: Cavity nesters
Diet: Insectivore, feed on the wing
Short broad bills; small weak legs; short, strong wings; soft, colorful feathers; dimorphic; heterodactyl feet
Rather inactive, sedated behavior, solitary
Male territorial & advertising w/song; monogamous; 2-4 eggs, altricial young, both parents incubate; cavity nest
Quetzal: 2 genera, Nahuatl “large brilliant tail feather”, national bird and unit of currency in Guatemala
Conservation: Trogons 2% threatened, 23% near-threatened, 75% low risk
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Coraciiformes
(Kingfishers and relatives)
Family: 11
Genera: 51
Species: 209
Distribution: Worldwide except Antarctica
Habitat: Tropical forests & woodlands, often found near water (rivers, streams), outside tropics - coniferous and deciduous forests and grasslands
Diet: Insectivore, frugivore, piscivore
Diurnal; compact bodies with short necks & large heads; diversity in body weight and of bill shape (long, pointed, colourful, Hornbill casque); plumage & skin colour, monomorphic ; syndactyl foot
Cavity nesters, many solitary in nesting, some bee eaters nest in colonies (cooperative breeding)
Monogamous; territorial; 2-9 eggs, altricial young; both sexes share in nest duties; incubation by both male and female (kingfishers, todies, motmots, bee eaters) or by female alone (hoopoes, hornbills)
Conservation: Habitat loss, hunting (hornbills); 4 CE, 4 Endangered, 22 vulnerable
Passeriformes
(Passerines – “Songbirds”)
Three Suborders: Tyrinni (suboscines), Passeri (oscines) - specialized songbirds, Acanthisitti
- Convergent evolution v. genetic similarity
Family: 106
Genera:
Species: 5400
Distribution: Worldwide except Antarctica, most in tropics, many migrate
Habitat: Wide range, higher species richness in arboreal environments
Diet: Diverse, high energy for active lifestyle, eat often
Small body; unique sperm morphology; anisodacyl arrangement of toes, specialized tendon for perching
Tyrinni – “innate” song; Passeri – best control of syrinx, complex song learning capacity
Altricial young, colored eggs, shared parental care, some cooperative breeders
Conservation: 10% threatened, 8% near-threatened, 81% low risk
Piciformes
(Woodpeckers, barbets, puffbirds, honeyguides, toucans, jacamars)
Family: 6
Genera: 67
Species: ~400
Distribution: Worldwide except Australia, non-migratory
Habitat: All land birds, mostly arboreal
Diet: mostly insectivorous
A lot of bill diversity, bright plumage with bold patterns, zygodactyl
Good fliers, poor walkers, expert tree climbers
Never have down feathers except jacamars
Nest in holes, 2-4 white eggs, both sexes incubate, very altricial young
Woodpeckers adapted to banging their heads against wood; Honeyguides are brood parasites and only bird that can digest beeswax; acorn woodpeckers are polygynandrous; Toucans lift tails to head; Barbets - song dueters
Conservation: habitat loss, extinct - Ivory-billed & Imperial woodpecker, 15 species critically endangered/endangered/vulnerable, 28 species near threatened
Procellariiformes
(tube-nosed seabirds-albatross, storm petrel, diving petrel, petrel, shearwater)
Family: 4
Genera: 26
Species: 112
Distribution: all world’s oceans
Habitat: Ocean, land only to mate/breed/nest
Diet: Feed on marine organisms
Pelagic
Tubular nostrils, stout bodies and heads, webbed feet
Colonial
Nesting sites: burrows, crevices, steep cliffs, flat ground, rock cavities
Exhibit strong philopatry
Socially monogamous
Care provided by both parents, ~1 egg/yr, Incubation times comparatively longer
Conservation: Threats-Habitat loss, Over-harvest, Invasive species, Pollution, Fishing gear, Disease
Tinamiformes
(Tinamous)
Family: 1
Genera: 9
Species: 47
Distribution: Neotropics
Habitat: Varied-primarily tropical rainforest, but also woodlands, scrub and grasslands
Diet: Ground foragers consuming primarily seeds, roots, fruits and arthropods
Chicken-like, ground birds with relatively weak flight, most closely related to ratites
Polygynandrous (males mate with multiple females and females mate with multiple males)
Eggs glossy and colorful
Rheiformes
(Rheas)
Family: 1
Genera: 2
Species: 2
Distribution: Neotropics
Habitat: Open grasslands
Diet: Arthropods, small invertebrates, plants
Tall, long-legged, flightless , among the ratites
Adapted for running
Polygynandrous (males mate with multiple females and females mate with multiple males)
Males responsible for all parental care
Galliformes
(Game/chicken-like birds)
Family: 5
Genera: 80
Species: 290
Distribution: Nearly worldwide
Habitat: Varied - primary forests to tundra. Incl. deserts, scrub forests, cultivated lands, bamboo thickets and alpine meadows
Diet: Omnivorous, Seed dispersers/seed predators
Heavy-bodied; short, round wings; large, strong feet and claws (spurs)
Some spp. have elaborate head and neck ornamentation including feathers, wattles and casques
Sexual dimorphism in size and plumage may occur
Terrestrial or arborial; Sedentary or migratory, short bursts of strong flight
Diversity of mating systems, precocial young
Conservation: Status-107 species listed in IUCN Red Data Book, Threats: Hunting, Habitat Loss
- *Anseriformes**
- *(waterfowl: screamers, magpie goose, geese, swans, ducks)**
Family: 3
Genera: 48
Species: 161
Distribution: Nearly worldwide except Antarctica
Habitat: Aquatic including lakes, rivers, and marshes
Diet: Herbivores, including roots, stems, flowers, leaves. Also forage for insects, mollusks and small fish
Short, round wings; large, webbed feet. Medium to long necks. Anhimids have short, hooked bills while Anatids have broad bills.
Sexual dimorphism in size and plumage may occur.
Terrestrial or aquatic; Sedentary or migratory (anatids are migratory while anhimids are predominantly sedentary). Strong flight. Generally seasonally monogamous. Behavior ranges from solitary to flock formation.
Conservation: 39 taxa are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Threats-invasive species, hunting, habitat destruction, sport and consumption
Falconiformes
(Birds of Prey, Day Raptors)
hawks, eagles, kites, Old World vultures, falcons and caracaras, New World vultures, Osprey, Secretarybirds
Family: 5
Genera: 83
Species: 304
Distribution: Nearly worldwide except Antarctica
Diet: Strictly carnivores: alive or dead
Grouped together with owls (Strigiformes)
Curved talons, opposable hind toes, strong hooked bills with a cere (soft mass), Range greatly in size (11-15 in to 11 ft)
Keen eyes
Most pairs live by themselves, Low reproductive rates
Conservation: 13 spp are listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered, 55 Vulnerable, Threats-Habitat loss (conversion of forests and grasslands to farms and cities), Loss of prey, Lead poisoning/toxic chemicals
Phoenicopteriformes
(Flamingos)
Family: 1
Genera: 2
Species: 6
Distribution: South America, Africa, parts of Asia, North America and Europe
Habitat: Shallow lakes, lagoons, tidal flats either near the sea or inland
Diet: mollusks, small crustaceans, algae
Have to run to take off, flap continuously
Beaks adapted to filter-feed, Upside down feeding behavior
Pink color totally dependent on food
Social, breed in colonies, monogamous
Nest is a mound of mud, Make crop milk, 1 egg, bi-parental care
Very long-lived, Grown flamingos have few natural predators
Podicipediformes
(Grebes)
Family: 1
Genera: 6
Species: 22
Distribution: Worldwide (migratory)
Habitat: Marshes, pools, lakes, ponds for breeding, Often winter in coastal, estuary, marine areas
Diet: Piscivorous, also invertebrates, and some small herps
Most closely related to flamingos
Adapted for diving and swimming, feet near rear of body, reduced tail. Wings not used for underwater propulsion. Lobed toes
Many colonial, some solitary
No apparent sexual dimorphism. Facial tufts or crests are usually present in both sexes during the breeding season.
Courtship rituals, presentation of weed. Seasonally monogamous (mostly)
Often have a floating nest, anchored to vegetation
Both sexes incubate and care for young. Stripy chicks are carried around on the backs of their parents. Feed feathers to young; eating of feathers
Ciconiiformes
(Long-legged wading birds: storks, herons, egrets, bitterns, spoonbills, ibises)
Family: 3
Genera: 39
Species: 116
Distribution: Worldwide, except for polar regions. Largest number found in warmer regions. Migratory
Habitat: Often inhabit areas surrounding freshwater
Diet: Almost entirely carnivorous, found in water (fish, crustaceans) but also amphibians, reptiles, insects, etc. Ibises probe in the mud and dirt. Some canopy feeders, some wade and plow through the water with their beaks
Herons: Fly with necks retracted, Powder down, Coiled neck and straight, dagger-like bill
Storks: Can live for 20-30 years, Will soar in updrafts, Heavy bills
Ibises: Long, downward curving bills
Spoonbills: Long, flat, spatulate bills, Spend many daytime hours sweeping waters for food
Some breed in colonies, some are solitary nesters, some build huge nests
Generally 3 to 5 eggs per clutch
Pair bonding, elaborate mating rituals
Conservation: plumes were collected for millinery trade
Charadriiformes
(Shorebirds)
- Suborder Scolopaci: Sandpipers, Snipes, Phalaropes, Curlews
- Suborder Thinocori: Seedsnipes, Jacanas, Plains Wanderer
- Suborder Lari: Terns, Gulls, Skimmers, Auks, Puffins, Pratincoles
- Suborder Charadrii: Plovers, Lapwings, Stilts, Avocets, Oystercatchers
- Suborder Chionidi: Thick-knees, Sheathbills
- Suborder Turnici: Buttonquail
Family: 20
Genera: 90
Species: 370
Distribution: Worldwide. Feats of migration
Habitat: Coastal, wetland
Diet: invertebrates, fish
Similar palate, rump feathers, uropygial gland, syrinx, salt glands
Mostly monogamous (seabirds) or mono-poly-whatever (shorebirds)
Nesting: Colonial (seabirds) vs. scattered (shorebirds)
Chicks either precocial (shorebirds) or altricial (seabirds)
Gruiformes
(Cranes, Rails, Trumpeters, Limpkins, Finfoots)
Family: 11*
Genera: 61
Species: 212
Distribution: Nearly worldwide except Antarctica (no cranes S. America)
Habitat: wetlands
Diet: omnivorous generalists, oppotunistic
Cranes: Long legs and long necks, elaborate courting, 2 eggs, Cosmopolitan
Rails: Very little sexual dimorphism, some evolved flightlessness, many mating systems
Trumpeters: Super fast, S. American only
Limpkins: Long toes, S. American only
Finfoots/sungrebes: Bright legs and feet, Found in swamps and mangroves, webbed lobes, fathers carry young in pouch under wings
Social characteristics vary by season: Territorial during breeding season, social during non-mating season
Mating: Early pair bonding, 18% Divorce rate
Pelecaniformes
(cormorants, pelicans, anhingas, boobies, gannets, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, Hammerkop, Shoebill)
- *Sphenisciformes**
- *(Penguins)**
Family: 1
Genera: 6
Species: 17
Distribution: Southern Hemisphere
Habitat: Restricted to oceanic and coastal areas
Diet: anchovies, pilchards, cuttlefish, squid, and krill
Flightless diving birds
Adapted for swimming: Stiff, flipper-like wings used to propel through water; Thick layer of fat; Feathers: Water and windproof, Cover entire body (no tracts), Countershading
Feet: Palmate (4 toes facing forward), Webbing
Locomotion on land: Waddling, Hopping, Tobogganing
Upright posture
Poorly pneumatized skeleton, helps in diving, less buoyant. Keeled sternum for swimming not flight
Monogamous (generally)
Parental care strategies are diverse and complex, Chicks are altricial, 1-2 eggs per clutch
Colonial nesters (generally). Nest types are diverse: range from depressions in soil to top of parent’s feet and abdominal “pouch”
Conservation: mainly compete with fisheries, depleting fishing stocks, for some the islands they nest on have invasive species
Struthioniformes
(Ostriches)
Family: 1
Genera: 1
Species: 1
Distribution: Africa
Habitat: Savannah, Sahel, desert
Diet: Omnivores (Seeds, grass, fruit, flowers, insects)
Large, flightless birds with long necks and legs, Among the ratites
Strong runners: 2 toes adapted for running, Wings act as “rudders” to help them change direction while running, Defense
Largest living bird with the largest egg, Largest eye of any land animal, ~ 2 in across
Herds: Share communal nest
Casuariiformes
(Cassowaries, Emus)
Family: 2
Genera: 2
Species: 6
Distribution: Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, surrounding islands)
Habitat: Tropical forests (Cassowaries), temperate forests/plains (Emus)
Diet: Omnivores, mainly frugivores
Large, flightless birds, Among the ratites
Strong runners: 3 toes adapted for running, also defense
Solitary except for breeding
Emus, females court males
Males incubate
Cassowaries 3-8 green-blue eggs,Emus ~11 dark green eggs
Conservation: 3 spp of Cassowaries, 1 Near threatened, 2 Vulnerable
Dinornithiformes
(Kiwis)
Family: 1
Genera: 1
Species: 3*
Distribution: Australasia
Habitat: Subtropical, temperate forests
Diet: Omnivores (Invertebrates, seeds, worms)
Chicken-sized, flightless birds, Among the ratites
Lay large eggs in relation to body size (20% of body weight)
Monogamous
Males incubate
Nocturnal: Poor eyesight, Excellent smell (Nostrils at end of beak)
Conservation: 2 Vulnerable, 1 Endangered, 1 Near threatened; NZ-5 kiwi sanctuaries (predator control, research and monitoring) Operation Nest Egg (raise chicks and release into wild)
Gaviiformes
(Aquatic Birds, Loons)
Family: 1
Genera: 1
Species: 5
Distribution: Northern Hemisphere, mainly N. America
Habitat: fresh water ponds & lakes, coastal waters
Diet: mostly fish, vegetation when other food is scarce
Large, duck-like aquatic birds, plumage heavy and waterproof
Long, straight bill (chisel-like), short neck
Legs far back on body, foot-propelled diving birds, 3 front toes fully webbed
Males and females appear the same; both with alternate and basic plumage
Monogamous, Long-lived
Breed in fresh water, newborns can leave the nest at one day of age and are able to fly at eleven weeks
Distinctive calls: hoots, tremoloes, yodels, a wail that sounds similar to a wolf’s howl
