Orders

Answer 1

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

Answer 2

• *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

Answer 3

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

Answer 4

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

Answer 5

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

Answer 6

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

Answer 7

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

Answer 8

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

Answer 9

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

Answer 10

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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Answer 11

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

Answer 12

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

Answer 13

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

Answer 14

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

Answer 15

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

Answer 16

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

Answer 17

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

Answer 18

• *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

Answer 19

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

Answer 20

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

Answer 21

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

Answer 22

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

Answer 23

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)

Answer 24

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

Answer 25

Pelecaniformes
(cormorants, pelicans, anhingas, boobies, gannets, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, Hammerkop, Shoebill)

Answer 26

• *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

Answer 27

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

Answer 28

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

Answer 29

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)

Answer 30

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