The World's Avian Orders

Question 1

What are Struthioniformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 1

An ancient and diverse order of terrestrial birds found primarily in the southern hemisphere. (Includes the ratites and tinamous birds.)

Examples: Ostriches, emus, cassowaries, kiwis, rheas, and moas.

Question 2

What are Galliformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 2

This large and diverse order of fowl-like birds are found worldwide from the Arctic tundra to the tropical rainforests and range in size from the tiny quail to the robust turkey.

Examples: chickens, turkeys, guineafowl, and quail.

Question 3

What are Anseriformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 3

This large, diverse order of water fowl are found worldwide, primarily in wetland habitats from the Arctic tundra to the tropics, and in bodies of water that range in size from small inland ponds to open ocean.

Examples: Ducks, geese, mergansers, Magpie Geese, and screamers.

Question 4

What are Podicipediformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 4

This order contains only one family, the grebes, a diverse group of fish-eating waterbirds with lobed toes and feet, found worldwide.

Question 5

What are Phoenicopteriformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 5

This order contains only one family, the flamingoes, found in a range of shallow wetlands, mostly in the tropics.

Question 6

What are Columbiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 6

This order contains only one family, the doves and pigeons, found worldwide in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from dry deserts to urban cities.

Question 7

What are Mesitornithiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 7

This order contains only one family, the mesites, largely terrestrial birds endemic to Madagascar.

Question 8

What are Pterocliformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 8

This order contains only one family, the sandgrouse, found in some of the most arid environments in the world, throughout sub-Saharan Afreica and central Asia.

Question 9

What are Caprimulgiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 9

This large order of nocturnal and diurnal families of birds that are typically fast-flying masters of the air.

Nocturnal examples: nightjars, potoos, owlet-nightjars, frogmouths, etc.

Diurnal examples: aerial insectivorous swifts and treeswifts, and hummingbirds.

Question 10

What are Cuculiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 10

This order contains only one family, the cuckoos, a diverse group of birds with a global distribution. Some cuckoos are notoriously nest parasites.

Question 11

What are Musophagiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 11

This order contains only one family, the turacos and go-away birds, found in sub-Saharan Africa in a variety of forested habitates, from acacian savanna to tropical rainforests.

Question 12

What are Otidiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 12

This order contains only one family, the bustards, medium- to very large-sized terrestrial birds found across open grasslands and savannas of the Old World.

The bustards include the world’s two heaviest flying bird species: the Great Bustard (Europe) and the Kori Bustard (sub-Saharan Africa).

Question 13

What are Opisthocomiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 13

This order contains only one species, the Hoatzin (AKA “Stinkbird”) of tropical South America, which is the only bird that eats leaves, which it digests using unique foregut fermentation like ruminant mammals.

Question 14

What are Gruiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 14

This avian order includes the cranes, the rails, the trumpeters of South America, the finfoots, and the Limpkin, an ibis-like bird.

Question 15

What are Charadriiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 15

This extremely diverse order is second only to passerines in number of families and species. Although known collectively by the name “shorebirds”, members of this group are found in almost every terrestrial (and pelagic) habitat in the world.

Examples: all wading shorebirds, penguin-like auks, gulls, terns, quail-like buttonquail, and seedsnipe.

Question 16

What are Eurypygiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 16

This new order contains only two families: the Kagu, aflightless land bird endemic to New Caledonia, and the Sunbittern of Central and South America.

Question 17

What are Phaethontidae? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 17

Only one family, the tropicbirds, a small family of graceful tropical seabirds with white-and-black plumage and long tail streamers.

Question 18

What are Gaviiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 18

Only one family, the loons, also known as ‘divers’, found only in the northern hemisphere.

Question 19

What are Sphenisciformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 19

Only one family, the penguins.

Question 20

What are Procellariiformes? Give examples of families of birds within this order.

Answer 20

The petrels, shearwaters, albatrosses, and storm-petrels are a diverse order of tuberose seabirds found across the world’s oceans.

Question 21

What families of birds are found in the order Ciconiiformes?

Answer 21

Storks

Question 22

What families of birds are found in the order Suliformes?

Answer 22

Aquatic seabirds like frigate birds (pirate food from other birds), gannets and boobies (plunge divers), and cormorants and darters (swim underwater to hunt fish). Many are colonial breeders.

Question 23

What families of birds are found in the order Pelecaniformes?

Answer 23

This order of wading birds includes the herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, pelicans, and hamerkop.

Question 24

What families of birds are found in the order Cathartiformes?

Answer 24

New World vultures (found in North and South America only).

Question 25

What families of birds are found in the order Accipitriformes?

Answer 25

Diurnal raptors that include the hawks, eagles, kites, and the long-legged Secretary-bird. Found in almost every terrestrial habitat on Earth.

Question 26

What families of birds are found in the order Strigiformes?

Answer 26

The nocturnal predators—owls and barn owls—found across the world.

Question 27

What families of birds are found in the order Coliiformes?

Answer 27

Mousebirds

Question 28

What families of birds are found in the order Leptosomiformes?

Answer 28

This order contains only one species in its family: the Cuckoo-Roller

Question 29

What families of birds are found in the order Trogoniformes?

Answer 29

Trogons

Question 30

What families of birds are found in the order Bucerotiformes?

Answer 30

A small order of three families found primarily in the Old World tropics: the hornbills, the hoopoes, and the wood-hoopoes.

Question 31

What families of birds are found in the order Coraciiformes?

Answer 31

A diverse order of birds, most of which are brightly coloured: rollers, bee-eaters, motmots, bodies, and the diverse kingfishers.

Question 32

What families of birds are found in the order Piciformes?

Answer 32

A diverse order of birds that exhibit unique foraging techniques: woodpeckers, jacamars, puffbirds, barbets, toucans, and honeyguides.

Question 33

What families of birds are found in the order Cariamiformes?

Answer 33

A small order with only one family, the falcons and caracaras

Question 34

What families of birds are found in the order Psittaciformes?

Answer 34

Parrots and cockatoos, largely restricted to tropical and sub-tropical regions.

Question 35

What is Passeriformes?

Answer 35

This huge order of 137 families of perching or songbirds contains more than half the bird species in the world.