Classification of Aves
AVES
1.Birds comprise perhaps the most distictive class of animals
2.for they all possess feathers
SUBCLASS-Archaeornithes
1.An exticnt subclass of primitive,
2.reptile like birds
3.related tothe first birds that envolved from dianosaurs at least 150
million years ago.
SUBCLASS- Neoronthies
- Included
all living birds
- ostriches to eagles
- penguins
to sparrows
- from 70
million years to today they exist.
SUPERORDER- Palaeognathae
1.primitive bords,
2.their mouth resembles to
reptiles
3.including aflightless
ratites
ORDER- Struthioniformes
1. largest living
birds
2. weighting 90-130
kgs and standing 2 m tall
3. flightless, lives
on the drier region of Africa
4. Ex- ostrich
ORDER- Rheiformes
- large ,
flightless
- Ostrich like
body
- Ex- rheas
ORDER- Casuariiformes
- flightless
bird of Australia
- shaped like
squat
- short
osteichthys
- like large
tarkeys
- Ex-
Cassowaries
ORDER- Apterygiformes
- the national
bird of newzealand
- small
flightless, earth feeders,
- having a
shaggy feathers and a long noses
- Ex- kiwis
ORDER- Tinamiformes
- single large
family birds of central and South America
- they are able
to fly
- although they
spend most of the time in ground
- Ex- tinamous
SUPER ORDER- Neogonathe
1.modern birds
2. possessing a flexible ,birs like mouth
ORDER-Sphenisciformes
1.best adapted for swimming
2. catches their prey under the water.
3.live in amaerica throughout the shore of hemisphere.
4.Ex- penguins
ORDER- Gaviiformes
- Distinctive
birds
- gain food by
diving for fishes.
- inhabiting
freshwater,lakes throughout northern America and Eurasia
- Ex-loons
ORDER- Podicipediformes
1.water birds, rather like loons in their appearences
2.they dive in lakes for food
2.widely distributed throughout the world.
4. Ex- grebes
ORDER- Procellariformes
1.Mainly tube nosed and nostrils
2. fly over the vast regions of the sea
3. hunt fishes and invertebrates
4. Ex- albatrosses,
ORDER- Pelecaniformes
1.a widely varied group of birds,
2. all aquatic , having distinctive web between their four toes
3. Ex-pelicans
ORDER-Ciconiiformes
- long-leged
often long necked bird
- eating all
kinds of food, especially aqutic
food.
- Ex- herons
ORDER- Anseriformes
1. vast majority
consists of waterfowl
2. world wide familiar
bird
3. mostly aquatic
birds,
4. Ex- geese, swan
ORDER- Falconiformes
1. highly recognized and
admired.
2. characterized by
their large, hooked bills, their strong talons
3. and their
carnivorous habit
4. Ex- eagles ,
vultures
ORDER – Galliformes
1. they are known as
gamebirds and even as domesticated fowl.
2. ex- grouse quils,
patridges
ORDER- Gruiformes
1. diverse collection
of bird families
2. living around fresh
water and marshes.
3. a disproportionate
number are extinct today
4. ex- finfoots
bustards
ORDER – Charadriiformes
1. a diverse order
distributed throughout the world
2. mostly carnivorous, having oil gland and
feather
3. Ex- skimmers, gulls
ORDER – Columbiformes
1. a successful and
widespread group
2. having thick heavy
plumage.
3. Ex- pigeons, doves
ORDER- Psittaciformes
1. a successful
widespread family
2. so unique that ut has given its own order
3. mostly herbivorous
4. including a stout,
curved bea
5. Ex- parrots
ORDER- Cuculiformes
1. a collection of
long bodied and tail bird
2. living around the
world wide
3. ex- cuckoos
ORDER- Stragiformes
1. they are not
related with raptors
2. successful as a
catching prey
3. higly adapted to
the tough challenges
4. recognized by
forward facing eyes
5. ex- owls
ORDER- Caprimulgiformes
1. a widespred group
of birds with long wings, delicate legs and a short bills
2. Ex- frogmouth,
nightjars
ORDER- Apodiformes
1. swift are all birds
2. most addicted to
flight eating, drinking, mating , collecting nest
3. even sometimes
sleeping on the wing
4. Ex- hummingbirds
ORDER- Coliiformes
1. a small African
birds
2. with long tails of
ten feahthers
3. Ex- mousebirds,
collies
ORDER- Tragoniformes
1. having colorful
feathers and delicate skin
2. distributed through
the tropical region
3. especially in Latin America
4. Ex- tragons
ORDER- Coracciformes
1. a diverse
assemblage of bright- colored birds
2. mostly tropical and
subtropical
3. characterized by a
distinctive joining of their three front toes.
4. Ex- beeeaters, kingfisher
ORDER- Piciformes
1. solitary, mostly
arboreal birds
2. distributed
throughout the world
3. having specialized
bills,
4. unique thigh
muscles
5. Ex- toucans
ORDER-Passeriformes
1. This is by far the
largest order of birds
2. containing 59 bird species
3. first involved some 95 million years ago
4. they are common an
widespred distribution.
5. Ex- antbirds,
accentors.
References:-
Frank B. Gill , ornithology 2nd edition,1995
Courtesy by:- Foisal Imran