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List of birds

This page lists orders and families of birds, class Aves. The links below should then lead to family accounts and hence to individual species.

Taxonomy is very fluid in the age of DNA analysis, so comments are made where appropriate, and all numbers are approximate. In particular see Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy for a very different classification.

This article and the descendant family articles follow the taxonomy of the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds (HANZAB) for families largely endemic to that region, and otherwise the Handbook of Birds of the World (HBW).

Paleognathae

The giant flightless Struthioniformes lack a keeled sternum and are collectively known as ratites. Together with the Tinamiformes, they form the Paleognathae (or 'old jaws'), one of the two evolutionary "super orders".

  • Struthioniformes: mainly southern hemisphere; 12 species, 2 extinct
  • Tinamiformes: South America; 45 species
    • Tinamidae: tinamous

Neognathae

Nearly all living birds belong to the super order of Neognathae— or 'new jaws'. With their keels, unlike the ratites, they are known as carinates. The passerines alone account for well over 5000 species.

See also

For regions smaller than continents see:

  • List of regional bird lists
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