Ornithology NREM/ZOOL 4464 Dr. Tim O’Connell Spring 2011

A Classification of of the World – Laboratory Investigations

We begin this week in Lab to really explore the diversity of birds through in-depth examination of orders and families. Avian classification is fluid: the ordering and alliance of families and orders differs according to different authorities and new information is continually becoming available that enhances our ability to discern relationships; this results in updated classifications. You are embarking on this voyage during a time of significant taxonomic revision, and much of what you will learn in Lab supersedes classification systems in your field guides.

For our purposes, follows:

Clements, J. F. 2007. The Clements checklist of birds of the world. (6th ed). Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

This reference work is available online (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist) as a massive spreadsheet listing every of in the world by common name, scientific name, family, and . For perspective, it's an Excel spreadsheet that's over 6 mb. (A summary table that includes just the orders and families you need to know for the course is attached).

As students of , a primary objective for you is to develop a working knowledge of the diversity of birds of the world. As you internalize this information, you will develop a deep appreciation for the central role that plays as the driver of biological diversity.

Now comes the fun part – what you are required to know.

There are 34 orders within the Aves. You are required to learn 31.

There are 223 families in those orders. You are required to learn 106 of them.

At a minimum, you should concentrate on the following for each family and order:

*characteristics (any) that distinguish it from other orders and families *unique/characteristic morphology, behavior, or physiology *approximate number of species *primary habitat and foods *life history re: nesting habits, migratory behavior, etc. *biogeography and distribution

Higher order classification

Recall that all taxonomic categories above the species are arbitrarily defined (and “species” is subject to multiple definitions too). Thus, it can be especially confusing to determine what is really a “class” “infraclass,” “subclass”, “superorder”, etc. For example, we learned that birds evolved from . “Dinosauria” is (according to at least one authority) a superorder within an infraclass within a subclass within a class within a series – whatever a series is – of reptiles.

For our purposes, we will treat birds traditionally and simply as the Class Aves within the Subphylum Vertebrata of the Phylum Chordata. There are splits within the Aves that occur at higher than order levels; we’ll refer to them generically as “groups” or “clades.”

1 The Aves first appear in the Period of the Mesozoic Era, about 150–200 million years ago. lithographica is still the earliest known bird (as early as 150 MYA), but it is not regarded as the primary ancestor of modern birds.

The cladogram above illustrates several important splits among early birds. Birds diversified in the Period, and several fossil specimens are described within the family Confusiusornithidae, the group , and the loonlike Hesperornithoformes. All modern birds are part of the Neornithes.

If we consider the Neornithes to be a subclass within Aves, then we can identify two superorders within that subclass that contain all living birds: and . These superorders are defined by differences in the arrangement and development of the bones that make up the palate in the roof of the mouth: In the more ancestral Palaeognathes, the bones are more robust and rigid. In the Neognathes, the bones are more gracile, and actually form a flexible joint within the palate.

So the “ratites”, those weird mostly flightless birds that lack a strong keel on the sternum, are an ancient group that includes two orders – the ostrich-like birds (order Struthioniformes) and the tinamous (order Tinamiformes). The big way they differ from all other birds is not their tiny keel, however, it’s the structure of their palates.

2 Among the superorder Neognathes, the next big split occurs between the chickens and (orders and grouped together as the “Galloanserae”) and everything else, the .

By far, most living birds are classified in the orders and families of the Neoaves. The following cladogram of the Neoaves illustrates the taxonomic affinities (inferred time since divergence of orders and families) based on comparative , life history, fossil information, and increasingly, molecular studies using DNA-DNA hybridization and other techniques to identify genetic divergence.

The information in this cladogram suggests, for example, that grebes and flamingos share recent common ancestry, but grebes and are widely divergent. Note that there are two items on the left side that say ‘Land Birds’ and ‘Water Birds’, respectively. The right side cladograms break out those two large groups simply to make the figure easier to read.

3 Here is a table of your required orders and families. Species marked with an asterisk are non-native but established in North America. Again, taxonomy follows Clements (2007).

Order Family North American example Struthioniformes Rheidae (Rheas) none Struthioniformes Casuariidae (Cassowaries) none Struthioniformes Apterygidae (Kiwis) none Tinamiformes Tinamidae (Tinamous) none Anseriformes (Ducks, Geese, and Greater Scaup Waterfowl) Galliformes Megapodiidae () none Galliformes (Guans, Chachalacas, Plain Chachalaca and ) Galliformes Odontophoridae (New World Northern Bobwhite Quail) Galliformes (Pheasants, , Lesser Prairie-Chicken and Allies) Gaviiformes Gaviidae (Loons) Common Podicipediformes Podicipedidae (Grebes) Horned Grebe Phoenicopteriformes Phoenicopteridae (Flamingos) Greater Flamingo Sphenisciformes Spheniscidae () none Procellariiformes Diomedeidae () Black-footed Procellariiformes Procellariidae (Shearwaters and Audubon's Shearwater Petrels) Procellariiformes Hydrobatidae (Storm-Petrels) Wilson's Storm-Petrel Phaethontiformes Phaethontidae () White-tailed Ciconiiformes Ciconiidae () Wood Fregatidae () Magnificent Suliformes ( and ) Northern Suliformes Phalacrocoracidae ( Double-crested and Shags) Suliformes Anhingidae () Pelecanidae () American White Pelecaniformes Ardeidae (, Egrets, and Yellow-crowned Night- Bitterns) Pelecaniformes (Ibises and White-faced Ibis Spoonbills) Accipitriformes Cathartidae (New World Vultures) Turkey Vulture Accipitriformes Pandionidae (Osprey) Osprey Accipitriformes Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Red-tailed Hawk Kites) Falconiformes Falconidae (Falcons and American Kestrel Caracaras) Gruiformes Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and American Coot Coots) Gruiformes Aramidae (Limpkin) Limpkin Gruiformes Gruidae (Cranes) Sandhill Crane Eurypygiformes Eurypygidae (Sunbittern) none Otidiformes Otididae () none Cariamiformes Cariamidae (Seriemas) none

4 Order Family North American example Charadriiformes Charadriidae (Plovers and Killdeer Lapwings) Charadriiformes Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers) American Oystercatcher Charadriiformes Recurvirostridae (Stilts and American Avocet Avocets) Charadriiformes Jacanidae (Jacanas) none Charadriiformes Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and American Woodcock Allies) Charadriiformes Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Ring-billed Gull Skimmers) Charadriiformes Stercorariidae (Skuas and Great Skua Jaegers) Charadriiformes Alcidae (Auks, Murres, and Atlantic Puffin Puffins) Pterocliformes Pteroclidae (Sandgrouse) none Columbiformes Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves) Mourning Dove Psittaciformes Psittacidae (Parrots) Monk Parakeet* Cuculiformes Musophagidae (Turacos) none Cuculiformes (Hoatzin) none Cuculiformes Cuculidae (Cuckoos) Yellow-billed Cuckoo Strigiformes Tytonidae (Barn-Owls) Barn Owl Strigiformes Strigidae (Owls) Eastern Screech-Owl Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgidae (Nightjars and Common Nighthawk allies) Caprimulgiformes Steatornithidae () none Apodiformes Apodidae (Swifts) Chimney Swift Apodiformes Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) Ruby-throated Hummingbird Trogoniformes Trogonidae (Trogons) none Coraciiformes Momotidae (Motmots) none Coraciiformes Alcedinidae (Kingfishers) Belted Kingfisher Coraciiformes Upupidae (Hoopoes) none Coraciiformes Bucerotidae (Hornbills) none Piciformes Ramphastidae (Toucans) none Piciformes Indicatoridae (Honeyguides) none Piciformes Picidae (Woodpeckers) Red-bellied Woodpecker Passeriformes Pittidae (Pittas) none Passeriformes Furnariidae (Ovenbirds and none Woodcreepers) Passeriformes Thamnophilidae (Typical Antbirds) none Passeriformes Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers) Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Passeriformes Cotingidae (Cotingas) none Passeriformes Menuridae (Lyrebirds) none Passeriformes Laniidae (Shrikes) Loggerhead Shrike Passeriformes Vireonidae (Vireos) Red-eyed Vireo Passeriformes Dicruridae (Drongos) none Passeriformes Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Blue Jay Magpies) Passeriformes Paradisaeidae (Birds-of-paradise) none

5 Order Family North American example Passeriformes Alaudidae (Larks) Horned Lark Passeriformes Hirundinidae (Swallows) Cliff Swallow Passeriformes Paridae (Chickadees and Tits) Tufted Titmouse Passeriformes Remizidae (Penduline-Tits) Verdin Passeriformes Aegithalidae (Long-tailed Tits) Bushtit Passeriformes Sittidae (Nuthatches) White-breasted Nuthatch Passeriformes Certhiidae (Creepers) Brown Creeper Passeriformes Troglodytidae (Wrens) Carolina Wren Passeriformes Polioptilidae (Gnatcatchers) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Passeriformes Cinclidae (Dippers) American Dipper Passeriformes Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls) Red-whiskered Bulbul* Passeriformes Regulidae (Kinglets) Ruby-crowned Kinglet Passeriformes Muscicapidae (Old World Northern Wheatear Flycatchers) Passeriformes Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies) American Robin Passeriformes Timaliidae (Babblers) Wrentit Passeriformes Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Gray Catbird Thrashers) Passeriformes Sturnidae (Starlings) European Starling Passeriformes Nectariniidae (Sunbirds and none Spiderhunters) Passeriformes Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits) Sprague's Pipit Passeriformes Bombycillidae (Waxwings) Cedar Waxwing Passeriformes Mohoidae (Hawaiian Honeyeaters) none Passeriformes Ptilogonatidae (Silky-flycatchers) Phainopepla Passeriformes Peucedramidae (Olive Warbler) Olive Warbler Passeriformes Calcariidae (Longspurs and Snow Smith's Longspur Buntings) Passeriformes Parulidae (New World Warblers) Prothonotary Warbler Passeriformes Thraupidae (Tanagers and Allies) Summer Tanager Passeriformes Emberizidae (Buntings, Sparrows Lincoln's Sparrow and Allies) Passeriformes Cardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies) Painted Bunting Passeriformes Icteridae (Troupials and Allies) Brown-headed Cowbird Passeriformes Fringillidae (Siskins, Crossbills, House Finch and Allies) Passeriformes Passeridae (Old World Sparrows) House Sparrow Passeriformes Ploceidae (Weavers and Allies) none

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