SURVEY OF BIRDS OF THE WORLD

• Subclass Ornithurae– Infraclass Odontornithes = toothed birds

(extinct)– Infraclass Neornithes

• Superorder Paleognathae (Ratites and Tinamous)

• Superorder Neognathae

Avian Phylogeny based on Feduccia (1995)

Superorder Paleognathae • Order Struthioniformes = Ostrich, 1 spp.,

Africa– flightless walking birds– long heavy legs with 2 toes– over 2.2 m tall

• Order Rheiformes = Rheas, 2 spp., South America– flightless walking birds– long heavy legs with 3 toes– 1.5 m tall

Ostrich - 1 spp., Africa Rheas - 2 spp., S. America

Superorder Paleognathae • Order Casuariiformes - Cassowaries and

Emus; flightless walking birds, stout legs with 3 toes, up to 1.5 m tall, feathers with long aftershaft– Cassowaries - 3 spp., Australia and New

Guinea– Emus - 2 spp., Australia

Cassowary - 3 speciesAustralia and New Guinea

Emu - 2 spp., Australia

Superorder Paleognathae • Order Dinornithiformes - Kiwis, 3 spp., New

Zealand – flightless, chicken-sized – long bill with nostrils at tip – hair-like feathers

• Order Tinamiformes - Tinamous, 47 spp., Central and South America – flying, ground birds – plump body, slender neck with small heads

Brown Kiwi - New Zealand3 species all, N.Z.

Chilean Tinamou - S.Am.Tinamous - 47 spp., C. and

S. America

Superorder Neognathae • Order Podicipediformes - Grebes, 21 spp.,

world-wide – lobate toes, divers

• Order Sphenisciformes - Penguins, 17 spp., S. hemisphere – web-footed marine swimmers – wings modified to form paddles – scale-like feathers– range as far north as Galapagos Islands (equator)

Magellanic Penguinssouthern S. America

Superorder Neognathae • Order Procellariiformes - Pelagic Tubenoses,

115 spp., world-wide – tubular nostrils, hooked beak, long narrow wings

• Order Pelecaniformes - Pelicans and allies, 67 spp., world-wide: mostly tropical and subtropical except cormorants – totipalmate feet, long fish-eating beaks

• Order Anseriformes - Waterfowl, 161 spp., world-wide – broad bills, short legs with webbed feet, swimmers

Procellariiformes - 115 species, Worldwide distribution

Black-footed Albatross

Northern Fulmar

Superorder Neognathae • Order Phoenicopteriformes - Flamingos, 5

spp., Tropics except Australia – long-legged, long-necked wading birds with

webbed feet and specialized filter-feeding bill, pink coloration

• Order Ciconiiformes - Herons, Storks, Ibises. 120 spp., world-wide– long-necked, long-legged waders

• Order Falconiformes - Hawks and allies, 311 spp., world-wide – diurnal birds of prey, strong hooked bill, talons

Chilean Flamingo- Southern S. America

Puna Flamingo- High Andes of Peru,Chile and Argentina

Superorder Neognathae • Order Galliformes - Chicken-like birds, 258

spp., world-wide – short rounded wings, heavy bodies, heavy feet for

scratching, strong runners

• Order Gruiformes - Cranes, Rails and allies, 213 spp., world-wide – Wide variation: some long-legged and long-

necked, others smaller with shorter legs and necks, waders

• Order Charadriiformes - Shorebirds, Gulls and Terns, 366 spp., world-wide – strong fliers, many long-distance migrants, toes

usually webbed

Superorder Neognathae • Order Gaviiformes - Loons, 5 spp., Northern

N. hemisphere – webbed feet, divers, long bodies, sharp bills

• Order Columbiformes - Pigeons and Doves, 313 spp., world-wide – short legs, short neck, plump bodies

• Order Psittaciformes - Parrots, 358 spp., tropical and subtropical – narrow hooked beak, zygodactyl feet, large

rounded head

Superorder Neognathae • Order Coliiformes - Mousebirds, 6 spp.,

Africa– small, crested, gray or brown birds with long tails,

first and fourth toes are reversible, mainly frugivorous and travel in flocks

• Order Musophagiformes - Turacos, 23 spp., Africa – medium-sized arboreal birds, superficially

resemble slim chicken with a long tail, mostly vegetarian diet

• Order Cuculiformes - Cuckoos and allies, 143 spp., world-wide – zygodactyl feet with reversible outer toe, many are

brood parasites

Turaco - Africa, 23 spp.

Mousebird - Africa, 6 spp.

Superorder Neognathae • Order Strigiformes - Owls, 178 spp., world-

wide– nocturnal birds of prey, large eyes, powerful

hooked beak and talons• Order Caprimulgiformes - Nightjars and allies,

113 spp., world-wide – cryptic plumage, wide mouths with insect-netting

bristles, small legs and feet, crepuscular or nocturnal

• Order Apodiformes - Hummingbirds and Swifts, 422 spp., world-wide: Hummers in C. & S. Am.– small birds with short legs and small feet, pointed

wings; swifts with short, weak bills; Hummers with long, slender bills

Announcements

• Lab Exam 1 – next Wednesday Feb. 10– Topography through Waterfowl (Labs 1-3)– A couple questions from the videos

• Lecture Exam 1 – moved from Wed. Feb 17 to Monday Feb. 22– Will cover material through Circulation and

Respiration

Superorder Neognathae • Order Trogoniformes - Trogons, 39 spp.,

Tropical regions (greatest diversity in Neotropics)– short stout bill, small weak zygodactyl feet, long tails,

richly colored irridescent plumage

• Order Coraciiformes - Kingfishers, Motmots, Bee-eaters, Hornbills, 218 spp.,world-wide– strong prominent bills, colorful plumage, cavity-

nesters, toes 3 & 4 joined at base

• Order Piciformes - Woodpeckers, Toucans and allies, 410 spp., world-wide – zygodactyl feet, highly specialized bills, cavity-nesters

Resplendent Quetzal Elegant Trogon

Trogoniformes - Trogons, 39 spp., Tropical regions

Coraciiformes - 218 species, worldwide distribution

Bee-eater(Old World)

Hoopoe(Europe, Africa)

MotmotMotmot(New World Tropics)(New World Tropics)

Tody(West Indies)

Hornbill(Africa)

Perching Piciformes

Toucan(New World Tropics)

Barbet(Tropics) Jacamar

(New World Tropics)

Puffbird(New World Tropics)

Other Classification Schemes place:• Some classification schemes place Sandgrouse in

their own Order Pteroclidiformes or with the Orders Columbiformes or Charadriiformes. – There are 16 spp. in Asia and Africa, inhabit plains and

deserts. Superficially they appear pigeon-like.• The traditional classification schemes have placed

flamingos in the Ciconiiformes along with the herons, storks, and ibises.

• Some classification schemes split hummingbirds and swifts into separate Orders, Trochiliformes and Apodiformes, respectively.

Sandgrouse - 16 spp., Asia and Africa plains and deserts

Superorder Neognathae • Order Passeriformes - Songbirds (Perching

birds), about 5700 spp. (> 50% of all birds), world-wide

• Divided into primitive Suboscine Suborder (Tyranni) and advanced Oscine Suborder (Passeres) - Oscines with better vocalizations because of highly developed syrinx

• Feet adapted for perching (3 in front, 1 in back)

• Wing with 9 or 10 primaries• Unique palate and sperm structure • Very altricial hatchlings

Songbird Classification

• Two main divisions:– Primitive Suboscines– Advanced Oscines

• Primitive Suboscine songbird group dominant in South America

• Advanced Oscine songbird group outcompetes Suboscines and are dominant everywhere else

Research Project• Why are Suboscines dominant in South America?– South America isolated from other continents

Ericson et al. 2003. J. Avian Biol. 34:3-15Suggested dispersal routes of main passerine groups from Gondwana

Research Project• Why do Oscines outcompete Suboscines?

– One hypothesis = Metabolic Capacity Hypothesis = Suboscines have “restrictive tropical physiology” (Feduccia 1999)

• Tested hypothesis by measuring max MR in cold– Prediction: If hypothesis valid, Oscines should have

higher MR than Suboscines• Why Chile? – High proportion of Suboscines and

temperate climate

Oscine-Suboscine Msum

log Mass (g)

0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0

log

Msu

m (

ml O

2 m

in-1

)

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4OscinesSuboscines

Oscine Slope = 0.67, R2=0.762Suboscine Slope = 0.84, R2=0.729

Oscines with significantly higher MR- Supports metabolic rate hypothesis