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What are the Different Types of Bird Species?

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Birds are feathered vertebrates of the class Aves, most of which are capable of flight and have an active metabolism and all of which have beaks, no teeth, and lay eggs. Although birds evolved from a common ancestor, there are around 30 orders of birds, around 180 families, around 2000 genera, and about 10,000 bird species. The most efficient way to type the bird species is by the orders they belong to.

The order Anseriformes, which includes ducks, geese, swans, and their relatives, has 161 bird species. Members of this order are found in every part of the world except the Antarctic. The order Galliformes includes a number of game birds, including guineafowl, pheasants, quails, turkeys, grouse, and partridges. This order has over 250 bird species.

The order Caprimulgiformes consists of birds collectively called nightbirds. These include the oddly named nightjars and frogmouths. The order Apodiformes consists of hummingbirds, with 328 species, and swifts.

Canaries are in the Passeriformes order.
Canaries are in the Passeriformes order.

The order Balaenicipitiformes has shoebill or whale-headed storks, while Ciconiiformes has other storks and related birds, such as herons, ibises, and spoonbills, and Charadriiformes includes other shorebirds, such as puffins, lapwings, plovers, gulls, terns, sandpipers, and snipe. The order Coliiformes only includes mousebirds, but Columbiformes contains doves, pigeons, and dodos.

The dodo, now extinct, was a member of the order Coliiformes .
The dodo, now extinct, was a member of the order Coliiformes .

Kingfishers, hornbills, bee-eaters, hoopoes are in the order Coraciiformes, while cuckoos and roadrunners and their relatives are members of the order Cuculiformes. The order Falconiformes is characterized as containing diurnal birds of prey, and these include eagles, hawks, kites, vultures, condors, and falcons. There are 233 species of eagles, hawks, and their relatives alone, while in contrast, the order Gaviiformes has five species of loon, and that is all.

Hoatzin are in the opisthocomiformes order of bird species.
Hoatzin are in the opisthocomiformes order of bird species.

The order Galbuliformes has puffbirds and jacamars, and the order Gruiformes consists of coots, cranes, and rails. The order Mesitornithiformes has the mesites, Musophagiformes has the turacos, and Opisthocomiformes has the hoatzin. The order of perching birds, Passeriformes, has 95 families, and includes thrushes, swallows, crows, jays, flycatchers, orioles, birds-of-paradise, fantails, vireos, honeyeaters, lyrebirds, waxwings, mockingbirds, nuthatches, starlings, wrens, cardinals, grosbeaks, sparrows, buntings, finches, tanagers, blackbirds, larks, chickadees, and titmice.

Pigeons are often found in urban areas.
Pigeons are often found in urban areas.

There are six families and 67 bird species in the order Pelecaniformes, including pelicans, anhingas, cormorants, frigates, and boobies. The order Phoenicopteriformes, another small order, has the five species of flamingos. Woodpeckers, honeyguides, and toucans are members of the order Piciformes, and the 22 species of grebes are members of the order Podicipediformes.

Seagulls are scavenger birds that are often found near beaches.
Seagulls are scavenger birds that are often found near beaches.

Albatrosses and petrels, classified as tub-nosed seabirds are members of the order Procellariiformes, while parrots, cockatoos, parakeets, lorikeets, lories, and their relatives are members of the order Psittaciformes. The seventeen species of penguin are members of the order Sphenisciformes, and the over 200 species of owls belong to the order Strigiformes.

Red-masked parakeets are native to Ecuador and Peru.
Red-masked parakeets are native to Ecuador and Peru.

The trogons belong to the order Trogoniformes. The buttonquail belongs to the order Turniciformes, and paleognath birds — such as cassowaries, emus, rheas, ostriches, and kiwis — belong to the order Sturthioniformes. The tinamous belongs to the order Tinamiformes.

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to AllThingsNature about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to AllThingsNature about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

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    • Canaries are in the Passeriformes order.
      By: enens
      Canaries are in the Passeriformes order.
    • The dodo, now extinct, was a member of the order Coliiformes .
      By: Tesgro Tessieri
      The dodo, now extinct, was a member of the order Coliiformes .
    • Hoatzin are in the opisthocomiformes order of bird species.
      By: feathercollector
      Hoatzin are in the opisthocomiformes order of bird species.
    • Pigeons are often found in urban areas.
      By: Vidady
      Pigeons are often found in urban areas.
    • Seagulls are scavenger birds that are often found near beaches.
      By: azazello
      Seagulls are scavenger birds that are often found near beaches.
    • Red-masked parakeets are native to Ecuador and Peru.
      By: Maisna
      Red-masked parakeets are native to Ecuador and Peru.
    • Macaws are a type of tropical bird.
      By: jamdesign
      Macaws are a type of tropical bird.
    • Plovers are part of the bird order Charadriiformes.
      By: Riverwalker
      Plovers are part of the bird order Charadriiformes.
    • Swans are part of the bird order Anseriformes.
      By: Evgenia Tiplyashina
      Swans are part of the bird order Anseriformes.
    • A raven (Corvus corax).
      By: David Thyberg
      A raven (Corvus corax).
    • Falcons are part of the bird order Falconiformes.
      By: falconhy
      Falcons are part of the bird order Falconiformes.
    • Vultures belong to the order Falconiformes.
      By: massimhokuto
      Vultures belong to the order Falconiformes.
    • There are more than 200 species of owl.
      By: hitman1234
      There are more than 200 species of owl.
    • There are 328 species of hummingbirds.
      By: Steve Byland
      There are 328 species of hummingbirds.
    • Flamingos are in the order Phoenicopteriformes.
      By: Anna Omelchenko
      Flamingos are in the order Phoenicopteriformes.
    • Ducks are in the same order as geese and swans.
      By: jtboldt
      Ducks are in the same order as geese and swans.
    • An American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos).
      By: Al Mueller
      An American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos).
    • The ringed plover is a type of small plover bird.
      By: Brad Thompson
      The ringed plover is a type of small plover bird.