Ornithology

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ORDER CHARADRIIFORMES

You must know the order, family, common name, habitat, and habits and be able to identify by sight each species. There are 20 species on the list.  In addition, you will be expected to learn the vocalization for any species labeled with a  symbol. You can get extra credit for learning the vocalizations of any species labeled .

Birds on this list: 20
Order Charadriiformes  Gulls, Terns, Alcids, Sandpipers, etc
Characteristics of the order:
waders, swimmers, divers (all water birds or derived from water birds) all have distinct palate, syringeal muscles, and vertebral column worldwide very diverse; many bear no outward resemblance to each other
Family Charadriidae     Plovers and Lapwings
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized shorebirds Upright posture, rounded head, and short, thick neck Bill relatively short and compressed near tip (stubby bills, often swollen at tip) Broken-wing display when nest or young approached waders
	Black-bellied Plover	Pluvialis squatarola
	Piping Plover[vocalization]	Charadrius melodus
	Killdeer[vocalization]	Charadrius vociferus
Family Haematopodidae    Oystercatchers
Characteristics of the family:
worldwide near water bill red, stout, long, laterally compressed;  legs pink; plumage black or black-and-white;  neck short; wings long, pointed; tail short;  legs, feet stout; 3 toes slightly webbed;  feed mostly on molluscs;  sexes similar; monogamous; 2-4 eggs in nest-scrape; biparental cares
	American Oystercatcher	Haematopus palliatus
Family Recurvirostridae        Avocets and Stilts
Characteristics of the family:
nearly worldwide near water bill long, slender, recurved in avocets;  plumage usually white below with black and (sometimes) cinnamon above;  head small; neck long; wings long, pointed;  tail short; legs long, slender; feet webbed in avocets; hallux vestigial; terrestrial waders, swim readily;  feed principally on invertebrates, and/or aquatic vertebrates;  sexes similar; monogamous; colonial; usually 4 eggs; biparental care
	American Avocet	Recurvirostra americana
Family Scolopacidae       Sandpipers
Characteristics of the family:
Small to large shorebirds wading birds Bill often long, slender, not compressed near tip Long toes
	Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca
	Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes
	Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularia
	Sanderling	Calidris alba
	Semipalmated Sandpiper	Calidris pusilla
	Dunlin	Calidris alpina
	Common Snipe	Gallinago gallinago
	American Woodcock[song]	Scolopax minor
Family Laridae   Gulls and Terns
Characteristics of the family:
Small to large birds, strong fliers (wings long and pointed) Often colonial opportunistic omnivores, except terns and skimmers (mostly fish) Palmate feet, webbed feet water birds many well-adapted to humans and their constructs (dumps)
	Laughing Gull[vocalization]	Larus atricilla
	Ring-billed Gull[vocalization]	Larus delawarensis
	Herring Gull[vocalization]	Larus argentatus
	Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus
	Common Tern[vocalization]	Sterna hirundo
	Least Tern	Sterna antillarum
	Black Skimmer	Rynchops niger