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CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMILIES AND ORDERS

Below is a list of some characteristics of families and orders of the birds. You are responsible for knowing red order names and pink family names. Each of these is linked to a more descriptive web site. 

• Large, diving waterbirds (carry young on back)
• Long, straight bill (chisel-like) / short neck
• duck-like aquatic birds -- eat mostly fish breed in fresh water, any winter on ocean
• legs far back on body -- foot-propelled diving birds (like Podicipeds)(excellent for diving, difficult for walking)
• 3 front toes fully webbed; spear-shaped bills (palmate feet)
• plumage heavy and waterproof; long-lived, monogamous
• Males and females appear the same; both with alternate and basic plumage
holarctic

• Small – medium-sized diving waterbirds (carry young on back)
• Most chisel-like bill, except pied-billed grebe
• aquatic, diving fish eaters; foot-propelled diving birds
• legs far back on body --facilitates swimming, makes walking on land difficult
• Lobate feet with flattened nails
• tail reduced; dense, satiny plumage; feathers waterproof due to oily secretions
• eat own feathers! the feathers trap fish bones which are digested or regurgitated
• floating nests; carry young on backs
• worldwide

• Birds of the sea, well-adapted for flight
• tube-nosed (tubular nostrils) seabirds (many w/ long thin wings, held stiffly for soaring)
• hooked bill; well-developed sense of smell; plumage dense, waterproof
• gland for concentrating and excreting salt -- in orbit; 3 front toes webbed
• single egg w/ long incubation period --long-lived
• all oceans --more common in southern hemisphere

• Small to large seabirds, gull-like

Pelecanidae (Pelicans) -Brown Pelican

• Very large, gregarious waterbirds

• dive and scoop to get prey - distinctive bill

• Very large gular pouch (also cooperate - herd fish); expandable pouch

• Large seabirds with pointed wings and tail
• chisel-like bill / small, mostly feathered gular sac

• long-legged, long-necked -- wade in shallow water
• often breed colonially
• very diverse bill size/shapes (dependent on fishing styles)
• worldwide distribution

Ardeidae (Herons, Bitterns and Egrets)  

• largest family
• specialized vertebrae: allow spearing, folding neck into "S"
• long, spear-shaped bills (eat fish, frogs)
• have powderdowns which aid in feather care
• Medium to large waders, mostly colonial breeders
• slender body,

Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills) 

• grooved bills (Ibises --long, curved bills; Spoonbills -- flat, spatulate bills)
• Medium to large waders, highly gregarious
• Long bill – decurved or broadly spatulate
• Front toes webbed at base

Cathartidae (New World Vultures)  

• head and neck bare; lack syrinx
• perforated nostrils
• Large to very large soaring scavengers
• Bare skin on head and neck
• Often seen sunning with spread wings

Anseriformes - Waterfowl - (Swans, Geese, Ducks, Screamers)

• aquatic / semi-aquatic birds that swim and fly well
• short-legged, long-necked; feathered oil-gland; precocial young
• worldwide

Anatidae (Swans, Geese and Ducks)  

• bill flat, wide, rounded at end w/ combed serrations at edges, depressed, lamellate or serrate bill
• legs short w/ 3 toes webbed, palmate feet
• Medium to very large waterfowl,
• highly social during non-breeding season

• diurnal birds of prey
• short, strongly hooked bills; sharp, strong feet with grasping claws - curved talons (claws)
• semi-precocial young (downy, eyes open, but dependent for long time)
• worldwide distribution
• Strong fliers
• Females usually larger than male

Accipitridae (Hawks and Eagles)

• wings broad and rounded; short neck
• cere and eye-ring bare -often brightly colored

Falconidae (Falcons)

• wings long and pointed; bill short, hooked; cere and eye-ring bare

• medium to large terrestrial species; strong legs, heavy feet
• Legs well-developed for walking
• primarily ground birds
• hind toe always present, often raised above ground
• Wings short and rounded
• bill short, conical w/ curved culmen (downcurved bill with overlapping tip)
• large clutches, precocial young; often cryptically colored; large muscular gizzard
• worldwide Distribution

Gruiformes (Cranes, Rails, Coots and Allies) 

• no crop; most with oil gland; primarily precocial young
• Fly with neck straight
• very diverse -- shared features of palate and skeleton
• many aquatic; many shy, hard-to-see species
• worldwide

• Small to medium-sized waterbirds
• Shy, mostly solitary
• Body compressed laterally
• Bill variable, usually slightly decurved
• Short tail

• 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

Scolopacidae (Sandpipers)  

• Small to large shorebirds
• wading birds
• Bill often long, slender, not compressed near tip
• Long toes

Charadriidae (Plovers) 

• 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

Laridae (Gulls, Terns,, jaegers and skuas) 

• 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)

          Haematopodidae - Oystercatchers

          Recurvirostridae - Avocets and Stilts

• plump-bodies with small heads, short bills, short legs
• large crop -- produces crop milk (for offspring)
• clutch size = 2; biparental care
• worldwide

• Two toes forward, two back with outer hind toe reversible (zygodactyl)
• Long, decurved bill / upper bill not moveable
• Several species parasitic - all Old World and 3 New World species, none in USA

Cuculidae (Cuckoos and roadrunners) 

• slender, long-tailed (usually); bill usually thin and down-curved
• zygodactyl feet; 8-10 (instead of 10-14) rectrices
• worldwide; Old World species are parasitic

• mostly nocturnal birds of prey; small heavily decurved bills
• strong feet with long sharp claws; zygodactyl toes
• large heads and eyes with facial disks that concentrate sound and increase hearing sensitivity
• asymmetrical ear openings in some -- improves localization ability
• specialized telescopic vision
• often feathered legs and toes; outer toe can be reversed
• soft specialized plumage -- muffles sound; cryptically colored
• eyes fixed -- turn head from side to side (up to 270 degrees)
• worldwide
• regurgitate pellets
• female often larger than male

• Facial disk heart-shaped
• Legs longer than tail / tarsus feathered, toes bare

• Facial disk rounded
• Legs shorter than tail / tarsus feathered, toes feathered in some species

• Medium-sized
• nocturnal or crepuscular
• soft plumage, usually cryptic; often long bristles surrounding bill
• short weak legs and feet; long pointed wings; flight strong but erratic
• small bill with wide gape;stiff rictal bristles
• clutch size 1 or 2
• worldwide

• Catch insects on the fly
• Comb on middle claw

• small or very small birds with extremely short legs and weak tiny feet;
• very accomplished fliers
• very small humerus; 10 long primaries, short secondaries
• clutch size 1 or 2

Apodidae (Swifts)

• Small to medium-sized aerial foragers
• tiny bill; gregarious; insect-feeder; sexually monomorphic
• Body streamlined, spend most of their time in the air
• nest on sides of cliffs, caves, hollow trees, chimneys
• worldwide

Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)

• Smallest birds
• long slender bill, pointed (terete); nectar-feeders; solitary
• very agile fliers; sexually dimorphic
• Sternum and flight muscles large, wing rotates at shoulder joint
• Hover when foraging
• Males have irridescent feathers
• New World

• mostly stocky birds with large heads, prominent bills
• conspicuous; brightly colored; many gregarious and noisy
• small syndactyl feet (two toes 2 and 3 partially fused); mostly long prominent bill; carnivorous
• hole-nesters; altricial young; often cooperative breeders
• worldwide

• Often crested
• Stout body and short neck
• Wings short and rounded

• Zygodactyl feet; long, barb-tipped tongues; pointed, stiff rectrices
• unique arrangement of tendons in toes
• very diverse bill shapes
• Drill into wood for food and excavating nest cavities
• cavity nesters; altricial young
• worldwide, excluding Australasia
• Flight often undulating

• Bill strong, chisel-like
• pointed, stiff rectrices (tail feathers)

•  Feet anisodactyl
•  Distinctive palate
•  Altricial young

• Small to medium-sized songbirds, often edge species
• Suboscine – song poorly developed
• Often drab color
• Forage often by aerial-hawking
• Bill typically broad, flat, hooked at tip / rictal bristles

• Predatory, medium-sized birds
• Large head with strong, hooked bill
• Strong legs with sharp claws
• Often cache food on barbed wire or thorns

• Small birds
• Forage by gleaning from foliage
• Bill heavy, slightly hooked or notched
• Bigger heads and thicker bills than warblers

• Medium to the largest passerines
• Bold, noisy, and gregarious
• Often nest predators
• bristles pointing forward over the nares
• Intelligent / cache food

• Small to medium-sized passerines
• Walk rather than hop
• Bill pointed, slightly downcurved
• Legs fairly long

• Small to medium-sized birds
• Some colonial nesters
• Strong fliers / wings very long, pointed / forage by aerial hawking
• Bill small / rictal bristles

• Small birds, sociable, energetic
• In winter, form mixed-species flocks
• Bill short, stout
• Cache food

• Small, stocky forest birds
• Climb tree trunks and glean
• Only birds that walk down trunk head first
• Bill thin, pointed, typically straight
• Tail short, square

• Small forest birds that climb trees, as nuthatches, but head up
• Bill slender, pointed, downcurved
• Long, stiff, pointed tail feathers

• Small to medium-sized, chunky, active birds
• Bill slender, often decurved
• Tail usually short
• Several species, tail upright and cocked
• Often found in shrubby habitat

• Very small, very active birds – somewhat fidgety
• Slender bills / sexually dimorphic

• Small to medium-sized birds, constantly in motion / slender bills

• Small to medium-sized birds
• Chunky body, upright posture
• Often hop on ground when foraging
• Straight bill, not pointed
• Several species have melodious songs
• Blue eggs

• Slender, medium-sized birds with long tails
• Tail often cocked, i.e. higher than line of body, when standing
• Versatile singers, mimic other songbirds

• Medium-sized, stocky birds, gregarious
• Short, square tail
• Some are mimics

• Small to medium-sized birds
• Chunky body, but slimmer than thrushes
• Some species bob tail

• Medium-sized birds with prominent head crest
• Highly gregarious frugivores
• Plump body / bill short and thick / medium to long, square tail

• Small to medium-sized birds
• Many species brightly colored and most sexually dimorphic
• Often complex songs
• Mainly insectivores, often glean off foliage
• Slender, pointed bills / rounded tails

• Medium-sized forest birds with stout bills
• Sexually dimorphic, male more brilliant than female

• Small to medium-sized birds, forage mostly on the ground
• Often brown and streaked / short, conical, pointed bills
• Often seen in shrubs

• Medium to large-sized birds, often edge species
• Sexually dimorphic
• Short, stout, conical, pointed bills

• Medium to large-sized birds
• Sexually dimorphic / male usually larger
• Straight, sharply pointed bills

• Small to medium-sized birds, often forest birds
• Sexually dimorphic
• Long, complex songs
• Undulating fast flight / emarginated tail
• Bill stout, conical (crossed in 2 species)

• Small birds with stout, conical bill
• No well-developed song, often repeat single elements