Portal:Birds

The Birds Portal

Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (/ˈeɪviːz/), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the 5.5 cm (2.2 in) bee hummingbird to the 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) common ostrich. There are over 11,000 living species, more than half of which are passerine, or "perching" birds. Birds have wings whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have further evolved for swimming. The study of birds is called ornithology.

Birds are feathered theropod dinosaurs and constitute the only known living dinosaurs. Likewise, birds are considered reptiles in the modern cladistic sense of the term, and their closest living relatives are the crocodilians. Birds are descendants of the primitive avialans (whose members include Archaeopteryx) which first appeared during the Late Jurassic. According to recent estimates, modern birds (Neornithes) evolved in the Late Cretaceous and diversified dramatically around the time of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago, which killed off the pterosaurs and all non-avian dinosaurs.

Many social species pass on knowledge across generations, which is considered a form of culture. Birds are social, communicating with visual signals, calls, and songs, and participating in such behaviours as cooperative breeding and hunting, flocking, and mobbing of predators. The vast majority of bird species are socially (but not necessarily sexually) monogamous, usually for one breeding season at a time, sometimes for years, and rarely for life. Other species have breeding systems that are polygynous (one male with many females) or, rarely, polyandrous (one female with many males). Birds produce offspring by laying eggs which are fertilised through sexual reproduction. They are usually laid in a nest and incubated by the parents. Most birds have an extended period of parental care after hatching.

Many species of birds are economically important as food for human consumption and raw material in manufacturing, with domesticated and undomesticated birds being important sources of eggs, meat, and feathers. Songbirds, parrots, and other species are popular as pets. Guano (bird excrement) is harvested for use as a fertiliser. Birds figure throughout human culture. About 120 to 130 species have become extinct due to human activity since the 17th century, and hundreds more before then. Human activity threatens about 1,200 bird species with extinction, though efforts are underway to protect them. Recreational birdwatching is an important part of the ecotourism industry. (Full article...)

Featured articles

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  Messiaen in 1986

  
  Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (UK: /ˈmɛsiæ̃/, US: /mɛˈsjæ̃, meɪˈsjæ̃, mɛˈsjɒ̃/; French: [ɔlivje øʒɛn pʁɔspɛʁ ʃaʁl mɛsjɑ̃]; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th century, he was also an outstanding teacher of composition and musical analysis.
  
  
  Messiaen entered the Paris Conservatoire at age 11 and studied with Paul Dukas, Maurice Emmanuel, Charles-Marie Widor and Marcel Dupré, among others. He was appointed organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris, in 1931, a post he held for 61 years, until his death. He taught at the Schola Cantorum de Paris during the 1930s. After the fall of France in 1940, Messiaen was interned for nine months in the German prisoner of war camp Stalag VIII-A, where he composed his Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) for the four instruments available in the prison—piano, violin, cello and clarinet. The piece was first performed by Messiaen and fellow prisoners for an audience of inmates and prison guards. Soon after his release in 1941, Messiaen was appointed professor of harmony at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1966, he was appointed professor of composition there, and he held both positions until retiring in 1978. His many distinguished pupils included Iannis Xenakis, George Benjamin, Alexander Goehr, Pierre Boulez, Jacques Hétu, Tristan Murail, Karlheinz Stockhausen, György Kurtág, and Yvonne Loriod, who became his second wife.
  
  
  Messiaen perceived colours when he heard certain musical chords (a phenomenon known as chromesthesia); according to him, combinations of these colours were important in his compositional process. He travelled widely and wrote works inspired by diverse influences, including Japanese music, the landscape of Bryce Canyon in Utah, and the life of St. Francis of Assisi. His style absorbed many global musical influences, such as Indonesian gamelan (tuned percussion often features prominently in his orchestral works). He found birdsong fascinating, notating bird songs worldwide and incorporating birdsong transcriptions into his music. (Full article...)
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  Specimen in Musée Cantonal de Zoologie, Lausanne

  
  The hoopoe starling (Fregilupus varius), also known as the Réunion starling or Bourbon crested starling, is a species of starling that lived on the Mascarene island of Réunion and became extinct in the 1850s. Its closest relatives were the also-extinct Rodrigues starling and Mauritius starling from nearby islands, and the three apparently originated in south-east Asia. The bird was first mentioned during the 17th century and was long thought to be related to the hoopoe, from which its name is derived. Some affinities have been proposed, but it was confirmed as a starling in a DNA study.
  
  The hoopoe starling was 30 cm (12 in) in length. Its plumage was primarily white and grey, with its back, wings and tail a darker brown and grey. It had a light, mobile crest, which curled forwards. The bird is thought to have been sexually dimorphic, with males larger and having more curved beaks. The juveniles were more brown than the adults. Little is known about hoopoe starling behaviour. Reportedly living in large flocks, it inhabited humid areas and marshes. The hoopoe starling was omnivorous, feeding on plant matter and insects. Its pelvis was robust, its feet and claws large, and its jaws strong, indicating that it foraged near the ground.
  
  The birds were hunted by settlers on Réunion, who also kept them as pets. Nineteen specimens exist in museums around the world. The hoopoe starling was reported to be in decline by the early 19th century and was probably extinct before the 1860s. Several factors have been proposed, including competition and predation by introduced species, disease, deforestation, and persecution by humans, who hunted it for food and as an alleged crop pest. (Full article...)
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  Jynx ruficollis ruficollis in South Africa

  
  The red-throated wryneck (Jynx ruficollis), also known as the rufous-necked wryneck or red-breasted wryneck, is a species of wryneck in the woodpecker family closely related to the Eurasian wryneck. Its three subspecies are resident in much of sub-Saharan Africa in open habitats with some trees. It is a slim, elongated bird about 19 cm (7.5 in) in length, with a small head, fine bill, long fan-shaped tail and cryptic plumage intricately patterned in greys and browns. The sexes look similar, although males are slightly larger. The diet of the adults and young is almost entirely ants at all stages of their life cycles. The call of the red-throated wryneck is a series of repeated harsh, shrill notes. When threatened, a bird will twist its neck and head in a snake-like manner while making a hissing sound, presumably to deter predators.
  
  The red-throated wryneck nests in pre-existing holes, usually in trees, preferring old barbet or woodpecker nests. The unlined nest cavity is usually 3–4 m (10–13 ft) above the ground, and the clutch is typically three or four white eggs, laid at one-day intervals. Both sexes incubate the eggs for 12–15 days until the blind, naked chicks hatch. The chicks are fed by both adults for 25–26 days until they fledge. There are usually two broods. The red-throated wryneck has a very extensive range, and its population is large and increasing. For this reason, it is evaluated as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (Full article...)
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  The rainbow pitta (Pitta iris) is a small passerine bird in the pitta family, Pittidae, endemic to northern Australia, most closely related to the superb pitta of Manus Island. It has a velvet black head with chestnut stripes above the eyes, olive green upper parts, black underparts, a bright red belly and an olive green tail. An Australian endemic, it lives in the monsoon forests and in some drier eucalypt forests.
  
  Like other pittas, the rainbow pitta is a secretive and shy bird. Its diet is mainly insects, arthropods and small vertebrates. Pairs defend territories and breed during the rainy season, as that time of year provides the most food for nestlings. The female lays three to five blotched eggs inside its large domed nest. Both parents defend the nest, incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. Although the species has a small global range, it is locally common and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as being of least concern. (Full article...)
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  In Buenos Aires

  
  The white-rumped swallow (Tachycineta leucorrhoa) is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae. First described and given its binomial name by French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1817, it was for many years considered a subspecies of the Chilean swallow. The species is monotypic with no known population variations. It has a white supraloral streak, or streak above its lores (the region between a bird's eye and nostrils), which can be used to differentiate it from the Chilean swallow. The lores, ear coverts, tail, and wings are black, with white tips on the inner secondaries, tertials, and greater coverts of the wings. The rest of the upperparts are a glossy blue. Its underparts and underwing-coverts are white, in addition to the rump, as the name suggests. The sexes are similar, and the juvenile is duller and browner with a dusky breast.
  
  This species usually builds its nest in holes in trees or dead snags or under or in artificial structures like fence posts and the eaves of buildings. The white-rumped swallow is solitary and nests in distributed pairs during the breeding season. The breeding season is from October to December in Brazil and from October to February in neighboring Argentina. Usually, only one brood with four to seven eggs is laid, although a second one will occasionally be laid. The female incubates the eggs over a period usually between 15 and 16 days, with the fledging usually occurring between 21 and 25 days after hatching.
  
  This swallow is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are: (Full article...)
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  In Cooper Bay, South Georgia

  
  The macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) is a species of penguin found from the Subantarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. One of six species of crested penguin, it is very closely related to the royal penguin, and some authorities consider the two to be a single species. It bears a distinctive yellow crest that resembles macaroni, from which its name is derived. Its face and upperparts are black and sharply delineated from the white underparts. Adults weigh on average 5.5 kg (12 lb) and are 70 cm (28 in) in length. The male and female are similar in appearance; the male is slightly larger and stronger with a relatively larger bill. Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine lifestyle.
  
  Its diet consists of a variety of crustaceans, mainly krill, as well as small fish and cephalopods; the species consumes more marine life annually than any other species of seabird. These birds moult once a year, spending about three to four weeks ashore, before returning to the sea. Numbering up to 100,000 individuals, the breeding colonies of the macaroni penguin are among the largest and densest of all penguin species. After spending the summer breeding, penguins disperse into the oceans for six months; a 2009 study found that macaroni penguins from Kerguelen travelled over 10,000 km (6,200 mi) in the central Indian Ocean. With about 18 million individuals, the macaroni penguin is the most numerous penguin species. Widespread declines in populations have been recorded since the mid-1970s and their conservation status is classified as vulnerable. (Full article...)
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  Hooded pitta in southern Thailand

  
  Pittas are a family, Pittidae, of passerine birds found in Asia, Australasia and Africa. There are 44 species of pittas, all similar in general appearance and habits. The pittas are Old World suboscines, and their closest relatives among other birds are in the genera Smithornis and Calyptomena. Initially placed in a single genus, as of 2009 they have been split into three genera: Pitta, Erythropitta and Hydrornis. Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards, at 15 to 25 cm (5.9–9.8 in) in length, and stocky, with strong, longish legs and long feet. They have very short tails and stout, slightly decurved bills. Many have brightly coloured plumage.
  
  Most pitta species are tropical; a few species can be found in temperate climates. They are mostly found in forests, but some live in scrub and mangroves. They are highly terrestrial and mostly solitary, and usually forage on wet forest floors in areas with good ground cover. They eat earthworms, snails, insects and similar invertebrate prey, as well as small vertebrates. Pittas are monogamous and females lay up to six eggs in a large domed nest in a tree or shrub, or sometimes on the ground. Both parents care for the young. Four species of pittas are fully migratory, and several more are partially so, though their migrations are poorly understood.
  
  Four species of pitta are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; a further nine species are listed as vulnerable and several more are near-threatened. The main threat to pittas is habitat loss in the form of rapid deforestation, but they are also targeted by the cage-bird trade. They are popular with birdwatchers because of their bright plumage and the difficulty in seeing them. (Full article...)
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  Female R. r. regulus in Lancashire

  
  The goldcrest (Regulus regulus) is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers, as well as being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore, gives rise to its English and scientific names. The scientific name, R. regulus, means 'petty king' or prince. Several subspecies are recognised across the very large distribution range that includes much of the Palearctic and the islands of Macaronesia and Iceland. Birds from the north and east of its breeding range migrate to winter further south.
  
  This kinglet has greenish upper-parts, whitish under-parts, and has two white wingbars. It has a plain face contrasting black irises and a bright head crest, orange and yellow in the male and yellow in the female, which is displayed during breeding. It superficially resembles the common firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla), which largely shares its European range, but the latter's bronze shoulders and strong face pattern are distinctive. The song is a repetition of high thin notes, slightly higher-pitched than those of its relative. Birds on the Canary Islands are now separated into two subspecies of the goldcrest, but were formerly considered to be a subspecies of the firecrest or a separate species, Regulus teneriffae.
  
  The goldcrest breeds in coniferous woodland and gardens, building its compact, three-layered nest on a tree branch. Ten to twelve eggs are incubated by the female alone, and the chicks are fed by both parents; second broods are common. This kinglet is constantly on the move as it searches for insects to eat, and in winter it is often found with flocks of tits. It may be killed by birds of prey or carry parasites, but its large range and population mean that it is not considered to present any significant conservation concerns. (Full article...)
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  Male

  
  The red-backed fairywren (Malurus melanocephalus) is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia and can be found near rivers and coastal areas along the northern and eastern coastlines from the Kimberley in the northwest to the Hunter Region in New South Wales. The male adopts a striking breeding plumage, with a black head, upperparts and tail, and a brightly coloured red back and brown wings. The female has brownish upperparts and paler underparts. The male in eclipse plumage and the juvenile resemble the female. Some males remain in non-breeding plumage while breeding. Two subspecies are recognised; the nominate M. m. melanocephalus of eastern Australia has a longer tail and orange back, and the short-tailed M. m. cruentatus from northern Australia has a redder back.
  
  The red-backed fairywren mainly eats insects, and supplements its diet with seed and small fruit. The preferred habitat is heathland and savannah, particularly where low shrubs and tall grasses provide cover. It can be nomadic in areas where there are frequent bushfires, although pairs or small groups of birds maintain and defend territories year-round in other parts of its range. Groups consist of a socially monogamous pair with one or more helper birds who assist in raising the young. These helpers are progeny that have attained sexual maturity yet remain with the family group for one or more years after fledging. The red-backed fairywren is sexually promiscuous, and each partner may mate with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such pairings. Older males in breeding plumage are more likely to engage in this behaviour than are those breeding in eclipse plumage. As part of a courtship display, the male wren plucks red petals from flowers and displays them to females. (Full article...)
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  Subspecies cyanotis, Queensland

  
  The blue-faced honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis), also colloquially known as the Bananabird, is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. It is the only member of its genus, and it is most closely related to honeyeaters of the genus Melithreptus. Three subspecies are recognised. At around 29.5 cm (11.6 in) in length, the blue-faced species is large for a honeyeater. Its plumage is distinctive, with olive upperparts, white underparts, and a black head and throat with white nape and cheeks. Males and females are similar in external appearance. Adults have a blue area of bare skin on each side of the face readily distinguishing them from juveniles, which have yellow or green patches of bare skin.Found in open woodland, parks and gardens, the blue-faced honeyeater is common in northern and eastern Australia, and southern New Guinea. It appears to be sedentary in parts of its range, and locally nomadic in other parts; however, the species has been little studied. Its diet is mostly composed of invertebrates, supplemented with nectar and fruit. They often take over and renovate old babbler nests, in which the female lays and incubates two or rarely three eggs. (Full article...)
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  Adult

  
  The Fiji parrotfinch (Erythrura pealii) is a species of estrildid finch endemic to Fiji that was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the red-headed parrotfinch. This parrotfinch is a small, mainly green bird with a red head and tail and a stubby dark grey bill. It is found in both forested and open habitats, and has adapted well to man-made environments such as grasslands, pasture and gardens. Pairs have a courtship display in which they fly above the trees in an undulating flight, calling constantly. Breeding birds build a domed grass nest with a side entrance, and lay a clutch normally of four white eggs. Newly hatched chicks are naked and pink, with blue balls at the upper and lower corners of the gape, and black markings inside the mouth; older fledglings resemble the adults, but lack the red head colouring. The Fiji parrotfinch eats seeds, especially of grasses, and also readily feeds on insects and nectar. It forms small flocks of up to six birds after the breeding season.
  
  Parrotfinches may be preyed upon by indigenous birds of prey such as the endemic Fiji goshawk, or by introduced mammals such as the small Asian mongoose, rats, and mice, and they may be susceptible to disease. The Fiji species, despite being both uncommon and endemic to one island group, appears to be stable in numbers. It is therefore classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, and it is protected under Fijian law. (Full article...)
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  The elfin woods warbler (Setophaga angelae) is a species of bird endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is local and uncommon. Discovered in 1968 and described in 1972, it is the most recently described New World warbler (family Parulidae).
  
  The species name, angelae, is a tribute to Angela Kepler, one of its discoverers. These birds are insectivores, as they feed by gleaning small insects off the habitat leaves.
  
  Due to its small populations and restricted habitats, conservation efforts were begun in 1982 to protect this species, but as of 2005, the warbler was still in need of protection. The species is not in immediate danger as the majority of its habitat is protected forest, but introduced species (such as rats and small Asian mongooses), habitat reduction, and natural disasters represent potential threats to the population. (Full article...)
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  Adult male at Chiltern, Victoria, Australia

  
  The red-capped robin (Petroica goodenovii) is a small passerine bird native to Australia. Found in drier regions across much of the continent, it inhabits scrub and open woodland. Like many brightly coloured robins of the family Petroicidae, it is sexually dimorphic. Measuring 10.5–12.5 cm (4.1–4.9 in) in length, the robin has a small, thin, black bill, and dark brown eyes and legs. The male has a distinctive red cap and red breast, black upperparts, and a black tail with white tips. The underparts and shoulders are white. The female is an undistinguished grey-brown. This species uses a variety of songs, and males generally sing to advertise territories and attract females. Birds are encountered in pairs or small groups, but the social behaviour has been little studied.
  
  The position of the red-capped robin is unclear; it and its relatives are unrelated to European or American robins, but they appear to be an early offshoot of the songbird infraorder Passerida. The red-capped robin is a predominantly ground-feeding bird, and its prey consists of insects and spiders. Although widespread, it is uncommon in much of its range and has receded in some areas from human activity. (Full article...)
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  Vocalizations at a colony on Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand

  
  The Australasian gannet (Morus serrator), also known as the Australian gannet or tākapu, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. Adults are mostly white, with black flight feathers at the wingtips and lining the trailing edge of the wing. The central tail feathers are also black. The head is tinged buff-yellow, with a pearly grey bill edged in dark grey or black, and blue-rimmed eyes. Young birds have mottled plumage in their first year, dark above and light below. The head is an intermediate mottled grey, with a dark bill. The birds gradually acquire more white in subsequent seasons until they reach maturity after five years.
  
  The species range over water above the continental shelf along the southern and eastern Australian coastline, from Steep Point in Western Australia to Rockhampton, Queensland, as well as the North and South Islands of New Zealand, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. Nesting takes place in colonies along the coastlines of New Zealand, Victoria and Tasmania—mostly on offshore islands, although there are several mainland colonies in both countries. Highly territorial when breeding, the Australasian gannet performs agonistic displays to defend its nest. Potential and mated pairs engage in courtship and greeting displays. The nest is a cup-shaped mound composed of seaweed, earth, and other debris, built by the female from material mainly gathered by the male. A single pale blue egg is laid yearly, though lost eggs may be replaced. The chick is born featherless but is soon covered in white down. Fed regurgitated fish by its parents, it grows rapidly and outweighs the average adult when it fledges.
  
  These birds are plunge divers and spectacular fishers, plunging into the ocean at high speed. They eat mainly squid and forage fish that school near the surface. The species faces few natural or man-made threats, and since its population is growing it is considered to be a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (Full article...)
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  Early 1770s illustration by Georg Forster

  
  The Tahiti rail, Tahitian red-billed rail, or Pacific red-billed rail (Hypotaenidia pacifica) is an extinct species of rail that lived on Tahiti. It was first recorded during James Cook's second voyage around the world (1772–1775), on which it was illustrated by Georg Forster and described by Johann Reinhold Forster. No specimens have been preserved. As well as the documentation by the Forsters, there have been claims that the bird also existed on the nearby island of Mehetia. The Tahiti rail appears to have been closely related to, and perhaps derived from, the buff-banded rail, and has also been historically confused with the Tongan subspecies of that bird.
  
  The Tahiti rail was 9 inches (23 centimetres) long, and its colouration was unusual for a rail. The underparts, throat, and eyebrow-like supercilium were white, and the upper parts were black with white dots and bands. The nape (or hind neck) was ferruginous (rust-coloured), the breast was grey, and it had a black band across the lower throat. The bill and iris were red, and the legs were fleshy pink. The Tahiti rail was supposedly flightless and nested on the ground. It is said to have been seen in open areas, marshes, and in coconut plantations. Its diet appears to have consisted mainly of insects and occasionally copra (coconut meat). The extinction of the Tahiti rail was probably due to predation by humans and introduced cats and rats. It appears to have become extinct some time after 1844 on Tahiti, and perhaps as late as the 1930s on Mehetia. (Full article...)
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  Male

  
  The masked shrike (Lanius nubicus) is a species of bird in the shrike family, Laniidae. It breeds in southeastern Europe and at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, with a separate population in eastern Iraq and western Iran. It is migratory, wintering mainly in northeast Africa. Although it is a short-range migrant, vagrants have occurred widely elsewhere, including northern and western Europe. It is the smallest member of its genus, long-tailed and with a hooked bill. The male has mainly black upperparts, with white on its crown, forehead and supercilium and large white patches on the shoulders and wings. The throat, neck sides and underparts are white, with orange flanks and breast. The female is a duller version of the male, with brownish black upperparts and a grey or buff tone to the shoulders and underparts. The juvenile has grey-brown upperparts with a paler forehead and barring from the head to rump, barred off-white underparts and brown wings аpart from the white primary patches. The species' calls are short and grating, but the song has melodic warbler-like components.
  
  The masked shrike's preferred habitat is open woodland with bushes and some large trees. It is less conspicuous than its relatives, avoiding very open country and often perching in less exposed locations. The nest is a neat cup built in a tree by both adults, and the clutch is normally 4–6 eggs, which are incubated by the female for 14–16 days until hatching. The chicks are fed by both parents until they fledge 18–20 days later, and remain dependent on the adults for about 3–4 weeks after leaving the nest. The masked shrike eats mainly large insects, occasionally small vertebrates; it sometimes impales its prey on thorns or barbed wire. Populations are decreasing in parts of the European range, but not rapidly enough to raise serious conservation concerns, and the species is therefore classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of least concern. (Full article...)
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  Breeding plumage T. b. cristata displaying

  
  The greater crested tern (Thalasseus bergii), also called crested tern or swift tern, is a tern in the family Laridae that nests in dense colonies on coastlines and islands in the tropical and subtropical Old World. Its five subspecies breed in the area from South Africa around the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific and Australia, all populations dispersing widely from the breeding range after nesting. This large tern is closely related to the royal and lesser crested terns, but can be distinguished by its size and bill colour.
  
  The greater crested tern has grey upperparts, white underparts, a yellow bill, and a shaggy black crest that recedes in winter. Its young have a distinctive appearance, with strongly patterned grey, brown and white plumage, and rely on their parents for food for several months after they have fledged. Like all members of the genus Thalasseus, the greater crested tern feeds by plunge diving for fish, usually in marine environments; the male offers fish to the female as part of the courtship ritual.
  
  This is an adaptable species that has learned to follow fishing boats for jettisoned bycatch, and to use unusual nest sites such as the roofs of buildings and artificial islands in salt pans and sewage works. Its eggs and young are taken by gulls and ibises, and human activities such as fishing, shooting and egg harvesting have caused local population declines. There are no global conservation concerns for this bird, which has a stable total population of more than 500,000 individuals. (Full article...)
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  Adult in Mangily, Madagascar

  
  The long-tailed ground roller (Uratelornis chimaera) is a species of bird in the ground roller family Brachypteraciidae, placed in the monotypic genus Uratelornis. Endemic to arid spiny forests near the coast in southwestern Madagascar, this ground roller occurs at extremely low population densities throughout its habitat. This species requires shade and a deep layer of leaves on the ground, and it is absent from parts of the spiny forest lacking these features. It has no recognized subspecies, and its closest relative is the scaly ground roller. The long-tailed ground roller is the only ground roller to definitively display sexual dimorphism (differences in plumage or size between sexes). It is a medium-sized bird with a plump silhouette and a long tail. The upperparts are dark brown with black streaks while the underparts are light gray. The white throat is framed by black malar stripes and a black breastband, and a white stripe is present at the base of the bill. Sky-blue feathers are visible at the edge of the wings and the tail. Calls are rarely made outside the breeding season, though multiple courtship calls are made.
  
  These ground rollers feed primarily on invertebrates, including ants, beetles, butterflies, and worms, which they find by searching through deep leaf litter or by remaining still and watching attentively. The ground roller primarily runs through its habitat on its strong legs, as its wings are relatively weak. It is a monogamous species, and it defends a territory during the breeding season of October to February. It digs a tunnel in the sand, at the end of which is a wider chamber where it makes its nest out of leaves and earthy pellets. Two to four eggs are laid. After the chicks fledge, the birds continue living in family groups until at least February before dispersing more widely across the scrubland.
  
  This bird is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN and is threatened by habitat destruction. Since the arid, spiny forests in which it lives are not protected by the Malagasy government, it is losing habitat to slash-and-burn agriculture, charcoal collection, and logging. It is also hunted by the native peoples of Madagascar. (Full article...)
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  Adult, Santa Fe Province, Argentina

  
  The white-naped xenopsaris (Xenopsaris albinucha), also known as the reed becard and white-naped becard, is a species of suboscine bird in the family Tityridae, the only member of the genus Xenopsaris. It is found in South America, in humid subtropical and tropical savanna climates in most of the countries east of the Andes: Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. Living in open woodland and other open forest habitats, it is mostly sedentary, though some populations may be migratory. The species, which is closely related to becards and tityras, was thought to be either a tyrant-flycatcher or cotinga, before it was placed in Tityridae.
  
  The bird is 12.5 to 13 cm (4.9–5.1 in) in length, with whitish undersides, a black crown, and grey-brown upperparts. The sexes are similar in appearance, though the females have duller upperparts. It feeds on insects in the foliage of trees and bushes, and sometimes on the ground. Nesting occurs in a simple cup nest placed in the fork of a tree. Both parents incubate the eggs and help feed the chicks. When the chicks fledge, the parents may divide up the brood to continue helping. The species is not common and little is known about it, but it is not considered in danger of extinction, and has been classified as of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. (Full article...)
• 
  
  

  

  Subspecies boobook, New South Wales

  
  The Australian boobook (Ninox boobook), is a species of owl native to mainland Australia, southern New Guinea, the island of Timor, and the Sunda Islands. Described by John Latham in 1801, it was generally considered to be the same species as the morepork of New Zealand until 1999. Its name is derived from its two-tone boo-book call. Eight subspecies of the Australian boobook are recognized, with three further subspecies being reclassified as separate species in 2019 due to their distinctive calls and genetics.
  
  The smallest owl on the Australian mainland, the Australian boobook is 27 to 36 cm (10.5 to 14 in) long, with predominantly dark-brown plumage with prominent pale spots. It has grey-green or yellow-green eyes. It is generally nocturnal, though sometimes it is active at dawn and dusk, retiring to roost in secluded spots in the foliage of trees. The Australian boobook feeds on insects and small vertebrates, hunting by pouncing on them from tree perches. Breeding takes place from late winter to early summer, using tree hollows as nesting sites. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the Australian boobook as being of least concern on account of its large range and apparently stable population. (Full article...)

Selected general bird topic

Avian influenza, also known as avian flu or bird flu, is a disease caused by the influenza A virus (IAV) which primarily affects birds but can sometimes affect mammals including humans. Wild aquatic birds are the primary host of Influenza A virus (IAV), which is endemic in many bird populations. Symptoms of avian influenza vary according to both the strain of virus underlying the infection, and on the species of bird or mammal affected. Classification of a virus strain as either Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) or High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is based on the severity of symptoms in domestic chickens and does not predict severity of symptoms in other species. Chickens infected with LPAI display mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, whereas HPAI causes serious breathing difficulties, significant drop in egg production, and sudden death. Domestic poultry may potentially be protected from specific strains of the virus by vaccination. (Full article...)

Selected taxon

Hair-crested drongo (D. hottentottus striatus)

The drongos are a family, Dicruridae, of passerine birds of the Old World tropics. The 31 species in the family are placed in a single genus, Dicrurus.

Drongos are mostly black or dark grey, short-legged birds, with an upright stance when perched. They have forked tails and some have elaborate tail decorations. They feed on insects and small birds, which they catch in flight or on the ground. Some species are accomplished mimics and have a variety of alarm calls, to which other birds and animals often respond. They are known to utter fake alarm calls that scare other animals off food, which the drongo then claims. (Full article...)

Topics

Anatomy:   Anatomy • Skeleton • Flight • Eggs • Feathers • Plumage

Evolution and extinction:   Evolution • Archaeopteryx • Hybridisation • Late Quaternary prehistoric birds • Fossils • Taxonomy • Extinction

Behaviour:   Singing • Intelligence • Migration • Reproduction • Nesting • Incubation • Brood parasites

Bird orders:   Struthioniformes • Tinamiformes • Anseriformes • Accipitriformes • Galliformes • Gaviiformes • Podicipediformes • Procellariiformes • Sphenisciformes • Pelecaniformes • Ciconiiformes • Phoenicopteriformes • Falconiformes • Gruiformes • Charadriiformes • Pteroclidiformes • Columbiformes • Psittaciformes • Cuculiformes • Strigiformes • Caprimulgiformes • Apodiformes • Coraciiformes • Piciformes • Trogoniformes • Coliiformes • Passeriformes

Bird lists:   Families and orders • Lists by region

Birds and humans:   Ringing • Ornithology • Bird collections • Birdwatching • Birdfeeding • Conservation • Aviculture

Quotes

“ A traveler without observation is a bird without wings. ”

--Moslih Eddin Saadi,

...All quotes

Resources

Free online resources:

• SORA: The Searchable Online Research Archive (SORA) has decades worth of archives of the following journals: The Auk, The Condor, Journal of Field Ornithology, North American Bird Bander, Studies in Avian Biology, Pacific Coast Avifauna, and The Wilson Bulletin. Coverage ends around 2000. The ability to search all journals or browse exists on the front page.
• Notornis: The Journal of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand covers New Zealand and the South Pacific.
• New Zealand Journal of Ecology: This journal often publishes bird-related articles. Like Notornis, this journal is concerned with New Zealand and surrounding areas.
• Marine Ornithology: Published by the numerous seabird research groups, Marine Ornithology is specific and goes back many years.
• BirdLife International: The Data Zone has species accounts for every species, although threatened species and some key groups have greater detail with others only having status and evaluation.
• Author Index: This is a good source for binomial authorities for taxoboxes.

There is also Birds of North America, Cornell University's massive project collecting information on every breeding bird in the ABA area. It is available for US$40 a year.

For more sources, including printed sources, see WikiProject Birds.

WikiProjects

• WikiProject Birds
• WikiProject Science
• WikiProject History of Science
• WikiProject Tree of Life
• WikiProject Biology
• WikiProject Ecology
• WikiProject Extinction

Selected images

• 
  Rooster at Chicken
• 
  Greylag goose
• 
  Australian white ibis

  Photograph: JJ Harrison

  The Australian white ibis (Threskiornis moluccus) is a wading bird of the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. Found in much of Australia, the species has become increasingly urban since the 1970s; this specimen was photographed in Perth.
• 
  Mandarin duck

  Photograph: David Iliff

  The mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) is a perching duck species endemic to East Asia but since introduced to Europe and the United States. It is medium-sized, at 41–49 cm (16–19 in) long with a 65–75 cm (26–30 in) wingspan. The species mainly eats plants and seeds, especially beech mast. It will also add snails, insects and small fish to its diet.
  
  This specimen was photographed in Richmond Park, London.
• 
  Canada goose
• 
  Red-footed booby
• 
  Australian Brushturkey

  Photograph: JJ Harrison

  An Australian Brushturkey (Alectura lathami) in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The species, which measures up to 60–75 centimetres (24–30 in) in length, is the largest extant species of megapode. Although physically similar, the species is not closely related to the Turkey.
• 
  Light-mantled Albatross

  Photo credit: Vincent Legendre

  The Light-mantled Albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata) is a small (length of 79–89 cm or 31.1–35.0 in) sooty-brown or blackish albatross, with markings similar to a Siamese cat. It has a circumpolar pelagic distribution in the Southern Ocean. Except when breeding, its habitat is entirely marine, and it will forage from the edges of the Antarctic drift ice to about 40° S.
• 
  Great cormorant

  Photograph: JJ Harrison

  The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It breeds in much of the Old World and the Atlantic coast of North America. It can dive to considerable depths, but often feeds in shallow water. It frequently brings its prey, mostly fish, to the surface.
• 
  Bald eagle at Bird of prey
• 
  Savanna hawk

  Photograph: Charles J. Sharp

  A savanna hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis) from the Brazilian Pantanal. This species of large raptors is found in open savanna and swamp in Central and South America. It feeds on small mammals, lizards, snakes, crabs, and large insects.
• 
  Green Heron

  Photograph: Basar

  The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a heron species of North and Central America; this specimen was photographed at Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Adults have a body length of about 44 cm (17 in) and have been known to use tools to attract fish which they then eat.
• 
  Female mallard and ducklings at Burnaby Lake Regional Park
• 
  Raja Shelduck

  Photograph: JJ Harrison

  A Raja Shelduck (Tadorna radjah) at Centenary Lakes in Cairns, Australia. The Raja Shelduck prefers the brackish waters of mangrove flats and paperbark tree swamps, but will live elsewhere during the wet season. It feeds mainly on mollusks, insects, sedge materials and algae.
• 
  Australian Golden Whistler

  Photo: JJ Harrison

  The Australian Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) is a species of bird found in Australia and parts of Indonesia. Males, like the one pictured here, have a bright yellow underside and nape, olive-green back and wings, a black head and chest-band, and a white throat; females are generally a dull brownish-grey.
• 
  Sharp-tailed sandpiper

  Photograph: JJ Harrison

  The sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) is a small wader. It breeds in the boggy tundra of northeast Asia and is strongly migratory, wintering in south east Asia and Australasia.
• 
  Red crossbill
• 
  Female mallard in mid-flight at Flying and gliding animals
• 
  Feather

  Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, of birds. They are the outstanding characteristic that distinguishes the class Aves from all other living groups.
• 
  Pied avocet juvenile

  Photograph: Andreas Trepte

  A juvenile pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) near Oosterend, Texel Island, the Netherlands. While adults are black and white, juveniles of this species have more greyish and sepia tones.
• 
  Northern gannets
• 
  Collared whitestart

  Photograph: Simon Pierre Barrette

  The collared whitestart (Myioborus torquatus), also known as the collared redstart, is a tropical New World warbler endemic to the mountains of Costa Rica and western-central Panama. It is common at heights between 1,500 metres (5,000 ft) and the timberline in mossy mountain forests, ravines, second growth, and adjacent pastures. The collared whitestart is around 13 centimetres (5 in) in length with a weight of 10.5 grams (0.4 oz). It has a chestnut crown bordered with black, and a black forehead. The rest of the upperparts are slaty black, and the tail is black with white edges. The face and underparts are bright yellow, with a black band across the breast.
• 
  Chinese goose head at List of goose breeds
• 
  Protonotaria citrea

  The prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It breeds in hardwood swamps in southern Canada and the eastern United States and winters in the West Indies, Central America and northern South America.
• 
  Black-bellied whistling ducks

  Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

  The black-bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) is a species of whistling duck that breeds from the southernmost United States and tropical Central America to south-central South America. In the U.S., it can be found year-round in peninsular Florida and parts of southeast Texas, as well as seasonally in southeast Arizona and Louisiana's Gulf Coast. Since it is one of only two whistling duck species native to North America, it is occasionally just known as the "whistling duck" or "Mexican squealer" in the southern United States.
• 
  Greater Crested Tern

  Photo credit: Noodle snacks

  A Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) displaying in breeding plumage. This member of the tern family nests in dense colonies on coastlines and islands in the area from South Africa around the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific and Australia. It is closely related to the Royal and Lesser Crested Terns, but can be distinguished by its size and bill colour.
• 
  Australian Wood Duck

  Photo: Benjamint444

  An Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata) duckling. Also known as the Maned Duck or Maned Goose, this species of dabbling duck is found throughout most of Australia. Its habitat includes lightly wooded swamps, marshes, open woodland and grassland.
• 
  White-breasted nuthatch
• 
  Malurus cyaneus cyanochlamys, juvenile
• 
  Long-billed curlew

Selected bird anatomy topic

The hyoid apparatus of a horse. A–D: hyoid apparatus (D: basihyoid), E: epiglottis, F: glottis, G–J: cartilages of the trachea.

The hyoid apparatus is the collective term used in veterinary anatomy for the bones which suspend the tongue and larynx. It consists of pairs of stylohyoid, thyrohyoid, epihyoid and ceratohyoid bones, and a single basihyoid bone. The hyoid apparatus resembles the shape of a trapeze, or a bent letter "H". The basihyoid bone lies within the muscle at the base of the tongue.

In humans, the single hyoid bone is an equivalent of the hyoid apparatus. (Full article...)

Selected species

The king vulture, Sarcoramphus papa, is a large Central and South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. It is the only surviving member of the genus Sarcoramphus, though fossil members are known. It is large and predominantly white, with gray to black ruff, flight, and tail feathers. Its head and neck are bald, with the skin color varying, including yellow, orange, blue, purple, and red. The king vulture has a very noticeable yellow fleshy carnucle on its beak. This vulture is a scavenger and it often makes the initial cut into a fresh carcass. It also displaces smaller New World vulture species from a carcass. King vultures were popular figures in the Mayan codices as well as in local folklore and medicine. Though currently listed as being of least concern by the IUCN, they are declining in number, due primarily to habitat loss.

Did you know

• ...that sexual size dimorphism in the brown songlark is among the most pronounced in any bird, with males as much as 2.3 times heavier than females?
• ...that rufous whistler birds, unlike all other whistler birds, never forage on the ground but high up in trees or other high places?
• ...that the bill of the magpie duck (pictured) becomes green as the bird gets older, and its black crown may go completely white?

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Here are some tasks awaiting attention: Article requests : Endemic birds of Papua New Guinea (more) Cleanup : Bullfinch • Vesper sparrow • Bird flight • Bird bath (more) Copyedit : Plushcap • Magpie duck • Saker falcon (more) Expand : Phalarope • Nidicolous • Gouldian finch • Cathartes • Cnemophilidae • Avian malaria (more) NPOV : Debeaking • Driven grouse shooting • Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital (more) Stubs : Cathartiformes • Semiplumbeous hawk • Rainbow-bearded Thornbill • Sunda scops owl (more) Update : Coal tit • Scottish crossbill • New Caledonian lorikeet • Operation Migration (more) Verify : Argus (bird) • Blyth's frogmouth • Nik Borrow • Pytilia • Fregata • Chestnut-headed tesia • Darter • Pallid scops owl • Starling (more) Wikify : Ninox boobook ocellata • The Institute for Bird Populations (more) Other : Add photos to bird articles needing photos (search Flickr for free images). Add taxonomic authorities to genus articles.

More outstanding tasks at the project's cleanup listing, Category:Birds articles needing attention, and Wikipedia:WikiProject Birds/Todo.

Taxonomy of Aves

Class Aves, divided into superorders, orders, suborders (where indicated), and families.

Paleognathae Struthioniformes: mainly southern hemisphere; 12 species, 2 extinct Struthionidae: ostrich Casuariidae: emus and cassowaries Apterygidae: kiwis Rheidae: rheas Tinamiformes: South America; 45 species Tinamidae: tinamous Neognathae Anseriformes: worldwide; ~150 species Anhimidae: screamers Anseranatidae: magpie-goose Anatidae: swans, geese and ducks Galliformes: worldwide except northern Eurasia; ~250 species. Megapodidae: mound-builders Cracidae: chachalacas, guans and curassows Tetraonidae: grouse Phasianidae: partridges, pheasants, quail and allies Odontophoridae: New World quails Numididae: guineafowl Meleagrididae: turkeys Mesitornithidae: mesites Sphenisciformes: Antarctic and southern waters; 16 species Spheniscidae: penguins Gaviiformes: North America, Eurasia; 5 species Gaviidae loons or divers Podicipediformes: worldwide; 20 species Podicipedidae: grebes Procellariiformes: pan-oceanic; ~100 species Diomedeidae: albatrosses Procellariidae: fulmars, prions, shearwaters, gadfly and other petrels Pelecanoididae: diving petrels Hydrobatidae: storm petrels Pelecaniformes: worldwide; ~50 species Pelecanidae: pelicans Sulidae: gannets and boobies Phalacrocoracidae: cormorants Fregatidae: frigatebirds Anhingidae: anhinga and darters Phaethontidae: tropicbirds Ciconiiformes: all continents; >100 species. Ardeidae: herons and bitterns Balaenicipitidae: shoebill Scopidae: hammerkop Ciconiidae: storks Threskiornithidae: ibises and spoonbills Phoenicopteridae flamingos Cathartidae: New World vultures and condors - sometimes placed in Falconiformes/Accipitriformes. Falconiformes worldwide; ~260 species. Sometimes all except the falcons are separated as Accipitriformes. Pandionidae: osprey Accipitridae: hawks, eagles, buzzards and Old World vultures, harriers, kites, and allies Sagittaridae: secretarybird Falconidae: falcons Gruiformes: worldwide; ~200 species Gruidae: cranes Aramidae: limpkin Psophiidae: trumpeters Rallidae: rails, crakes, coots and allies Heliornithidae: finfoots and sungrebe Rhynochetidae: kagu Eurypygidae: sunbittern Cariamidae: seriemas Otididae: bustards Charadriiformes: worldwide; >300 species Scolopacidae: typical waders or shorebirds Rostratulidae: painted snipe Jacanidae: jacanas Thinocoridae: seedsnipe Pedionomidae: plains wanderer Laridae: gulls Rhynchopidae: skimmers Sternidae: terns Alcidae: auks Stercorariidae: skuas Glareolidae: coursers and pratincoles Dromadidae: crab plover Turnicidae: buttonquails Burhinidae: thick-knees Chionididae: sheathbills Pluvianellidae: Magellanic plover Ibidorhynchidae: ibisbill Recurvirostridae: avocets and stilts Haematopodidae: oystercatchers Charadriidae: plovers and lapwings Pterocliformes: Africa, Europe, Asia; 16 species Pteroclidae: sandgrouse Columbiformes: worldwide; ~300 species Raphidae: dodo and Rodriguez solitaire Columbidae: pigeons and doves Psittaciformes: pan-tropical, southern temperate zones; ~330 species Cacatuidae: cockatoos Psittacidae: parrots Cuculiformes: worldwide; ~150 species Musophagidae: turacos and allies Cuculidae: cuckoos Opisthocomidae: hoatzin Strigiformes: worldwide; >130 species Tytonidae: barn owls Strigidae: typical owls Caprimulgiformes: worldwide; ~100 species Steatornithidae: oilbird Podargidae: frogmouths Nyctibiidae: potoos Aegothelidae: owlet-nightjars Caprimulgidae: nightjars Apodiformes: worldwide; >400 species Apodidae: swifts Hemiprocnidae: tree swifts Trochilidae: hummingbirds - sometimes separated as Trochiliformes Coliiformes: Sub-Saharan Africa; 6 species Coliidae: mousebirds Trogonidae: trogons and quetzals Coraciiformes: worldwide; ~200 species Alcedinidae: river kingfishers Halcyonidae: tree kingfishers Cerylidae: water or belted kingfishers Todidae: todies Momotidae: motmots Meropidae: bee-eaters Leptosomidae: cuckoo roller Brachypteraciidae: ground rollers Coraciidae: rollers Upupidae: hoopoe Phoeniculidae: woodhoopoes Bucerotidae: hornbills Piciformes: worldwide except Australasia; ~400 species Galbulidae: jacamars Bucconidae: puffbirds Capitonidae: barbets Indicatoridae: honeyguides Ramphastidae: toucans Picidae: woodpeckers Passeriformes: worldwide; >5000 species Suborder Tyranni ("suboscines") Tyrannidae: tyrant flycatchers Acanthisittidae: New Zealand wrens Pittidae: pittas Furnariidae: ovenbirds Thamnophilidae: antbirds Formicariidae: antpittas and antthrushes Conopophagidae: gnateaters Rhinocryptidae: tapaculos Cotingidae: cotingas Pipridae: manakins Philepittidae: asities Suborder Passeri ("oscines") Atrichornithidae: scrub-birds Menuridae: lyrebirds Turnagridae: piopio Alaudidae: larks Hirundinidae: swallows Motacillidae: wagtails and pipits Campephagidae: cuckoo-shrikes Eupetidae: rail-babbler Pycnonotidae: bulbuls Regulidae: kinglets Chloropseidae: leafbirds Aegithinidae: ioras Ptilogonatidae: silky-flycatchers Bombycillidae: waxwings Hypocoliidae: hypocolius Dulidae: palmchat Cinclidae: dippers Troglodytidae: wrens Mimidae: mockingbirds, thrashers and gray catbird Prunellidae: accentors Turdidae: thrushes and allies Cisticolidae: cisticolas and allies Sylviidae: Old World warblers Polioptilidae: gnatcatchers Muscicapidae: Old World flycatchers Platysteiridae: wattle-eyes Petroicidae: Australasian robins Pachycephalidae: whistlers and allies Picathartidae: rockfowl Timaliidae: babblers Pomatostomidae: pseudo-babblers Paradoxornithidae: parrotbills Orthonychidae: logrunner and chowchilla Cinclosomatidae: whipbirds and quail-thrushes Aegithalidae: long-tailed tits Maluridae: fairy-wrens, emu-wrens and grasswrens Neosittidae: sitellas Climacteridae: Australasian treecreepers Paridae: chickadees and tits Sittidae: nuthatches Tichodromidae: wallcreeper Certhiidae: treecreepers Rhabdornithidae: Philippine creepers Remizidae: penduline tits Nectariniidae: sunbirds and spiderhunters Melanocharitidae: berrypeckers and longbills Paramythiidae: tit berrypecker and crested berrypeckers Dicaeidae: flowerpeckers Pardalotidae: pardalotes, thornbills and alies Zosteropidae: white-eyes Promeropidae: sugarbirds Meliphagidae: honeyeaters and chats Oriolidae: Old World orioles Irenidae: fairy-bluebirds Laniidae: shrikes Malaconotidae: bushshrikes and allies Prionopidae: helmetshrikes Vangidae: vangas Dicruridae: drongos Callaeidae: wattlebirds Corcoracidae: white-winged chough and Apostlebird Artamidae: currawongs, woodswallows, butcherbirds & allies Pityriaseidae: bristlehead Paradisaeidae: birds-of-paradise Ptilonorhynchidae: bowerbirds Corvidae: crows, jays and magpies Sturnidae: starlings Passeridae: Old World sparrows Ploceidae: weavers and allies Estrildidae: waxbills and allies Viduidae: indigobirds Vireonidae: vireos and allies Fringillidae: finches, crossbills and allies Drepanididae: Hawaiian honeycreepers Peucedramidae: olive warbler Parulidae: New World warblers Coerebidae: bananaquit Thraupidae: tanagers and allies Emberizidae: buntings, seedeaters and allies Cardinalidae: saltators, cardinals and allies Icteridae: troupials and allies

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