List of birds

This page lists living orders and families of birds. The links below should then lead to family accounts and hence to individual species.
The passerines (perching birds) alone account for well over 5,000 species. In total there are about 10,000 species of birds described worldwide, though one estimate of the real number places it at almost twice that.
Taxonomy is very fluid in the age of DNA analysis, so comments are made where appropriate, and all numbers are approximate. In particular see Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy for a very different classification.
Phylogeny.
Cladogram of modern bird relationships based on Jarvis, E.D. et al. (2014) with some clade names after Yuri, T. et al. (2013).
Paleognathae.
The Paleognathae, or "old jaws", are one of the two superorders recognized within the taxonomic class Aves and consist of the ratites and tinamous. The ratites are mostly large and long-legged, flightless birds, lacking a keeled sternum. Traditionally, all the ratites were place in the order Struthioniformes. However, recent genetic analysis has found that the group is not monophyletic, as it is paraphyletic with respect to the tinamous, so the ostriches are classified as the only members of the order Struthioniformes and other rattites placed in other orders.
Struthioniformes.
Africa; 2 species
Notopalaeognathae.
Rheiformes.
South America; 2 species
Casuariiformes.
Australasia; 4 species
Apterygiformes.
Australasia; 5 species
Aepyornithiformes.
Madagascar
Dinornithiformes.
New Zealand
Tinamiformes.
South America; 45 species
Neognathae.
Nearly all living birds belong to the superorder Neognathae or "new jaws". With their keeled sternum (breastbone), unlike the ratites, they are known as carinatae.
Galloanserae.
Galliformes.
Worldwide; 250 species
Anseriformes.
Worldwide; 150 species
Mirandornithes.
Podicipediformes.
Worldwide; 19 species
Phoenicopteriformes.
Worldwide; 6 species
Columbimorphae.
Columbiformes.
Worldwide; 300 species
Pterocliformes.
Africa, Europe, Asia; 16 species
Mesitornithiformes.
Madagascar; 3 species
Cypselomorphae.
Caprimulgiformes.
Worldwide; 500 species
Otidimorphae.
Cuculiformes.
Worldwide; 126 species
Musophagiformes.
Africa; 23 species
Otidiformes.
Africa and Eurasia; 27 species
Gruae.
Opisthocomiformes.
South America; 1 species
Gruiformes.
Worldwide; 164 species
Charadriiformes.
Worldwide; 350 species
Phaethontimorphae.
Eurypygiformes.
Neotropics and New Caledonia; 2 species
Phaethontiformes.
Oceanic; 3 species
Aequornithes.
Gaviiformes.
North America, Eurasia; 5 species
Sphenisciformes.
Antarctic and southern waters; 17 species
Procellariiformes.
Pan-oceanic; 120 species
Ciconiiformes.
Worldwide; 19 species
Suliformes.
Worldwide; 59 species
Pelecaniformes.
Worldwide; 108 species
Afroaves.
Accipitriformes.
Worldwide; 200 species
Strigiformes.
Worldwide; 130 species
Coliiformes.
Sub-Saharan Africa; 6 species
Leptosomiformes.
Madagascar; 1 species
Trogoniformes.
Sub-Saharan Africa, Americas, Asia; 35 species
Bucerotiformes.
Old World, New Guinea; 64 species
Coraciiformes.
Worldwide; 144 species
Piciformes.
Worldwide except Australasia; 400 species
Australaves.
Cariamiformes.
South America; 2 species
Falconiformes.
Worldwide; 60 species
Psittaciformes.
Pan-tropical, southern temperate zones; 330 species
Passeriformes.
Worldwide; 5,000 species