Birds
Introduction:
Birds are winged vertebrates specifically adapted for flight, although some, like penguins have lost this ability. With adaptations to different environments birds fly, run, jump, swim and dive across land, sea and sky.
They are the most widely studied group of animals - attributed to their widespread distribution and popular nature due to interesting behaviour, astonishing colours and diverse body forms.
Key features of birds:
Warm-blooded (endotherm)
Covered in feathers with various functions
Forelimbs modified into wings
Egg laying
Other characteristics of birds include feet covered in scales, hollow bones, a bill covered in keratin, gizzard in their digestive system, air sacs attached to lungs to aid breathing, and an oil gland for dressing the plumage to keep feathers clean and for some birds, provide a layer of waterproofing.
The birds can be found in central cabinet 4 in the museum
Classification:
Birds are split into two major groups: Paleognathae and Neognathae.
With the majority of modern birds belonging to Neognathae. This groups are distinguished by the structure of the bird skull- specifically the jaw.
Paleognathae
Ostriches, emus, kiwis, allies and tinamou
These birds have a more 'primitive and reptilian' jaw- in fact the name 'Paleognathae' is derived from paleognath, the ancient Greek for "old jaws"
Neognathae
All other living bird groups
The Neognathae consist of a huge range of diversity owing to <adaptive radiation> resulting in unique bills, feet and behaviours
Bird Orders
Below is a detailed list of the different bird orders from a 2019 review with the bird species listed next to the order.
If you want to discover more, all groups are hyperlinked to their respective page on Encyclopaedia Britannica or Bird Families of the World.
Within Paleognathae:
Struthioniformes - Ostriches
Rheiformes - Rheas
Apterygiformes - Kiwis
Casuariiformes - Emu, Cassowaries
Tinamiformes - Tinamous
Within Neognathae:
Galliformes - Landfowl: Grouse, quail, pheasants, francolins, guineafowl, junglefowl, moundbuilders
Anseriformes- Waterfowl: Ducks, geese, swans, screamers, teal
Capriumulgiformes - Nightjars, frogmouths, potoos, oilbirds
Apodiformes- Owlet-nightjars, treeswifts, swifts, hummingbirds
Musophagiformes - Turacos
Otidiformes - Bustards
Cucliformes - Cuckoos and Hoatzin
Mesitornithiformes - Mesites
Pterocliformes - Sandgrouse
Coloumbiformes - Pigeons
Gruiformes - Marshbirds: rails and allies, flufftails, finfoots, cranes, limpkin, and trumpeters
Podicipediformes - Grebes
Phoenicopteriformes - Flamingos
Charadriiformes - Shorebirds and relatives: sandpipers, plovers, phalaropes, stilts, jacanas, painted snipes, pratincoles, gulls and terns, seedsnipes, sheathbills, skimmers, skuas, auks, jack snipe, lapwing
Eurypygiformes - Sunbittern, Kagu
Phaethontiformes - Tropicbirds
Waterbirds:
Gaviiformes - Loons
Sphenisciformes - Penguins
Procellariiformes - Tube-nosed seabirds: petrels, shearwaters, albatrosses, storm petrels, diving petrels
Ciconiiformes - Storks
Suliformes - Webbed-feet water/diving birds: frigatebirds, cormorants, anhingas, gannets and boobies
Pelecaniformes - bis, herons, pelicans, Hammerkop, Shoebill
Land birds:
Accipitriformes - Raptors including New World Vultures
Strigiformes - Owls
Coliiformes - Mousebirds
Leptosomiformes - Cuckoo Roller
Trogoniformes - Trogons, quetzals
Bucerotiformes - Hornbills, hoopoes, wood hoopoes
Coraciiformes - Kingfishers
Piciformes - Woodpeckers
Cariamiformes - Seriemas
Falconiformes - Falcons
Psittaciformes - Parrots
Passeriformes - Perching birds (E.g. Corvids, finches etc)
Explore the different taxonomic groups of Birds using this interactive phylogenetic tree from OneZoom.
Learn more about OneZoom here
Highlights
Emperor penguin collected during Scott’s Arctic expedition (1901-1904) which greets visitors at the entrance to the Alfred Denny building
3-metre tall ostrich skeleton
Life-sized model of an elephant bird’s egg. Extinct since the 17th century, the elephant bird, along with its close cousin, the Moa, is the largest bird to have ever roamed the earth, and produced eggs that were 160 times larger than a chicken egg
Terror bird skull
A number of taxidermy birds including birds of paradise with their impressive plumage on display