Palaeos:		Charadriomorpha
The Vertebrates		Pelecaniformes,  Charadriiformes, & Allies

Charadriomorpha: Pelecaniformes, Charadriiformes, & Allies

GALLOANSERAE
|
Charadriomorphae 
|--+--Phoenicopteriformes  
|  `--Ciconiimorphae 
|     |--Ciconiiformes 
|     |  |--Vulturides  
|     |  `--+--Plataleidae  
|     |     `--Ciconiidae 
|     `--+--Pelecaniformes 
|        `--+--Procellariiformes  
|           `--+--Gaviiformes  
|              `--Sphenisciformes  
`--+--Charadriiformes 
   `--+--Columbiformes 
      `--Psittaciformes 

Taxa on This Page

1. Charadriiformes
2. Columbiformes
3. Gaviiformes
4. Pelecaniformes
5. Procellariiformes
6. Psittaciformes
7. Sphensciformes

Descriptions

Pelecaniformes: pelicans, frigate birds, tropic birds. 

Range: fr mEc (Late Cretaceous?). 

Phylogeny: Ciconiimorphae:: (Procellariiformes + (Gaviiformes + Sphensciformes)) + *. 

Characters: Large (0.4-2.0 m), fish-eating shore or sea birds. Long bill; pseudo-teeth in several extinct forms; several forms with intramandibular joint and other gnathal kinesis adaptations for large prey; frequently aberrant nares, including reduced or absent nares and very long, slit-like nares; large salt gland within orbit; gular pouches common, used in hunting and in cooling behaviors; legs moderate to short; totipalmate feet, with hallux (I) partially turned and webbed to II; bones extensively pneumatized, and connected with respiratory system; subdermal air sacs also known in some (cushions ariel diving?); swimming, skimming and ariel diving hunters, some foot-propelled divers; cooperative hunting (driving) of fish; migrations uncommon; breeding always in isolated areas and very sensitive to mammalian predation; multi-year pairing and nesting common; altricial, naked young with sometimes very extended parental care by both parents. 

Links: Eggs; pelecaniformes; GeoZoo: Pelecaniformes; Pelecaniformes; Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter; Pelecaniformes Links; Birds Of The World; Photo Index to Bert's Birds. Pelecanus image by Dr. Dan Sudia, courtesy of University of Georgia Museum of Natural History. 000421.

Procellariiformes (= Turbinares; fequently spelled "Procellariformes"): albatrosses, puffins, petrels. 

Range: fr lwEc.

Phylogeny: Ciconiimorphae::: (Gaviiformes + Sphenisciformes) + *. 

Characters: Tube-nosed sea birds. Bills short to medium, with distinctive hooked terminal nail; tubular nostrils; wings typically long, with very high aspect ratio except in smaller, diving forms; larger forms frequently require wind, altitude or long runway to take off; legs shifted posteriorly; poor walkers & may use wings as props; usually only on land for breeding; feet webbed, with hallux reduced or absent; plumage never bright; stomach oils from enlarged and folded proventriculus, rich in vitamins A & D; oil used in feeding young, as feather waterproofing, or as defense; prey on pelagic crustaceans and squid; many species nocturnal; colonial breeding in isolated locations; very low reproductive rate with high investment in rearing young; altricial young with slow maturation; very long lived. Possibly polyphyletic group, ancestral to Sphenisciformes. 

Links: bird001z; Procellariiformes; procellariiformes; Procellariiformes; Lycos Procellariidae; procellariiformes; Dierentuin.Net Dieren Database Stormvogels en verwanten; Where the albatross wanders. Image of Fulmaris glacialis (northern fulmar) courtesy of Canadian Museum of Natural History, (public domain per terms of the Canadian Digital Collections Program) 000425.

Gaviiformes: Colymboides, loons. 

Range: fr upEc (Late Cretaceous?). 

Phylogeny: Ciconiimorphae:::: Sphenisciformes + *. 

Characters: Large (60-100 cm) Arctic foot-propelled divers. Strong, tapered bill; small, pointed wings; legs placed far posterior and upper leg merges with body (convergent on hesperornithiforms and gruiformes); 3 webbed toes; bones not pneumatic; coloration mainly blacks, greys and whites; dive up to 60m; fast flyers; feed on fish and other medium-sized aquatic animals; solitary except during migration (if any); nest on vegetation adjacent to water; precocial young.

Links: eggs; BIRDNET: Gaviiformes; Birds throughout time; Order Gaviiformes; GeoZoo: Loons; GeoZoo: Loons at a Glance & Loon Links! (collectively, these two sites are the Best on the Web); Aves: Gaviiformes (Seetaucher) (in German); Gaviiformes through Ciconiiformes; Gaviidae.

Note: one of the few areas of almost unanimous agreement in recent years has been the close relationship between loons, pelecaniforms and penguins. Image: The image appears to be from a 1905 German text, presumably copyright expired. Note some of the remarkable convergences on hesperornithiforms. 000427.

Sphenisciformes: Paleospheniscus, Aptenodytes, other penguins. 

Range: from the Late Eocene 

Phylogeny: Ciconiimorphae:::: Gaviiformes + *. 

Characters: Underwater flyers from the Southern Hemisphere, 35 cm & 1kg to 120 cm and 40 kg. Nostrils slit-like, but tubular in some young; salt glands; legs far back on body; closely fused tarsal elements; plantigrade; elaborate temperature control mechanisms in feet; bones not pneumatic; no apteria; feathers have long aftershaft of down and tips for oily, waterproof coating; may make 200+ dives per day, larger species to 16 min and 500 m depth; feed on krill (compete with whales) and fish; some are nocturnal; attacked by seals; frequently return to same mate and site; mating cycle once or less per year; usually lay 1-3 eggs; biparental care (alternate); high mortality among eggs; raised in crèche, but individually fed; young independent in 2-12 months. 

Links: WebRing: Navigation (a penguin web ring); Sphenisciformes; geobop Sphenisciformes; Familia Spheniscidae (in Spanish); Lycos Directory: Spheniscidae; Penguins; Penguins!; ADW: Advanced Search. Order Sphenisciformes; Sphenisciformes; Sphenisciformes; <br><b> Order Sphenisciformes- Penguins; Sphenisciformes | Animals | Chaffee Zoological Gardens of Fresno; Black-footed Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) CLASS- AVES ORDER- ...; Sphenisciformes (Encyclopedia Penguinnica) (Japanese); Galapagos Penguin; Ord. Sphenisciformes Flossentaucher, Pinguine [ Aves ] © Gerald ...; Spheniscidae (Spanish -- excellent). ATW030217.

Charadriiformes: Burhinis, gulls, auks, etc.. 

Range: fr lwEc (upPc?). 

Phylogeny: Charadriomorphae:: (Columbiformes + Psittaciformes) + *: 

Characters: Possibly more closely related to Gruiformes than indicated here. Nostrils bony and schizorhinal; bill rhynchokinetic, but by several different mechanisms. 

Links: kingdom; Numenius arquatus - Grosser Brachvogel; Order Charadriiformes; Charadriiformes Links; Charadriiformes [80]; shorebrd.html (Best on the Web); Lycos Directory: Charadriiformes; Dogpile: Search Results {charadriiformes} -p.3; Forest and Rangeland Birds of the United States; International Shorebird Gallery - Index; Orden Charadriiforme. 000506.

Columbiformes: doves, pigeons (e.g. Columba), Raphus (dodo), sand grouse. 

Range: fr upEc. 

Phylogeny: Charadriomorphae::: Psittaciformes + *. 

Characters: Fairly unspecialized land birds. Small head; bill short and may be overhung by fleshy operculum; palatines do not meet at the midline; vomer vestigial or absent; schizorhinal; 14-15 cervical vertebrae; large pectoral muscles; sternum with large lateral incisions; U-shaped furculum with weak hypocleideum; wings medium to short; 11 primaries; body compact; legs short; grain, seed and fruit eaters, with many ground-feeding forms; crop used for food storage; $ able to drink continuously (rather than tipping head between sips) with esophogeal contractions; fairly high rate of reproduction compared to sea birds, with high juvenile mortality from starvation; $ secretion from crop wall for young convergent on mammalian milk. 

Links: Order Columbiformes; World Birds Taxonomic List: Genera and species with citations.; GeoZoo: (order Columbiformes); BIRDNET: Columbiformes species list; Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter; Aves: Columbiformes (German). 

Image: appears to be from a 1905 German text, presumably copyright expired. 000509.

Psittaciformes: parrots and allies. 

Range: Fr lwEc. 

Phylogeny: Charadriomorphae::: Columbiformes + *. 

Characters: Noisy, bright-colored tropical birds, 8 to 100 cm, with strong, hooked beaks. Thick, hooked bill, usually with cutting surface on lower bill; highly rhynchokinetic upper jaw; short, flesh tongue highly mobile; cere (area of soft bare or sparsely-feathered skin) surrounding nostrils, frequently colored; short, thick neck; compact body; carina prominent; furcula highly variable; wings often pointed; feet sturdy; zygodactyl toes; entire foot with thick, lightly scaled skin; frequently able climbers and dexterous with feet; some flightless insular species; strongly monogamous; nest largely in holes in trees; usually gregarious; long history of semi-domestication; generally long-lived and intelligent. 

Links: skulls unlimited psittaciformes; Bibliography of Psittacine Birds; BIRDNET Psitaciformes; World Birds Taxonomic List: Genera and species with citations.; feral parrots; Birds - Everything About Parrots and Hookbills; Dierentuin.Net Dieren Database Papegaaien (in Dutch); Order Psittaciformes; Quakerslave's Parrot Information Site; Psittaciformes- the parrots; The Alex Foundation; Psittaciformes - Beiträge zur Papageienkunde; Arbeitsgemeinschaft Papageien-Netzwerk; SENCKENBERG Exponat Januar 1998; Arbeitsgemeinschaft Papageiennetzwerk - Raritäten im Naturhistorischen Museum in Basel

Image: macaw posted as clip art. ATW011223