This section brings together the major groups of birds adapted to hunting insects in low light or on the wing. Many are crepuscular or nocturnal specialists, using stealth, camouflage, or wide‑gaping mouths to catch prey in the dark. Others are superb aerial foragers, spending much of their lives in flight and feeding exclusively on insects … Continue reading "Section 5 — Nocturnal & Aerial Insectivores"

This section follows the AviList sequence through the major lineages of birds adapted to life on or over the water. Although these groups look very different — from penguins and loons to albatrosses, cormorants, herons, storks, and pelicans — they share a broad ecological theme: strong swimmers, divers, or long‑distance ocean travellers. Many spend most … Continue reading "Section 4 — Seabirds & Large Aquatic Birds"

This section follows the AviList phylogenetic sequence through a group of water‑associated bird lineages that sit just beyond the early Neoavian clades in Section 2. Although rails, cranes, shorebirds, gulls, and terns look very different, they share deeper evolutionary roots that place them near one another in the modern bird tree. Ecologically, this group spans secretive … Continue reading "Section 3 — Rails, Cranes & Shorebirds"

This section follows the AviList phylogenetic sequence, grouping together several early‑branching Neoaves lineages. Although these Orders look very different in ecology and appearance — from flamingos and grebes to turacos, bustards, cuckoos, mesites, sandgrouse, and finally pigeons and doves — they share deeper evolutionary roots that place them near one another in the modern avian … Continue reading "Section 2 — Flamingos to Pigeons"

The Order Passeriformes is the largest and most diverse group of birds, containing over half of all known species. From ancient New Zealand wrens and tropical antbirds to fairywrens, crows, warblers, thrushes, finches and tanagers, passerines occupy almost every habitat on Earth. Biologists recognise several major branches within the passerines, and my pages follow these … Continue reading "Section 9 – Passerines: Perching Birds"

Order: Passeriformes – Perching Birds Early passerines: New Zealand wrens, broadbills & pittas This subsection covers the earliest branches of the passerine tree. It includes the ancient New Zealand wrens, along with broadbills, asities and pittas of Africa and Asia, and the unusual Sapayoa of Central and South America, which links Old and New World … Continue reading "Section 9A – Basal Passerines & Old World Suboscines"

Order Passeriformes (Perching Birds) Antbirds, flycatchers & ovenbirds of the Americas This subsection covers a large group of passerines centred in Central and South America. It includes manakins, cotingas, tityras and tyrant flycatchers, along with the diverse antbirds, tapaculos, antpittas, and ovenbirds and woodcreepers that dominate many tropical forests and Andean habitats. These birds occupy … Continue reading "Section 9B – New World Suboscines"

Order Passeriformes (Perching Birds) Australasian early songbirds: fairywrens, honeyeaters & allies This subsection covers the earliest groups of true songbirds, centred in Australasia. It includes ancient lineages such as lyrebirds and scrub-birds, along with Australasian treecreepers and bowerbirds, followed by the large and varied groups of fairywrens, honeyeaters, thornbills, pardalotes and their close Australian–New Guinean … Continue reading "Section 9C – Australasian & Basal Oscines"

Order Passeriformes (Perching Birds) Crow lineage songbirds: Crows, Shrikes, Orioles & Allies This subsection covers the core corvoid groups and their close relatives — a large and diverse set of songbirds found across Africa, Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific. It begins with cuckooshrikes, whiteheads, boatbills and woodswallows, then moves through the African bushshrikes and vangas, … Continue reading "Section 9D – Core Corvoids & Allies"

Order Passeriformes (Perching Birds) Warbler- and thrush-like songbirds: warblers, babblers, wrens, thrushes & starlings This subsection covers the central part of the Passerida, a large group of small to medium-sized songbirds that dominate Eurasia, Africa, and many other regions. It begins with fairy-flycatchers, tits, larks and swallows, then moves through the major Old World warbler … Continue reading "Section 9E – Core Passerida: Sylvioid & Muscicapoid Songbirds"