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The indigobirds and whydahs, together with the cuckoo-finch, make up the family Viduidae; they are small passerine birds native to Africa. These are finch-like species which usually have black or indigo predominating in their plumage. The birds named "whydahs" [1] have long or very long tails in the breeding male.
The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160 warblers, small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae.
Many well-known birds such as hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures are included in this group. The osprey is usually placed in a separate family ( Pandionidae ), as is the secretary bird ( Sagittariidae ), and the New World vultures are also usually now regarded as a separate family or order.
The marvelous spatuletail is currently (early 2022) treated by worldwide taxonomic systems as the only member of its genus. [3] [4] [5] However, a molecular phylogenetic study of the hummingbirds published in 2014 found that the marvelous spatuletail was embedded in genus Eriocnemis, the "pufflegs". [6]
The jacanas (sometimes referred to as Jesus birds or lily trotters) are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found in the tropical regions around the world. They are noted for their elongated toes and toenails that allow them to spread out their weight while foraging on floating or semi-emergent aquatic vegetation.
The family Estrildidae was introduced in 1850 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte as "Estreldinae", a spelling variant of the subfamily name. [2] [3] In the list of world birds maintained by Frank Gill, Pamela Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) the family contains 140 species divided into 41 genera. [4]
In this list of birds by common name 11,278 extant and recently extinct (since 1500) bird species are recognised. [1] Species marked with a "†" are extinct.
The digestive system of birds is unique, with a crop for storage and a gizzard that contains swallowed stones for grinding food to compensate for the lack of teeth. [146] Some species such as pigeons and some psittacine species do not have a gallbladder. [147] Most birds are highly adapted for rapid digestion to aid with flight. [148]