Australasian birds

• Struthioniiformes
  • Casuariidae: Three species of emu (two recently extinct), three species of cassowary.
  • Struthionidae: the Ostrich (introduced to Australia, now feral)
  • Dinornithidae: 11 species of moa, all extinct.
  • Apterygidae: three species of kiwi.
• Podicipediformes
  • Podicipedidae: grebes
• Sphenisciformes
  • Spheniscidae: penguins
• Procellariiformes
  • Diomedeidae: albatross
  • Procellariidae: petrels and shearwaters
  • Hydrobatidae: storm-petrels
• Pelecaniformes
  • Pelecanidae: pelicans
  • Anhingidae: darter
  • Phalacrocoracidae: cormorants and shags
  • Fregatidae: frigatebirds
  • Phaethontidae: tropicbirds
• Ciconiiformes
  • Ardeidae: herons and bitterns
  • Ciconiidae: storks
  • Threskiornithidae: ibises and spoonbills
• Phoenicopteriformes
  • Phoenicopteridae: Greater Flamingo (very rare vagrant)
• Anseriformes
  • Anseranatidae: Magpie Goose
  • Anatidae: ducks and allies
• Falconiformes (see raptor)
  • Accipitridae: eagles, hawks, and allies, including the Wedge-tailed Eagle
  • Falconidae: falcons, Nankeen Kestrel, and Australian Hobby
• Galliformes
  • Megapodiidae: Scrubfowl, Malleefowl and Australian Brush-turkey
  • Odontophoridae: California Quail
  • Phasianidae: peafowl, Chukar, and quail
• Gruiformes
  • Gruidae: Saurus Cane and Brolga
  • Rallidae: Crakes, rails, native-hens and coots.
  • Otidae: Australian Bustard
• Charadriiformes
  • Pedionomidae: Plains Wanderer
  • Rostratulidae: painted snipe
  • Jacanidae: jacanas
  • Chironididae: sheathbills
  • Burhindae: stone-curlews
  • Haematopodidae: oystercatchers
  • Recurvirostridae: stilts
  • Charadriidae: plovers, dotterels and lapwings
  • Scolopacidae: snipe, sandpipers and phalaropes
  • Glareolidae: pratincoles
  • Laridae: skuas, terns, jaegers and gulls
• Columbiformes
  • Columbidae: doves and pigeons, including the several bronzewing pigeons
• Psittaciformes
  • Cacactuidae: cockatoos
  • Psittacidae: parrots, including the Paradise Parrot
• Cuculiformes
  • Cuculidae: cuckoos
  • Centropodidae: Pheasant Coucal
• Strigiformes
  • Strigidae: owls, including the Southern Boobook
  • Tytonidae: barn owls
• Caprimulgiformes
  • Podargidae: frogmouths
  • Caprimulgidae: nightjars
  • Aegothelidae: Australian Owlet-nightjar
• Coraciiformes
  • Alcedinidae: river kingfishers
  • Halcyonidae: tree kingfishers, notably the two kookaburras.
  • Meropidae: Rainbow Bee-eater
  • Coraciidae: Broad-billed Roller and Dollarbird
• Passeriformes: suborder Tyranni ("suboscines")
  • Tyrannidae: tyrant flycatchers
  • Acanthisittidae: New Zealand wrens
  • Pittidae: pittas
• Passeriformes: suborder Passeri ("oscines"), parvorder Corvidia
  • Menuridae: lyrebirds
  • Atrichomithidae: scrub birds
  • Climacteridae: Australian treecreepers
  • Maluridae: fairy-wrens, emu-wrens and grasswrens
  • Meliphagidae: honeyeaters and chats
  • Pardalotidae: pardalotes, scrubwrens, thornbills, and gerygones
  • Petroicidae: Australian robins, including the Scarlet Robin
  • Orthonychidae logrunners
  • Pomatostomidae Australasian babblers
  • Cinclosomatidae: whipbirds and allies
  • Neosittidae: Varied Sittella
  • Pachycephalidae: whistlers, shrike-thrushes, pitohuis and allies
  • Dicruridae: monarch flycatchers, flycatchers, fantails. the Magpie-lark and the drongos. Includes the Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail
  • Campephagidae: cuckoo shrikes and trillers
  • Oriolidae: orioles, Figbird
  • Artamidae: wood swallows, butcherbirds, currawongs and Australian Magpie
  • Puidisaeidae: birds of paradise
  • Corvidae: Rook, Australian Raven, Forest Raven, Little Raven, Little Crow and Torresian Crow
  • Corcoracidae: the White-winged Chough and the Apostlebird
  • Laniidae: shrikes (rare vagrants)
• Passeriformes: suborder Passeri ("oscines"), parvorder Passerida
  • Ptilonorhynchidae: bowerbirds
  • Turnagridae: Piopio
  • Alaudidae: larks
  • Motacillidae: wagtails and pipits
  • Prunellidae: Dunnock (introduced)
  • Passeridae: sparrows and Australian finches
  • Fringillidae: true finches
  • Emberizidae: buntings and American sparrows
  • Nectarinfidae: sunbirds
  • Dicaeidae: flowerpeckers
  • Hirundinidae: swallows and martins
  • Pycrionotidae: bulbuls
  • Sylviidae: Old World warblers
  • Zosteropidae: White-eyes, including the Silvereye
  • Muscicapidae: Old World flycatchers, thrushes and the introduced Common Blackbird
  • Sturnidae: starlings (mostly introduced)

The final decades of the 20th century saw a massive increase in the information available to taxonomists, particularly through the DNA-DNA hybridisation studies of Charles Sibley and colleagues. As a result, much revision of the traditional classifications has taken place. The family listing above follows the current official list from the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds.

Several well-known families have been reclassified in recent years, among them:

• The Dromaiidae (emus) which are now part of Casuariidae.
• The Ephthianuridae (Australian chats) which are clearly honeyeaters and part of the Meliphagidae.
• The Acanthizidae which are now lumped with the Pardalotes and form part of the Pardalotidae. (The pardalotes may at some time be split off again, in which case "Acanthizidae" will apply to the remainder once again.)
• The Grallinidae (Magpie-lark and Torrent Lark) which are part of the Dicruridae.

See also:

• Australian birds
• New Zealand birds
• European birds
• British birds

Referenced By