This module covers the following 6 orders:

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This module covers the following 6 orders
GALLIFORMES Fowl-like birds GRUIFORMES
Cranes, Rails, Allies  EURYPYGIFORMES
Sunbitterns the ones below you do not need to
know for exams MESITORNITHIFORMES Mesites
OTIDIFORMES Bustards  CARIAMIFORMES
Seriemas
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CHICKENS AND RELATIVES
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ORDER GALLIFORMES Fowl-like birds 5
families 258 species
Range worldwide Morphology/ecology
short-beaked, terrestrial birds with short,
rounded wings Behavior most lay large clutches,
precocial chicks polygyny and lekking (group
male display areas) is common Taxonomic notes
quite primitive unspecialized birds near the base
of the tree of modern birds this is group that
Ken Dial used to test his new idea on the origin
of flight Important families Phasianidae
pheasants, grouse, turkeys, peacocks Odontophori
dae New world quails Megapodidae megapods or
moundbuilders eggs are buried and incubated by
heat generated from composting (Australia and
southern Asia)
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Family Phasianidae pheasants, turkeys
grouse

• Some species highly cryptic, others highly
  elaborate males
• Lekking mating system common
• Chicks highly precocial

Ocellated Turkey, Guatemala
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- Lekking Males defend display territories that
do not have any resources. Females cruise through
to make their choice.
Sharp-tailed grouse, British Columbia
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Rock Ptarmigan, Canadian arctic
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Rock Ptarmigan live in treeless tundra  plumage
color matters for crypsis
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molt has to happen very quickly as habitat
changes color with snow melt
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female half way through molt
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new female breeding plumage that is exquisitely
camouflaged against tundra
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rock ptarmigan nest with typical clutch size
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Family Odontophoridae New World quails

• California quail our state bird
• Several species have crests, called plumes or
  topknots
• After precocial young hatch, often form social
  groups called coveys

California Quail
Photo by Mike Danziger
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Family Megapodiidae moundbuilders

• Australian family
• only birds that do not use body heat to incubate
  their eggs

Australian Brush-Turkey
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• Unique incubation strategies in megapodes
• Compost
• Geothermal

Malleefowl mound where eggs are incubated
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CRANES RAILS AND ALLIES
Austral Rail Argentina
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ORDER GRUIFORMES Cranes Rails 6 families
163 species
Range worldwide Morphology/ecology terrestrial
and aquatic birds (wading, a few
swimmers) Behavior most are shy and retiring,
mainly monogamous, but some are polyandrous,
where females compete for males and have multiple
males. Other notes flightlessness has arisen
many independent times in rails Taxonomic notes
this order was recently split into several orders
(bustards, seriemas, mesites, sunbitterns all in
own orders) Important families Rallidae
coots, rails Gruidae cranes
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Family Rallidae rails, coots, moorhens

• - Largely aquatic birds that are solitary and shy
  (except coots)
• Well adapted for hiding in vegetation (thin as a
  rail)
• Long toes well adapted for walking on floating
  vegetation.

Pukeko New Zealand
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Sora, British Columbia
Virginia rail, British Columbia
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American Coot, B.C.
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Nest with eggs from two coot femalesbrood
parasitism
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coots also have interesting family dynamics
colorful chicks
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and they beat the crap out of their kids
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Family Gruidae cranes

• Large wading birds with long necks
• Many have graceful courtship dances
• Sensitive to habitat loss, and many are of
  conservation concern

Crowned Crane, Kenya
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ORDER EURYPYGIFORMES Sunbittern Kagu 2
families 2 spp
Range Central and South American New
Caledonia Morphology/ecology sunbitterns live
along tropical streams where they catch frogs,
insects, etc Behavior Sunbitterns have startle
display where they flash bright colors on wings
(fake eyes?) Taxonomic notes this is a new
order that was previously with Gruiformes
Important families Eurypygidae sunbittern
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Sunbittern
Sunbittern, Costa Rica
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for your enjoyment but you do not need to
memorize this order
ORDER OTIDIFORMES Bustards 1 family 26 species
Range mostly Africa, but Asia and
Austrailia Morphology/ecology terrestrial
walking birds, lack hind toe, omnivorous Behavior
spectacular displays, may be polygynous or
lekking Other notes Kori Bustard is heaviest
flying bird (42 pounds) Taxonomic notes this is
a new order that was previously with Gruiformes
Important families Otidae bustards
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Family Otididae bustards
Kori Bustard, Kenya
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for your enjoyment but you do not need to
memorize this order
ORDER MESITORNITHIFORMES Mesites 1 family 3
species
Range Madagascar Morphology/ecology
terrestrial, social Behavior secretive and
poorly studied Taxonomic notes this is a new
order that was previously with Gruiformes
Important families Mesitornithidae
Mesites
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Subdesert Mesite
Photo Ben Rackstraw
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for your enjoyment but you do not need to
memorize this order
ORDER CARIAMIFORMES Seriemas 1 family 2
species
Range South America Morphology/ecology
long-legged birds that hunt on the ground by
walking Other notes Seriemas related to some of
extinct huge South American birds
(Phorusrahocoids) Taxonomic notes this is a new
order that was previously with Gruiformes
Important families Cariamidae - Seriemas
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Red-legged Sereima Brazil