1 ORDER STRUTHIONIFORMES – OSTRICHES – Common Ostrich 
2 ORDER RHEIFORMES – RHEAS – Lesser Rhea 
3 ORDER TINAMIFORMES – TINAMOUS- Elegant Crested Tinamou 4 ORDER CASUARIIFORMES – CASSOWARIES – Southern Cassowary 
5 ORDER APTERYGIFORMES – KIWIS – Southern Brown Kiwi 
6 ORDER ANSERIFORMES – DUCKS – Madagascar Pochard 
7 ORDER GALLIFORMES – PHEASANTS – Red Junglefowl 
8 ORDER PHOENICOPTERIFORMES – FLAMINGOS – Greater Flamingo 
9 ORDER PODICIPEDIFORMES – GREBES – White-tufted Grebe 10 ORDER COLUMBIFORMES – PIGEONS AND DOVES – Madagascar Blue Pigeon 11 ORDER MESITORNITHIFORMES – MESITES – Subdesert Mesite 12 ORDER PTEROCLIFORMES – SANDGROUSES – Crowned Sandgrouse 
13 ORDER OTIDIFORMES – BUSTARDS – Macqueen’s Bustard 14 ORDER MUSOPHAGIFORMES – TURACOS – Bare-faced Go-away-bird 
15 ORDER CUCULIFORMES – CUCKOOS – Greater Roadrunner 
16 ORDER CAPRIMULGIFORMES – NIGHTJARS AND ALLIES – Nubian Nightjar 17 ORDER OPISTHOCOMIFORMES – HOATZIN – Hoatzin 
18 ORDER GRUIFORMES – RAILS – Red-and-white Crake 
19 ORDER CHARADRIIFORMES – WADERS – Lesser Sand Plover 20 ORDER EURYPYGIFORMES – KAGO, SUNBITTERN – Sunbittern 21 ORDER PHAETHONTIFORMES – TROPICBIRDS – Red-billed Tropicbird 21 ORDER GAVIIFORMES – LOONS – Arctic Loon 23 ORDER SPHENISCIFORMES – PENGUINS – African Penguin 24 ORDER PROCELLARIIFORMES – SHEARWATERS – Yellow-nosed Albatross 25 ORDER CICONIIFORMES- STORKS – Greater Adjutant 
26 ORDER SULIFORMES – BOOBIES and GANNETS – Northern Gannet 
27 ORDER PELECANIFORMES – PELICANS – Shoebill 28 ORDER CATHARTIFORMES – NEW WORLD VULTURES – King Vulture 29 ORDER ACCIPITRIFORMES – HAWKS, EAGLES and KITES – White-bellied Goshawk 
30 ORDER STRIGIFORMES – OWLS – Snowy Owl 31 ORDER COLIIFORMES – MOUSEBIRDS – White-backed Mousebird 32 ORDER LEPTOSOMIFORMES – CUCUKOO ROLLER, Cuckoo Roller 33 ORDER TROGONIFORMES – TROGONS – Black-throated Trogon 34 ORDER BUCEROTIFORMES – HOOPOES and HORNBILLS – Southern Ground-Hornbill 35 ORDER CORACIIFORMES – ROLLERS AND ALLIES – Broad-billed Tody 
36 ORDER GALBULIFORMES – JACAMARS and PUFFBIRDS – Rufous-tailed Jacamar 37 ORDER PICIFORMES – WOODPECKERS AND ALLIES – Green-billed Toucan 38 ORDER CARIAMIFORMES – SERIEMA – Red-legged Seriema 39 ORDER FALCONIFORMES – FALCONS – Southern Crested Caracara 40 ORDER PSITTACIFORMES – PARROTS – Kea 41 ORDER PASSERIFORMES – PASSERINES – Olive Warbler
Abstract of the BIRD FAMILIES of the WORLD project status: The 41 BIRD ORDERS status! According to taxonomy (Clements, 2023), there are 41 Orders in the Class AVES (birds). Every Order comprises one or more Families (the project target is 250 Families in total). – At least one bird observed – 41 worldwide orders of birds
This article provides an overview of the changes or you can read the detailed recommendations of the British Ornithologists Union Taxonomic Committee outlining the evidence for the Passerine families.
For those who wish to read the primary research papers, see the paper by Hackett and others in Science for a study of all the worlds birds and that by Thomas in Proceedings B for common British birds.
The number of species found in each order (or family within the broad Passeriformes order) and the number known to exist in Britain are shown in the following table.
Authorities disagree somewhat regarding the total number of species, as well as how they should be categorized into various Families and Orders (as well as the chronological order in which they evolved and are listed).
Based on new evidence from DNA studies, the order in which birds are listed has recently undergone significant changes to better reflect their evolutionary history.
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