bird family

/bərd ˌfæm(ə)li/

Other forms: bird families

Definitions of bird family

1. noun

   a family of warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
   types:

   Struthionidae, family Struthionidae

   tall terrestrial birds: ostriches

   Casuaridae, family Casuaridae

   a family of large ostrich-like birds including cassowaries

   Apterygidae, family Apterygidae

   coextensive with the order Apterygiformes

   Rheidae, family Rheidae

   a family of birds coextensive with the order Rheiformes

   Aepyornidae, family Aepyornidae

   coextensive with the order Aepyorniformes

   Dinornithidae, family Dinornithidae

   moas

   Meliphagidae, family Meliphagidae

   honey eaters

   Prunellidae, family Prunellidae

   hedge sparrow

   Alaudidae, family Alaudidae

   larks

   Motacillidae, family Motacillidae

   pipits and wagtails

   Fringillidae, family Fringillidae

   finches: goldfinches; bullfinches; chaffinches; siskins; canaries; cardinals; grosbeaks; crossbills; linnets; buntings

   Carduelinae, subfamily Carduelinae

   used in some classifications for a subgroup of finches

   Emberizidae, subfamily Emberizidae, subfamily Emberizinae

   buntings and some New World sparrows

   Coerebidae, Dacninae, family Coerebidae, family Dacninae

   the honeycreepers

   Passeridae, family Passeridae

   true sparrows: Old world birds formerly considered weaverbirds

   Ploceidae, family Ploceidae

   weaverbirds

   Drepanididae, family Drepanididae

   Hawaiian honeycreepers

   Menuridae, family Menuridae

   lyrebirds

   Atrichornithidae, family Atrichornithidae

   scrubbirds

   Eurylaimidae, family Eurylaimidae

   coextensive with the suborder Eurylaimi

   Tyrannidae, superfamily Tyrannidae

   New World tyrant flycatchers most numerous in Central America and South America but also in the United States and Canada

   Cotingidae, family Cotingidae

   cotingas; umbrella birds

   Pipridae, family Pipridae

   manakins

   Furnariidae, family Furnariidae

   e.g. ovenbirds

   Formicariidae, family Formicariidae

   antbirds

   Dendrocolaptidae, family Dendrocolaptidae

   woodhewers or woodcreepers

   Pittidae, family Pittidae

   pittas

   Muscicapidae, family Muscicapidae

   Old World (true) flycatchers

   Turdidae, family Turdidae

   thrushes; in some classifications considered a subfamily (Turdinae) of the family Muscicapidae

   Turdinae, subfamily Turdinae

   alternative classification for the thrushes

   Sylviidae, family Sylviidae

   in some classifications considered a subfamily (Sylviinae) of the family Muscicapidae: Old World (true) warblers; American kinglets and gnatcatchers

   Sylviinae, subfamily Sylviinae

   alternative classification for the Old World warblers

   Timaliidae, family Timaliidae

   babblers

   Parulidae, family Parulidae

   New World warblers

   Paradisaeidae, family Paradisaeidae

   birds of paradise

   Icteridae, family Icteridae

   American orioles; American blackbirds; bobolinks; meadowlarks

   Oriolidae, family Oriolidae

   Old World orioles

   Sturnidae, family Sturnidae

   Old World starlings

   Corvidae, family Corvidae

   crow; raven; rook; jackdaw; chough; magpie; jay

   Garrulinae, subfamily Garrulinae

   subfamily of the crow family: jays

   Cracticidae, family Cracticidae

   Australian birds formerly included in the family Laniidae

   Troglodytidae, family Troglodytidae

   wrens

   Mimidae, family Mimidae

   sometimes considered a subfamily of Troglodytidae: mockingbirds; catbirds; thrashers

   Acanthisittidae, Xenicidae, family Acanthisittidae, family Xenicidae

   alternative names for the family comprising the New Zealand wrens

   Certhiidae, family Certhiidae

   creepers

   Sittidae, family Sittidae

   nuthatches

   Paridae, family Paridae

   titmice and chickadees

   Irenidae, family Irenidae

   a family of birds of the suborder Oscines

   Hirundinidae, family Hirundinidae

   swallows and martins

   Artamidae, family Artamidae

   wood swallows

   Thraupidae, family Thraupidae

   tanagers

   Laniidae, family Laniidae

   shrikes

   Malaconotinae, subfamily Malaconotinae

   an African bush shrikes

   Ptilonorhynchidae, family Ptilonorhynchidae

   bowerbirds

   Cinclidae, family Cinclidae

   water ouzels

   Vireonidae, family Vireonidae

   small insectivorous American songbirds

   Bombycillidae, family Bombycillidae

   a family of birds of the suborder Oscines

   Accipitridae, family Accipitridae

   hawks; Old World vultures; kites; harriers; eagles

   Falconidae, family Falconidae

   a family of birds of the order Falconiformes

   Pandionidae, family Pandionidae

   ospreys

   Sagittariidae, family Sagittariidae

   secretary birds

   Cathartidae, family Cathartidae

   condors; turkey buzzards; king vultures

   Strigidae, family Strigidae

   a family of nocturnal birds of the order Strigiformes

   Tytonidae, family Tytonidae

   comprising only the barn owls

   Meleagrididae, family Meleagrididae

   turkeys and some extinct forms

   Tetraonidae, family Tetraonidae

   grouse

   Cracidae, family Cracidae

   curassows; guans; chachalacas

   Megapodiidae, family Megapodiidae

   megapodes

   Phasianidae, family Phasianidae

   pheasants; quails; partridges

   Perdicidae, Perdicinae, subfamily Perdicidae, subfamily Perdicinae

   Old World partridges

   Numididae, Numidinae, subfamily Numididae, subfamily Numidinae

   guinea fowl and related birds of Africa and Madagascar

   Opisthocomidae, family Opisthocomidae

   comprising the hoatzins

   Tinamidae, family Tinamidae

   comprising the tinamous

   Raphidae, family Raphidae

   extinct dodos and solitaires

   Columbidae, family Columbidae

   doves and pigeons

   Pteroclididae, family Pteroclididae

   sandgrouses

   Psittacidae, family Psittacidae

   coextensive with the order Psittaciformes

   Loriinae, subfamily Loriinae

   lories

   Cuculidae, family Cuculidae

   includes cuckoo; ani; roadrunner

   Musophagidae, family Musophagidae

   touracos

   Coraciidae, family Coraciidae

   rollers

   Alcedinidae, family Alcedinidae

   kingfishers

   Meropidae, family Meropidae

   bee-eaters

   Bucerotidae, family Bucerotidae

   hornbills

   Upupidae, family Upupidae

   hoopoes

   Phoeniculidae, family Phoeniculidae

   wood hoopoes

   Momotidae, family Momotidae

   a family of birds of the order Coraciiformes

   Todidae, family Todidae

   a family of birds of the order Coraciiformes

   Apodidae, family Apodidae

   swifts; in former classifications included in the order Coraciiformes

   Hemiprocnidae, family Hemiprocnidae

   tree swifts

   Trochilidae, family Trochilidae

   hummingbirds

   Caprimulgidae, family Caprimulgidae

   goatsuckers

   Podargidae, family Podargidae

   frogmouths

   Steatornithidae, family Steatornithidae

   oilbirds

   Picidae, family Picidae

   woodpeckers

   Capitonidae, family Capitonidae

   barbets

   Bucconidae, family Bucconidae

   puffbirds

   Indicatoridae, family Indicatoridae

   honey guides

   Galbulidae, family Galbulidae

   jacamars

   Ramphastidae, family Ramphastidae

   toucans

   Trogonidae, family Trogonidae

   coextensive with the order Trogoniformes

   Anatidae, family Anatidae

   swimming birds having heavy short-legged bodies and bills with a horny tip: swans; geese; ducks

   Merginae, subfamily Merginae

   mergansers and closely related diving birds

   Anserinae, subfamily Anserinae

   used in some classifications for the swans

   Anhimidae, family Anhimidae

   screamers

   Ciconiidae, family Ciconiidae

   storks

   Balaenicipitidae, family Balaenicipitidae

   shoebills

   Threskiornithidae, family Ibidiidae, family Threskiornithidae

   ibises

   Plataleidae, family Plataleidae

   spoonbills

   Phoenicopteridae, family Phoenicopteridae

   flamingos

   Ardeidae, family Ardeidae

   herons; egrets; night herons; bitterns

   Gruidae, family Gruidae

   cranes

   Cariamidae, family Cariamidae

   crane-like South American wading birds

   Rallidae, family Rallidae

   rails; crakes; gallinules; coots

   Otididae, family Otididae

   bustards

   Turnicidae, family Turnicidae

   small Old World birds resembling but not related to true quail

   Psophiidae, family Psophiidae

   trumpeters

   Charadriidae, family Charadriidae

   plover family

   Scolopacidae, family Scolopacidae

   sandpiper family: sandpipers; woodcocks; snipes; tattlers; curlews; godwits; dowitchers

   Recurvirostridae, family Recurvirostridae

   long-legged shorebirds

   Haematopodidae, family Haematopodidae

   oystercatchers

   Phalaropidae, family Phalaropidae

   phalaropes

   Glareolidae, family Glareolidae

   Old World shorebirds: pratincoles and coursers

   Burhinidae, family Burhinidae

   large wading birds resembling the plovers: stone curlews

   Laridae, family Laridae

   gull family: gulls and terns

   Sterninae, subfamily Sterninae

   terns

   Rynchopidae, family Rynchopidae

   coextensive with the genus Rynchops: skimmers

   Stercorariidae, family Stercorariidae

   jaegers and skuas:

   Alcidae, family Alcidae

   web-footed diving seabirds of northern seas: auks; puffins; guillemots; murres; etc.

   Gavidae, family Gavidae

   loon family

   Podicipedidae, family Podicipedidae

   coextensive with the order Podicipitiformes

   Pelecanidae, family Pelecanidae

   pelicans

   Fregatidae, family Fregatidae

   frigate birds

   Sulidae, family Sulidae

   gannets and boobies

   Phalacrocoracidae, family Phalacrocoracidae

   cormorants

   Anhingidae, family Anhingidae

   snakebirds

   Phaethontidae, family Phaethontidae

   tropicbirds

   Spheniscidae, family Spheniscidae

   comprising all existing penguins

   Diomedeidae, family Diomedeidae

   albatrosses

   Procellariidae, family Procellariidae

   petrels; fulmars; shearwaters;

   Hydrobatidae, family Hydrobatidae

   storm petrels

   Pelecanoididae, family Pelecanoididae

   diving petrels

   type of:

   family

   (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera