Unformatted text preview: oniformes (ratites)
• Struthionidae (Ostrich, 1 species)
• Rheidae (rheas, 2 species)
• Casuariidae (cassowaries. 3 species)
• Dromaiidae (Emu, 1 species)
Apterygidae (kiwis, 3 species) Tinamiformes
Tinamidae Ratites (Struthioniformes)
Struthionidae Casuariidae Dromaiidae Rheidae Apterygidae Aves Neognathae: Galloanserae Galliformes Anseriformes Anseriformes
• Economically important
– Domesticated for eggs, meat, feathers
– Waterfowl game birds •
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• Aftershaft reduced or absent
Preen gland is feathered
Lamellae present on bill
Young are precocial and covered in down at hatching
Penis present (not in screamers)
Two rather different families
– Anhimidae (screamers) 3 species
– Anatidae (waterfowl: ducks, geese, swans) 158 species
• Fifteen tribes including: Dendrocygnini: whistling ducks (8 species), Anserini:
true geese (15 species), Cygnini: swans (7 species), Oxyurini: stifftail ducks (7
species), Anatini: dabbling ducks (57 species), Aythyini: pochards and scaup (17 Anatidae Anhimidae
Crested Screamer Mallard Long-tailed Duck Ring-necked Duck Ruddy Duck Black-bellied Duck Mute Swan Snow Goose Galliformes
• Economically important
– 24 billion chickens
– Several important game birds • Medium to large, stocky fowl-like birds with rounded wings
• Ground (or tree)-dwelling, good runners, most are poor endurance fliers • Most rake through soil and leaf litter for seeds, other plant parts, invertebrates
• Long alimentary canals
• Well-developed ceca hold microbes for cellulose breakdown • Usually no male parental care (except megapodes)
• Precocial young, large clutch sizes (superprecocial in megapodes) Galliformes
• Includes:
– Phasianidae (pheasants, partridges and quails) 187 species
– Tetraonidae (grouse, prairie chickens, ptarmigans) 18 species
– Meleagrididae (turkeys) 2 species
– Numididae (guineafowl) 6 species
– Megapodidae (megapodes) 22 species
– Cracidae (chachalacas, guans and curassows) 50 species Bob-white Quail Ring-necked Phea...
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Full Document
- Spring '10
- PETERENGLISH
- Biology, Pelecaniformes, Long-legged wading birds, tropicbirds
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