Dear visitor,

this site is dedicated to the phylogeny of modern birds. Since Darwin wrote his famous On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, we know that all living things on this planet are related. Before this, people tried to classify the world around them. This has led to some beautiful collections and databases. But much of the classifications were artificial, based on morphological characters. Now that we know that all species fit into a "tree of life", scientists are trying to rebuilt this tree and use it to make a biological correct classification, following the steps of evolution. This has led and will lead to some surprising discoveries. You can find all the information about this work in progress on www.tolweb.org. But I think there should be a site where you can see the classification of the modern birds based on their phylogeny. I will try to keep this taxonomy up to date, with all the known taxa.

There will be a overview of all the known families. If you want more information about the genera or species within the family, you can visit the following site: avibase.bsc-eoc.org. This site contains descriptions of all the birds on this planet. 

But on this site, the emphasis lies on the phylogenetic relationships between the families.  Start from Tree of Birds and work your way to some of the most beautiful and amazing creatures. In the News section you can find some of the latest articles and developments in the search for the phylogeny of the birds. And the progress of this site.  

In the latest section Species Spotlight, I randomly pick a species from the huge diversity of birds and briefly discuss its phylogenetic position.

And of course, don't hesitate to contact me or give your opinion in the guestbook.

You can find all the featured families in the list below.

Palaeognathae

            Struthionidae (Ostrich) 

            Rheidae (Rheas)

            Casuariidae (Cassowaries)

            Dromaiidae (Emu)

            Apterygidae (Kiwis)

            Tinamiformes (Tinamous)

Neognathae

    Galloanserae

        Galliformes    

            Megapodiidae (Megapodes)

            Cracidae (Curassows & Guans)

            Numididae (Guineafowl)

            Odontophoridae (New World Quail)

            Phasianidae (Grouse & Pheasants)

        Anseriformes

            Anhimidae (Screamers)

            Anseranatidae (Magpie-goose)

            Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)

    Neoaves

        Sphenisciformes (Penguins)

        Gaviiformes (Loons)

        Procellariformes

            Diomedeidae (Albatrosses)

            Procellariidae (Petrels & Shearwaters)

            Hydrobatidae (Storm Petrels)

            Pelecanoididae (Diving Petrels)

        Podicipediformes (Grebes)

        Phoenicopteriformes (Flamingos)

        Ciconiiformes (Storks)

        Pelecaniformes

            Threskiornithidae (Ibises & Spoonbills)

            Ardeidae (Herons)

            Fregatidae (Frigatebirds)

            Scopidae (Hammerkop)

            Balaenicipitidae (Shoebill)

            Pelecanidae (Pelicans)

            Sulidae (Gannets and Boobies)

            Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants)

            Anhingidae (Anhingas)

        Falconiformes (Falcons)

        Accipitriformes

            Sagittariidae (Secretary Bird)

            Accipitridae (Hawks, Kites & Eagles)

            Pandionidae (Osprey)

            Cathardidae (New World Vultures)