| Ciconiiformes Fossil range: Late Eocene to Recent |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 An adult Saddle-billed Stork
|
||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||
|
||||||||
| Families | ||||||||
Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in The Saddle-billed Stork ( Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the Stork family Ciconiidae. Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Charles Lucien (Carlo Jules Laurent Bonaparte 2nd Prince of Canino and Musignano ( May 24, 1803 &ndash July 29, 1857) was a French The herons are wading Birds in the Ardeidae family Some are called Egrets or Bitterns instead of herons The Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex, also known as Whalehead, is a very large Bird related to the Storks It derives its name from its massive The Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex, also known as Whalehead, is a very large Bird related to the Storks It derives its name from its massive The Hammerkop ( Scopus umbretta) also known as Hamerkop, Hammerhead, Hammerhead Stork, Umbrette, Umber Bird, Tufted The Hammerkop ( Scopus umbretta) also known as Hamerkop, Hammerhead, Hammerhead Stork, Umbrette, Umber Bird, Tufted Storks are large long-legged long-necked wading Birds with long stout bills, belonging to the family Ciconiidae. The family Threskiornithidae includes 36 Species of large terrestrial and wading Birds falling into two subfamilies the Ibises The New World vulture family Cathartidae contains seven Species found in warm and temperate areas of the Americas. This article is about the taxonomic rank for the sequence of species in a taxonomic list see Taxonomic order In scientific classification used Storks are large long-legged long-necked wading Birds with long stout bills, belonging to the family Ciconiidae. The herons are wading Birds in the Ardeidae family Some are called Egrets or Bitterns instead of herons This is an article about a type of bird For the EGRET satellite mission see Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope. The ibises (pronounced /ˈaɪbɪsɪz/ are a group of long-legged wading Birds in the family Threskiornithidae. "Spoonbill" could also mean Northern Shoveler or Paddlefish. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene. The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in
Contents |
Taxonomic issues with Ciconiiformes
Following the development of research techniques in molecular biology in the late 20th century, in particular methods for studying DNA-DNA hybridisation, a great deal of new information has surfaced, much of it suggesting that many birds, although looking very different from one another, are in fact more closely related than was previously thought. Molecular biology is the study of Biology at a molecular level DNA-DNA hybridization generally refers to a Molecular biology technique that measures the degree of genetic similarity between pools of DNA sequences Accordingly, the radical and influential Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy greatly enlarged the Ciconiiformes, adding many more families, including most of those usually regarded as belonging to the Sphenisciformes (penguins), Gaviiformes (divers), Podicipediformes (grebes), Procellariiformes (tubenosed seabirds), Charadriiformes, (waders, gulls, terns and auks), Pelecaniformes (pelicans, cormorants, gannets and allies), and the Falconiformes (diurnal birds of prey). The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy is a radical bird Taxonomy proposed by Charles Sibley and Jon Edward Ahlquist. Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless Birds living almost The loons (eg North America or divers (eg UK/Ireland are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia Grebes are members of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds some of which visit the sea when migrating Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large Birds It includes about 350 Species and has members in all parts of the world Waders, called shorebirds in North America (where "wader" is used to refer to long-legged wading Birds such as Storks and Gulls (often informally Seagulls) are birds in the family Laridae Terns are Seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily (Sterninae of the gull family Laridae (van Tuinen et al This article is about a family of birds For the American ornithological journal see The Auk. The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide A pelican is a large water Bird with a distinctive pouch under the beak belonging to the Bird family Pelecanidae. The Bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 Species of cormorants and shags. Gannets are Seabirds in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies. The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 Species of Birds that include the diurnal birds of prey. Birds of prey are Birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing using their keen senses especially vision The flamingo family, Phoenicopteridae, is related, and is sometimes classed as part of the Ciconiiformes. Flamingos or flamingoes ( are gregarious Wading birds in the Genus Phoenicopterus and family
However, morphological evidence suggests that the traditional Ciconiiformes should be split between two lineages, rather than expanded, although some non-traditional Ciconiiformes may be included in these two lineages.
For example, the New World vultures (Cathartidae) are now usually included in the Ciconiiformes. The New World vulture family Cathartidae contains seven Species found in warm and temperate areas of the Americas. This is not unequivocally accepted, but the vast majority of ornithologists believe it to be accurate based on morphological, behavioral and molecular evidence.
Some official bodies, notably the American Ornithologists' Union, have adopted the proposed Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy almost entirely, however a more common approach worldwide has been to retain the traditional groupings, and modify rather than replace them in the light of new evidence as it comes to hand. The American Ornithologists' Union ( AOU) an ornithological organization in the USA. The family listing here follows this more conservative practice. Bird taxonomy has been in a state of flux for some years, and it is reasonable to expect that the large differences between different classification schemes will continue to gradually resolve themselves as more evidence becomes available.
Cultural role
In most cultures, at least some members of the Ciconiiformes -- herons, storks, ibis, egrets and so on -- have always had an unusual status as objects of religious or artistic veneration. The attraction is certainly not phylogenetic. The morphologically similar, but unrelated, cranes are treated in the same way. Cranes are large long-legged and long-necked Birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae.
Sometimes hauntingly beautiful evocations of these birds are known from antiquity in, for example, Greece, Africa, Egypt, China, Vietnam and Japan. In Indo-European cultures the long-legged water bird tends to be a comical or even evil figure. The cultural phylogeny of these symbols would be an interesting study in itself, and their relative stability over millennia is surprising.
Behavior
Certainly one of the reasons for the attention given the ciconiiformes is their strange and alien way of moving. That special style of movement, whether perceived as graceful or comically awkward, is emphasized in the behavioral rituals common in the group. Some ciconiiforms are completely silent, and vocalization in most species is fairly limited. Thus, rituals and displays are the primary means of communication.
These behaviors seem to be almost completely genetically determined. In fact, one study analyzed the ritual behaviors of storks as if they were anatomical characters and reconstructed a taxonomic tree almost identical to the trees arrived at by anatomical or biochemical characteristics.
The rituals associated with initial mate selection, such as the male's "advertising" of his nest site and the female's expression of interest in the male's real estate, were quite extraordinarily stable.
Behaviours related to later events, such as copulation and pair-bond affirmation seem to be more phylogenetically plastic. Finally, behaviors not related to mating, such as the "anxiety stretch" or aggression displays, were quite variable, but still clearly inherited. This contrasts strongly with the song behaviors of passerine birds, which are strongly influenced by learning and individual experience.
Physical characteristics
Ciconiiformes have only a single pair of sternotracheal muscles in the syrinx; 16-20 cervical vertebrae; are diastataxic (the fifth secondary feather is absent, but fifth secondary covert is present); the feet are not webbed; the middle claw is laterally expanded, (pectinate in some families); intestinal ceca present, nearly always very small.
Ciconiiformes are extremely varied in size and shape. The smallest species are various bitterns of the genus Ixobrychus, some of which weigh less than 85 g (3 oz) and can measure as little as 30 cm (1 ft). Bitterns are a classification of wading birds in the Heron family Ardeidae Ixobrychus is a genus of Bitterns a group of wading Bird in the Heron family Ardeidae Many of the largest of living flying birds are among the Ciconiiformes. Species that can approach or exceed a height of 1. 5 m (5 ft) include the Goliath Heron, the Black-necked Stork, the Saddle-billed Stork, the Jabiru and the storks of the genus Leptoptilos. The Goliath Heron ( Ardea goliath) is a large wading Bird of the Heron family Ardeidae The Black-necked Stork, Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus is a large wading bird in the Stork family Ciconiidae The Saddle-billed Stork ( Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the Stork family Ciconiidae. This article is about the bird Jabiru mycteria from the Americas for other uses see Jabiru (disambiguation. Leptoptilos is a genus of very large tropical Storks Two species are resident breeders in southern Asia, and the Marabou Stork is found In terms of mass and wingspan, the largest of the Ciconiiformes is the Andean Condor, at up to 15 kg (33 lb) and 3. The Andean Condor ( Vultur gryphus) is a species of South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the 2 m (10. 5 ft) across the wings.
Ciconiiformes primarily occupy fresh water or terrestrial habitat, they are not filter feeders, and mostly feed on fish, crustaceans, insects, and carrion. Structure of crustaceans As Arthropods crustaceans have a stiff Exoskeleton, which must be shed to allow the animal to grow ( Ecdysis or molting They do not swim for food, and the northerly species migrate. Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of Birds Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability They are strong flyers with broad wings.
Most nest in trees although some build nests in swamps or on the ground. The young are altricial. Altricial means "requiring nourishment" and refers to a pattern of growth and development in organisms which are incapable of moving around on their own soon after hatching or Most species are generally colonial but the use of sound is uncommon. Social communication is by displays and rituals.
References
- Slikas, B (1998), "Recognizing and testing homology of courtship displays in storks (Aves: Ciconiiformes: Ciconiidae)". Evolution 52: 884-893.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic