Home›Species›Taxonomy›AvesTaxaAvesClassReference and ClassificationThoroughly VerifiedWarm-blooded, feathered vertebrates that lay hard-shelled eggs, with forelimbs modified into wings and, in the great majority of species, the capacity for powered flight. Aves is now understood by paleontologists to be the one surviving lineage of dinosaurs, directly descended from small feathered theropods.FactsAvesConnectionsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsDisputedMember Species/Taxa CountScholarly debate11,000 2Approximate described-species (or, for a genus, described-taxon) count; continually revised as species are newly described, reclassified or synonymized.Taxonomic RankWell-attestedClass 2Scientific NameWell-attestedAves 2ClassificationLiving or ExtinctWell-attestedYes 1AvesFilter Results16 entriesCommon GroupAllBirds Of Prey (Raptors) (3)Cuckoos (2)Herons, Egrets And Allies (2)Kingfishers And Allies (2)Other Birds (3)Penguins And Seabirds (1)Ratites And Flightless Birds (3)HabitatAllAlpine (1)Chaparral (2)Cloud Forest (1)Desert (2)Freshwater (1)Grassland (4)Savanna (1)Steppe (1)Temperate Forest (1)Tropical Rainforest (4)Wetlands (2)Xeric Shrubland (1)Conservation StatusAllCritically Endangered (1)Endangered (1)Least Concern (10)Near Threatened (1)Vulnerable (3)EcosystemAllCalifornia Chaparral (1)Chihuahuan Desert (1)Daintree Rainforest (1)Fiordland (1)Great Lakes (1)Okavango Delta (1)Sahel (1)Svalbard (1)Western Ghats (2)Everyday GroupAllBirds Of Prey (Raptors) (3)Cuckoos (2)Herons, Egrets And Allies (2)Kingfishers And Allies (2)Other Birds (3)Penguins And Seabirds (1)Ratites And Flightless Birds (3)DietAllCarnivore (3)Detritivore or Scavenger (4)Frugivore (3)Insectivore (2)Omnivore (3)Piscivore (1)System (Realm)AllFreshwater (3)Marine (1)Terrestrial (16)ThreatsAllInvasive and Other Problematic Species, Genes and Diseases (1)Relationship to PeopleAllAgricultural or Structural Pest (2)Ecotourism and Research (1)Hunted or Fished (5)Kept as Pets (3)Natural Pest Control (2)Source of Fibre (1)Used in Traditional Medicine (1)Living or ExtinctAllYes (16)Where It LivesAllAfrica (4)Albania (1)Algeria (1)Andorra (1)Armenia (1)Australasia (3)Australia (5)Austria (1)Azerbaijan (1)Belarus (1)Belgium (6)Bolivia (1)Bosnia and Herzegovina (1)Brazil (3)Bulgaria (1)Chile (1)Colombia (6)Costa Rica (1)Croatia (1)Cyprus (1)Czechia (1)Denmark (4)Ecuador (4)Egypt (1)Estonia (1)Finland (1)France (2)Georgia (1)Germany (1)Guatemala (1)Guyana (1)Hungary (1)Iceland (1)Indonesia (1)Ireland (1)Israel (1)Italy (1)Latvia (1)Lebanon (1)Libya (1)Liechtenstein (1)Lithuania (1)Luxembourg (3)Malta (1)Moldova (1)Montenegro (1)Morocco (1)Nepal (1)Netherlands (3)Nicaragua (1)North America (6)North Macedonia (1)Norway (15)Palestine (1)Panama (1)Papua New Guinea (1)Peru (1)Poland (4)Portugal (2)Romania (1)Russia (3)Serbia (1)Seychelles (1)Slovakia (1)Slovenia (1)South America (3)South Asia (4)Spain (5)Sweden (3)Switzerland (1)Syria (1)Tanzania (1)Tunisia (1)Turkey (1)Ukraine (4)United Kingdom (2)United States (4)Uruguay (1)Vatican City (1)Venezuela (3)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 16Andean CondorAvesCalifornia CondorAvesCommon CuckooAvesCommon LoonAvesEmuAvesEurasian HoopoeAvesGreat HornbillAvesGreater RoadrunnerAvesKaguAvesKiwiAvesMarabou StorkAvesOilbirdAvesResplendent QuetzalAvesSouthern CassowaryAvesTurkey VultureAvesWhite StorkAvesConnectionsChild Taxon OfChordata, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeLong-Form ArticlesArchaeopteryx and the Vanishing Edge of Aves, Articles Well-attested Parent Taxon OfAccipitriformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeAndean Condor, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeAnseriformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeApodiformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeCalifornia Condor, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeCharadriiformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeColumbiformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeCommon Cuckoo, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeCommon Loon, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeEmu, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeEurasian Hoopoe, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeFalconiformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeGalliformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeGreat Hornbill, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeGreater Roadrunner, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeKagu, Species Well-attested Source Kagu (Wikidata)tier 2Kiwi, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeMarabou Stork, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeOilbird, Species Well-attested Source Oilbird (Wikidata)tier 2Passeriformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifePelecaniformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifePiciformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeProcellariiformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifePsittaciformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeResplendent Quetzal, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeSouthern Cassowary, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeSphenisciformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeStrigiformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeStruthioniformes, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeTurkey Vulture, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeWhite Stork, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeSources1. Aves (Wikipedia)There are over 11,000 living species of birdsView the Source2. Catalogue of LifeSpecies 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeView the SourceWikidata: AvesWikidata Q5113, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the SourceKagu (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Kagu, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceOilbird (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Oilbird, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceBird (Wikipedia)In Group: Vertebrate Classes, LeadQuote, In Group: Vertebrate Classes, LeadBirds are vertebrate animals constituting the class Aves, characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton.View the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? 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