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Other species such as the auks are equally dependent on cliff-ledge breeding sites and marine prey, but tend to be more coastal once they have migrated from their breeding stacks.

Some of the less oceanic species, like grebes and divers, breed in freshwater environments but move to the coasts in winter. A few, such as the Great Crested Grebe and the Anhinga, will also winter on freshwater lakes where they remain unfrozen.

The following are the groups of birds normally classed as seabirds.

Sphenisciformes (Antarctic and southern waters; 16 species)

• Spheniscidae penguins

Gaviiformes (North America, Eurasia; 4 species)

• Gaviidae loons or divers

Podicipediformes (Worldwide; 20 species)

• Podicipedidae grebes

Procellariiformes (Tubenoses: pan-oceanic and pelagic; 93 species)

• Diomedeidae albatross
• Procellariidae fulmars, prions, shearwaters, gadfly and other petrels
• Pelacanoididae diving petrelDiving Petrels : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Procellariiformes : Pelecanoididae Genus Pelecanoides The diving petrels are seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. There are four very similar species all in the family Pelacanoididae and genus Pelacans
• Hydrobatidae storm-petrelStorm Petrels Leach's Petrel : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Procellariiformes Hydrobatidae Genera Subfamily Oceanitinadae Oceanites Pelagodroma Fregatta Neofregatta Subfamily Hydrobatinae Garrodia Hydrobates Oceanodroma Halocyptena The storm-petrels are ss

(see also petrel)

PelecaniformesPelecaniformes Blue-footed Booby : Animalia : Chordata : Aves Pelecaniformes Families Pelecanidae Sulidae Phalacrocoracidae Fregatidae Anhingidae Phaethontidae The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. They are (Worldwide; 57 species)

• Pelecanidae pelicanPelecanus occidentalis ''Pelecanus thagus ''Pelecanus erythrorhynchos ''Pelecanus onocrotalis ''Pelecanus crispus ''Pelecanus rufescens ''Pelecanus philippensis ''Pelecanus conspicillatus A pelican is any of several very large water birds with a distinctis
• Sulidae gannetGannets Northern Gannet : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Passeriformes : Sulidae Morus Morus bassanus ''Morus capensis ''Morus serrator The gannets are part of the family Sulidae. This is a group of seabirds, which is closely related to the boobies. The thrs and boobiesBoobies Red-footed Booby : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Passeriformes : Sulidae Genera Papasula Sula Species ''Papasula Papasula abbotti or Sula abbotti ''Sula Sula nebouxii Sula variegata Sula dactylatra Sula sula Sula leucogaster † See also Ganne
• Phalacrocoracidae cormorantCormorants Red-faced Cormorant : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Pelecaniformes Phalacrocoracidae Genera Nannopterum ''Phalacrocorax Leucocarbo The Phalacrocoracidae family of birds is represented by over thirty species of cormorants and shags . All but thres
• Fregatidae frigatebirdmagnificens ''F. aquila ''F. andrewsi ''F. minor ''F. ariel There are five species in the order Fregatatidae the frigatebirds . They are very closely related, and are all in the single genus Fregata . All are large, black or black and white, with long wins
• Anhingidae Anhinga
• Phaethontidae tropicbirds

• Stercorariidae skuas
• Laridae gulls
• Sternidae terns
• Rhynchopidae skimmers
• Alcidae auks
• Chionididae Sheathbills

For an alternative taxonomy of these groups, see also Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy.

Sometimes the phalaropes are included in the seabirds, since although they are waders ("shorebirds" in North America), two of the three species are oceanic outside the breeding season.

Although there are a number of sea ducks in the family Anatidae which are truly marine, by convention they are usually excluded from the seabird grouping.

See also list of birds.