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The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy is a radical new approach to bird taxonomy based on DNA studies which gives an arrangement differing greatly from the more traditional approach used in list of birds. The major changes at order level are as follows;
- New greatly enlarged Ciconiiformes includes the previous Sphenisciformes penguins, Gaviiformes divers, Podicipediformes grebes, Procellariiformes tubenoses, Pelecaniformes pelicans and allies, Ciconiiformes storks and allies, Falconiformes birds of prey, Charadriiformes waderWaders Dunlin ''Calidris alpina''A calidrid wader : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Charadriiformes Families Charadridae Jacanidae Rostratulidae IbidorhynchidaeRecurvirostridae Haematopodidae Scolopacidae Dromadidae Burhinidae Glareolidae Thinocoridae Waderss gullPagophila ''Larus ''Rissa ''Creagus ''Xema ''Rhodostethia Gulls are seabirds in the family Laridae and subfamily Lari. They are closely related to the terns, and more distantly to the waders, auks and skimmers. Most gulls belong to the large genus Larus''s ternTerns Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea at nest on the Farne Islands, Northumberland UK. Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Charadriiformes Sternidae Genera Sterna Gelochelidon Hydroprogne Thalasseus Chlidonias Phaetusa Anous Procelsterna Gygis Larosterna Terns ares and aukAlle Uria Alca Pinguinus Cepphus Brachyramphus Synthliboramphus Ptychoramphus Cyclorrhynchus Aethia Cerorhinca Fratercula Auks are birds of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. They are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-s.
- Anseriformes duckDendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Merginae The word duck was also used as slang for the WWII amphibious vehicle called a DUKW. The word duck meaning the bird, came from the verb "to duck" meaning to bend down as if to get under something, because of the ws and allies unchanged
- New Craciformes chachalacas etc. Previously Galliformes
- New Gruiformes CraneCranes Sarus Crane : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Gruiformes Gruidae Genera Grus Anthropoides Balearica Bugeranus Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes and family Gruidae . Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated hers
- Columbiformes doves unchanged
- New Musophagiformes turacos. Previously Cuculiformes.
- New Cuculiformes rest of cuckoos
- New Strigiformes owls enlarged to include Caprimulgiformes nightjars
- New Trochiliformes hummingbirds. Previously Apodiformes.
- Trogoniformes trogons unchanged
- New Upupiformes Hoopoe, previously Coraciiformes
- New Bucerotiformes hornbills, previously Coraciiformes
- New Galbuliformes jacamars, previously Piciformes
This revolutionary reordering has been widely accepted by North American ornithologists, including the American Ornithologists' Union, but in other parts of the world its effect has been more evolutionary: it has been a respected major influence on existing classification schemes, as opposed to a complete replacement for them.
A more recent paper looked at the ancestry of bird groups. The traditional view of avian evolution places ratites and tinamous at the base of the tree of modern birds (Neornithes), followed by old marine groups such as the penguins, grebes and divers (loons).
The new research suggested that the ducks and gallinaceous birds are each other's closest relatives and together form the basal lineage of neognathous birds. The ratites and tinamous will now be followed by the ducks and their allies, and then the pheasants and their allies.
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This latter research has been accepted by the British Ornithologists' Union, and the British list will now start with Anseriformes and Galliformes
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