Wing morphology: aerial specialists vs. infrequent fliers

Aerial specialist (a tern)

Infrequent fliers (a quail)

Intermediate (ca. 90% of all birds)

Long primary extension

Short or no primary extension

Tail morphology: climbing tailTop: a honeyguide (Indicatoridae); sister family to Picidae, with no tail modifications.

Bottom: a woodpecker with broad, stiff shafts of rectrices, reduced barbs at tips.

Subfamily Picinae: ca. 190 species

Tail morphology: climbing tailTop: world’s largest toucan (Ramphastidae) with with no tail modifications

Bottom: world’s largest woodpecker (Imperial Woodpecker, sadly extinct), with broad, stiff shafts of rectrices, reduced barbs at tips.

Tail morphology: climbing tailTop: a woodcreeper (Furnariidae) with broad, stiff shafts of rectrices, reduced barbs at tips.

Bottom: a foliage-gleaner (also in Furnariidae), with no tail modifications.

Subfamily Dendrocolaptinae: ca. 45 species

Tail morphology: climbing tail

Top: a Brown Creeper (Certhiidae; 8 species) with broad, stiff shafts of rectrices, reduced barbs at tips.

Bottom: a House Wren, with no tail modifications.

Tail morphology: reduced tail (associated with infrequent flight)Tinamiformes: tinamous (47 spp.)

Galliformes: Odontophoridae (33 species)

Galliformes: Phasianidae: pheasants and partridges (120+ species)

Galliformes: Megapodiidae: megapodes (22 spp.)

Galliformes: Numididae: guinea-fowl (6 spp.)

Tail morphology: reduced tail (associated with infrequent flight)

Charadriiformes: Pedionomidae: Plains-wanderer (1 species)

Gruiformes; Rallidae (145 spp.) Otidiformes: bustards (26 spp.)

Charadriiformes: Thinocoridae: seedsnipe (4 species)

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Charadriiformes: Turnicidae: button-quails (16 spp.)

Tail morphology: reduced tail (associated with infrequent flight) -- PasseriformesPittidae: pittas (30 spp.)

Grallariidae: antpittas (50 spp.)

Zeledonidae: Wrenthrush (1 species)

Rhinocryptidae: tapaculos (50+ spp.)

Formicariidae: Atnthrushes (12 spp.)

Tail morphology: reduced tail (associated with infrequent flight) -- Passeriformes

Timaliidae: Napothera, Pnoepyga (11 spp.) Acanthisittidae: New Zealand Wrens (4 spp.)

Elachuridae: 1 species

Estrildidae: quailfinches Ortygospiza (3 spp.)