How do you identify a Jaeger?

What is the difference between the family Stercorariidae and Laridae?

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants. Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, kittiwakes, terns and skimmers.

What is the difference between a pelican and a Phalacrocoracidae?

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage coloration varies; the majority of species have mainly dark plumage, but some are pied black and white, and a few are more colorful. Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak.

Are Cracidae Galliformes?

The Cracidae are an ancient group related to the Australasian mound-builders. They are sometimes united with these in a distinct order, “Craciformes”, but this is not supported by more recent research which suggests that either is a well-marked, basal lineage of Galliformes.

What does a pelican look like with blue eyes and feathers?

Larger than a Double-crested Cormorant, smaller than a Brown Pelican. Adults in breeding plumage are mostly blackish, with blue eyes, vivid blue throat skin surrounded by a buffy band, and whiskery white feathers on the head, neck, and shoulders.

What is the difference between Pelecaniformes and other birds?

Classically, bird relationships were based solely on morphological characteristics. The Pelecaniformes were traditionally, but erroneously, defined as birds that have feet with all four toes webbed (totipalmate), as opposed to all other birds with webbed feet where only three of four were webbed.

What are the physical characteristics of anatids?

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Anatids (members of the family Anatidae) are medium to extra-large birds with stocky bodies, webbed feet, and a flat bill. Coloring varies but is primarily brown with white, black, and metallic green accents.

What are the characteristics of the family Cracidae?

Family Cracidae (chachalacas, guans, and curassows)Tail moderately long and broad. Plumage black or brown, duller in female. Most species with bare skin between eyes and beak (lores), some with fleshy wattles or other ornaments on face or crown. Medium to large; length 52–99 cm (20–39… …American birds of the family Cracidae (order Galliformes).

How many species of cracids are there in the world?

Cracidae comprises 11 genera and 50 species. Taxa within Cracidae are commonly referred to as curassows (Nothocrax, Mitu, Pauxi, Crax), guans (Penelope, Pipile, Aburria, Chamaepetes, Penelopina, Oreophasis) or chachalacas (Ortalis). Cracids are large, blunt-winged birds with long, broad tails.

What is another name for a cracid bird?

Taxa within Cracidae are commonly referred to as curassows (Nothocrax, Mitu, Pauxi, Crax), guans (Penelope, Pipile, Aburria, Chamaepetes, Penelopina, Oreophasis) or chachalacas (Ortalis). Cracids are large, blunt-winged birds with long, broad tails.

Is the anseranatinae a monophyly of the Anatidae?

Anseranatinae (Magpie Goose) is hypothesized as most basal within Anatidae, and sister to the group comprising Anserinae (swans and geese) and Anatinae (ducks). Within Anserinae monophyly of the tribe Dendrocygnini is questioned.

How did the Phalacrocorax get its name?

The name Phalacrocorax is ancient Greek for “sea crow”, as the Cormorant was called because of its dark plumage and croaking calls. Like all cormorants and shags, it belongs to the family Phalacrocoracidae, which was once included in the order Pelecaniformes, but was then moved to Suliformes along with three other families.

What are the characteristics of pelecaniforms?

All pelecaniforms are relatively large birds: they range in length from about 40 cm (about 16 inches), excluding the elongated central tail feathers, in the white-tailed tropic bird ( Phaethon lepturus) to 1.8 metres (6 feet) in the Dalmatian pelican ( Pelecanus crispus ). Brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis ).

Why are pelecaniform birds important to humans?

Most pelecaniform birds are of rather little significance to humans, but the guano (excrement) of cormorants, boobies, and pelicans is an important fertilizer.

What are the 6 families of Pelecaniformes?

The order Pelecaniformes conventionally contains six families: Anhingidae (anhingas or snakebirds), Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants), Phaethontidae (tropic birds), Fregatidae (frigate birds), Sulidae (gannets and boobies), and Pelecanidae (pelicans).

What is the difference between Anhimids and anatids?

Anhimid egg-laying intervals are about two days, while anatids lay every 24 hours. Male and female anhimids share incubation for a 42-45 day period, while anatid females incubate alone for a period of 22-40 days. Anseriform parents generally accompany young while feeding, providing predator protection and perhaps pointing out food items.

What is the difference between Pheasant and Cracidae?

The Cracidae range in size from scarcely as large as a black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) to almost turkey-sized. They replace the pheasants of Asia in tropical America and are in some respects also reminiscent of the American turkeys. Spanish-speaking Latin Americans therefore call them pavos or pavones (turkeys), or faisanes (pheasants).

What is the origin of the Cracidae?

Systematics and evolution The family Cracidae was introduced (as Craxia) by the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. The Cracidae are an ancient group related to the Australasian mound-builders.

What is the average size of a cracid?

Cracids range in size from the little chachalaca ( Ortalis motmot ), at as little as 38 cm (15 in) and 350 g (12 oz), to the great curassow ( Crax rubra ), at nearly 1 m (39 in) and 4.3 kg (9.5 lb). These species feed on fruit, insects and worms.

How many species of Anseriformes are there?

The Anseriformes are traditionally divided into two families, Anhimidae (2 genera and 3 species) and Anatidae (approximately 41 genera and 147 species). The taxonomic division is rather complex and has been much disputed and revised.

What is the plumage of anseranatinae?

Anatids are medium to large birds (30-180 cm; 230 g -22.5 kg). The plumage of Anseranatinae and Anserinae taxa is generally sexually monomorphic, whereas Anatinae plumage is sexually dimorphic. Plumage varies from brown, gray or white, to black and white combinations.

What are Anatinae and Anserinae?

The subfamilies Anatinae and Anserinae (or the tribes Anatini and Anserini) defined by the various authors are indicated. The Anatidae have been traditionally divided into two subfamilies, Anatinae and Anserinae, the latter including geese, swans, and Dendrocygna ( Delacour and Mayr, 1945; Del Hoyo et al., 1992; Fig. 1A and Appendix A ).

What is the scientific name of the double-crested cormorant?

The double-crested cormorant was described by Rene Primevere Lesson in 1831. Its scientific name is derived from the Greek words φαλακρος (phalakros), bald and κοραξ (korax), crow or raven, and the Latin auritus, eared, referring to its nuptial crests. Its common name refers to the same nuptial crests.

Where did cormorants originally come from?

Lacking a detailed study, it may well be that the first “modern” cormorants were small species from eastern, south-eastern or southern Asia, possibly living in freshwater habitat, that dispersed due to tectonic events.