Wading bird
| Wading birds | |
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| Great egret (Ardea alba) | |
Scientific classification
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Infraclass: | Neognathae |
| Clade: | Neoaves |
| Groups included | |
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Always included: Usually included: Sometimes included: | |
Wading birds, also known in North America as waders,a are members of several families of long-legged birds found in semi-aquatic ecosystems. Wading birds are not a monophyletic group[1] and different authors classify different families as wading birds. The classification always includes the families Phoenicopteridae (flamingos), Ciconiidae (storks), Threskiornithidae (ibises and spoonbills), Ardeidae (herons, egrets, and bitterns), and the extralimital families Scopidae (hamerkop) and Balaenicipitidae (shoebill) of Africa.[2] These were once classified together in the order Ciconiiformes based on overall similarity in anatomy and ecology, as well as some molecular data.[3][4] However recent genomic studies have found that this group to be polyphyletic, with flamingos being more closely related to grebes while ibises, herons, the hamerkop and the shoebill are more closely related to pelicans.[5][6] As a result of these changes flamingos are placed in their own order Phoenicopteriformes and Ciconiiformes are solely restricted to the storks. The rest of the waders have been reclassified into the order Pelecaniformes.[7]
Other families that may be classified as wading birds include Gruidae (cranes) and Aramidae (limpkin).[8] Unlike the previously mentioned families, cranes and the limpkin were never thought to be closely related to the heron-like birds and have always been classified as members of the order Gruiformes.[8] Sunbitterns, the only member of the family Eurypygidae in the order Eurypygiformes, may also be considered to be a wading bird.[9][10] In addition, the Anhimidae (screamers) of the order Anseriformes may be classified as wading birds. They are commonly found wading in open marshes and weedy lakes.[11][12]
Notes
[edit]- a Elsewhere in the world, "wader" is used to refer to what North Americans call a "shorebird"
References
[edit]- ^ Mayr, Gerald (2022). "Phaethontiformes and Aequornithes: The Aquatic and Semi-aquatic Neaovian Taxa". Paleogene Fossil Birds. Fascinating Life Sciences. pp. 117–152. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-87645-6_7. ISBN 978-3-030-87644-9.
- ^ Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Edition. New York: Knopf. pp. 1–624 pages. ISBN 978-0307957900.
- ^ Wetmore, A. (1960). "A classification for the birds of the world" (PDF). Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 139 (11): 1–37.
- ^ Sibley, Charles G., and Ahlquist, Jon E. 1991. Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-04085-7. Accessed January 4, 2021.
- ^ Jarvis, E.D.; et al. (2014). "Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds". Science. 346 (6215): 1320–1331. Bibcode:2014Sci...346.1320J. doi:10.1126/science.1253451. PMC 4405904. PMID 25504713.
- ^ Prum, Richard O.; Berv, Jacob S.; Dornburg, Alex; Field, Daniel J.; Townsend, Jeffrey P.; Lemmon, Emily Moriarty; Lemmon, Alan R. (2015). "A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing". Nature. 526 (7574): 569–573. Bibcode:2015Natur.526..569P. doi:10.1038/nature15697. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 26444237. S2CID 205246158.
- ^ International Ornithological Committee (July 25, 2020). "Ibis, spoonbills, herons, hamerkop, shoebill, pelicans". IOC World Bird Names: Version 2.11. WorldBirdNames.org. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Mackenzie, J. (1997). WADING BIRDS (Birds of the World Series). Toronto: Key Porter Books. pp. 1–144 pages. ISBN 1550137999.
- ^ "Sunbittern". Los Angeles Zoo. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ^ "Sunbittern". Capron Park Zoo. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ^ Nolle, Jessica (2023). "Chauna torquata". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ^ "Screamer Identification". Wildlife Photography. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
External works
[edit]- Life histories of North American shore birds, Part 1 (of 2) (1962) by A.C. Bent through Dover Publications, Inc. at New York.
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