Types of BirdsTypes of Birds The following classification is from the "Field Guide to Australian Birds" by Michael Morcombe. There are approximately 750 bird species in Australia, including its coastal waters and surrounding islands. Birds that we've identified and documented [so far] on the NSW South Coast are highlighted as clickable links.
Sphenisciformes, including Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. A number of penguin species also inhabit the NSW South Coast, most notably the Little Blue (or Fairy Penguin) colony at Montague Island, near Narooma. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sea-life caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their life on land and half in the oceans. Falconiformes—falcons, eagles, hawks and allies The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways. Falconiformes typically have a sharply hooked beak with a cere (soft mass) on the proximodorsal surface, housing the nostrils. Their wings are long and fairly broad, suitable for soaring flight, with the outer 4–6 primaries emarginated. They also have strong legs and feet with raptorial claws and an opposable hind claw. Almost all Falconiformes are carnivorous, hunting by sight during the day or at twilight. They are exceptionally long-lived, and most have low reproductive rates. . Psittaciformes— Parrots and allies, also known as psittacines are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera found in most warm and tropical regions. The order is subdivded in three families: the Psittacidae ('true' parrots), the Cacatuidae (cockatoos) and the Nestoridae (New Zealand parrots). Parrots have a pan-tropical distribution with several species inhabiting the temperate Southern Hemisphere as well. The greatest diversity of parrots is found in South America and Australasia. The NSW South Coast is home to a wide range of parrots including King parrots, Rosellas, Lorrikeets, Cockatoos and Galahs. Strigiformes—The Owls are the order Strigiformes, comprising 200 extant birds of prey, species. Most are solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e.g. the Burrowing Owl). Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, though a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except Antarctica, most of Greenland, and some remote islands. Though owls are typically solitary, the literary collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament. Living owls are divided into two families: the typical owls, Strigidae; and the barn-owls, Tytonidae. Caprimulgiformes—nightjars and allies The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes a number of birds with global distribution (except Antarctica). They are generally insectivorous and nocturnal. The order gets its name from the Latin for "goat-sucker", an old name based on an erroneous view of the European Nightjar's feeding habits. Traditionally, they were regarded, on morphological grounds, as being midway between the owls (Strigiformes) and the swifts. Like the owls, they are nocturnal hunters with a highly developed sense of sight, and like the swifts they are excellent flyers with small, weak legs. At one time or another, they have been allied with owls, swifts, kingfishers, hoopoes, mousebirds, hornbills, rollers, bee-eaters, woodpeckers, trogons and hummingbirds. Coraciiformes—kingfishers and allies The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their base), though in many kingfishers one of these is missing. The Australian Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) We also recommend the following publications:
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