Neoaves: Columbea vs Passerea (per Jarvis et al 2014; contra Prum et al 2015) Passerea: Caprimulgimorphae (= Strisores, Cypselomorphae, or Caprimulgiformes of

Howard and Moore 2013) – one of the “magnificent seven” of Reddy et al 2015

“Order Caprimulgiformes” – paraphyletic to Apodiformes! Family Nyctibiidae – potoos, 7 species, Neotropics Family Steatornithidae – Oilbird, 1 species, northern South America Family Podargidae – frogmouths, 16 species, Australia north to SE Asia Family Caprimulgidae – nightjars and nighthawks, 97 species (plus 1 recently

extinct), nearly Worldwide Family Aegothelidae – owlet-nightjars, 9 species, Australia and Melanesia

Order Apodiformes – nested within “Caprimulgiformes”

Family Apodidae – swifts, 113 species, Worldwide Family Hemiprocnidae – crested swifts, 4 species, India, SE Asia south to New

Guinea Family Trochilidae – hummingbirds, 355 species (plus 2 recently extinct), New

World

What is certain – (Aegothelidae (Apodidae (Hemiprocnidae, Trochilidae))) What is likely – (Nyctibiidae, Steatornithidae) What is unknown – Caprimulgidae, Podargidae, and how they all fit together Plausible phylogeny (per Hackett et al 2004):

?

?

“Caprimulgiformes” – sensu stricto (not including Apodiformes) most with enormous head, large eyes, wide gape, and small feet; pronounced rictal bristles; cryptic plumage, buff and brown with bars and mottling; nocturnal or crepuscular; most insectivorous; superficially similar but arguably the most anatomically diverse order of birds

Columbina squammata Scaled dove photo Darioi Sanches

Mayr 2009 J Zool Syst Evol Res (2010) 48(2), 126–137

palatal view of skulls

tarsometatarsi

Caprimulgiformes: Family Nyctibiidae – potoos, 7 species, Neotropics long wings and tail; enormous gape; aerial insectivore; habitat mangrove swamps;

perches lengthwise on trees and stumps

Nyctibius sp Potoo

Caprimulgiformes: Family Steatornithidae – Oilbird, 1 species, northern South America

raptor-like bill, long wings, and long claws belies its diet of palm fruit; nests colonially on ledges within caves; echolocates within caves; named for fatty nestlings for which they were hunted to near-extinction

Steatornis caripensis Oilbird photo Tim Liguori ↑ photo Kamal Mahabir →

Caprimulgiformes: Family Podargidae – frogmouths, 16 species, Australia north to SE Asia

stocky and owl-like; broad hooked bill; markedly binocular; broad wings; predators of vertebrates or insects; slightly migratory

Podargus sp frogmouths

Caprimulgiformes: Family Caprimulgidae – nightjars and nighthawks, 97 species (plus 1 recently extinct), nearly Worldwide

aerial insectivores; rictal bristles; long narrow wings; pectinate claw; most monomorphic; biparental care; nest on bare ground; eggs cryptic; may feign injury to lure predators away from nest; migratory; 1 sp. hibernates Major clades – eared nightjars, nightjars, nighthawks

Columbina squammata Scaled dove photo Darioi Sanches Caprimulgus climacurus Long-tailed nightjar photo Charles J Sharp

Lyncornis macrotis Great eared nightjar photo zybirdsthrumyeyes

Caprimulgus europaeus European Nightjar photo Dûrzan cîrano

Chordeiles minor Common nighthawk photo Greg Lasley

Particularly cool nightjars

Caprimulgus vexillarius Pennant-winged nightjar

Macrodipteryx longipennis Standard-winged nightjar photo jacob.wijpkema

Caprimulgiformes: Family Aegothelidae – owlet-nightjars, 9 species, Australia and Melanesia

relatively short wings and long tarsus compared with other caprimulgiforms; long tail; filoplumes on head and nape; aerial and terrestrial insectivores

Aegotheles cristatus Australian-Owlet-Nightjar

photo Akov Lumnitzer

Apodiformes small to very small; large head; short proximal wing (secondaries), long distal wing (primaries); aerial specialists

Apodiformes: Family Hemiprocnidae – crested swifts, 4 species, India, SE Asia south to New Guinea small bill, wide gape; long narrow wings; long forked tail; echolocate; aerial insectivores

Hemiprocne coronata Crested Treeswift photo bambusabird

Hemiprocne coronata Crested Treeswift photo Kit Day

Apodiformes: Family Apodidae – swifts, 113 species, Worldwide large head; small bill; wide gape; short proximal wing (secondaries), long distal wing (primaries); short tail often with stiffened and/or elongated rachises; facultatively pamprodactyl; cling to vertical surfaces; nest glued to vertical surfaces with saliva or made of saliva (swiftlets); swiftlets echolocate; aerial insectivores; torpor

Apus melba Alpine Swift photo snowmanradio

Chaetura pelagica Chimney swift and nest

Apus apus Common swift photo Klaus Roggel

Pamprodactyl feet

Apodiformes: Family Trochilidae – hummingbirds, 355 species (plus 2 recently extinct), New World

family includes the smallest of all birds (<2g); long narrow bill; extendable tongue

due to flexible hyoid that loops around skull as in woodpeckers; enormously hypertrophied breast muscles (pectoralis and supracoracoideus) ½-⅔ of body; very short proximal wing (brachium and antebrachium) supporting few secondary remiges but very large manus (carpometacarpus and phalanges) to support long primaries; hovering flight achieved by propeller-like power-stroke in which angle of attack is reversed in the upstroke; up to 80 wing strokes/sec; the only birds capable of flying backwards; heart rate as high as 1,260/sec; breathing rate up to 250/min; nocturnal torpor; temperate species migratory; iridescent plumage; sexually dichromatic; most size-dimorphic; polygynous; female parental care; two eggs; diet of nectar, pollen, insects; bill shape of some species co-adapted with flowering plants; solitary, territorial, pugnacious, defend ‘trap-lines’ of flowers to ensure reliable nectar; one of only three groups of birds known to be capable of vocal learning

Calypte costae Costa's hummingbird photo Alan Schmierer

Hummingbird tongue

photo Bob Lewis

Mango – Anthracothorax nigricollis Black-throated mango photo Robert Dario Sanches Topaz – Topaza pella Crimson topaz

photo Aisse Gaertner

Hermit – Phaethornis sp photo Vinicius Pontello

Major clades – Topazes, Hermits, Mangoes, Brilliants, Coquettes, Patagona, Mountain Gems, Bees, and Emeralds

Coquettes – Lophornis ornatus Tufted Coquette photo Michel Giraud-Audine

Patagona – Patagona gigas Giant hummingbird photo Devonpike

Brilliants – Heliodoxa imperatrix Empress brilliant photo Joseph C Boone

Bee – Mellisuga helenae Helena hummingbird

Emerald – Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus Western emerald photo Joseph C Boone

Mountain Gem– Lampornis calolaemus Purple-throated mountain gem photo Joseph C Boone

Particularly cool hummingbirds (among many!)

Ensifera ensifera Sword-billed hummingbird photo Jesper Sonne

Ocreatus underwoodii Racket-tail