The table below lists every family of birds, along with the continents and ecozones each order is native to. The continents, from left to right, are South America (SA), North America (NA), Eurasia (EA), Africa (AF) and Australia (AU). The ecozones are Neotropic (NT), Nearctic (NA), Palearctic (PA), Afrotropic (AT), Indo-Malayan (IM) and Australasian (AA). (The table is sortable; click on any abbreviation in the top row to sort that column - though you may have to click it twice for it to display the way you probabably want it to.)
This symbol - (<) - indicates a marginal presence in a particular continent or ecozone. A question mark (?) indicates uncertainty; if a family occurs in this continent or ecozone, it’s probably very rare there.
Associated references: Homes 101 > Animal Homes > Bird Homes
See also Reference > Bird Orders Distribution
See also Reference > Bird Orders Distribution
| Family (Orders are highlited in black) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Continents) | (Ecozones) | ||||||||||
| Accipitriformes | |||||||||||
| Accipitridae (eagles, hawks and kites) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Cathartidae (American vultures, New World vultures) | SA | NA | NT | NA | |||||||
| Pandionidae (ospreys) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Sagittariidae (secretarybird) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Anseriformes | |||||||||||
| Anatidae (ducks, geese and swans) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Anhimidae (screamers) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Anseranatidae (magpie goose, magpie-goose) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Apodiformes | |||||||||||
| Apodidae (swifts) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Hemiprocnidae (treeswifts or crested swifts) | EA | AU | IM | AA | |||||||
| Trochilidae (hummingbirds) | SA | NA | NT | NA | |||||||
| Bucerotiformes | |||||||||||
| Bucerotidae (hornbills) | EA | AF | AT | IM | |||||||
| Bucorvidae (ground hornbills) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Charadriiformes | |||||||||||
| Alcidae (alcids; auks, puffins, etc.) | NA | EA | NA | PA | |||||||
| Burhinidae (stone-curlews, thick-knees) |
SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | ? | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Charadriidae (plovers) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Chionidae (sheathbills)*1 | ? | ? | |||||||||
| Dromadidae (crab-plover) | EA | AF | PA | AT | IM | ||||||
| Glareolidae (coursers, pratincoles) | EA | AF | AU | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||||
| Haematopodidae (oystercatchers) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Ibidorhynchidae (ibisbill) | EA | AF | PA | AT | ? | ||||||
| Jacanidae (jacanas) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | ? | AT | IM | AA |
| Laridae (gulls, skimmers and terns) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Pedionomidae (plains-wanderer) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Pluvianellidae (Magellanic plover) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Pluvianidae (Egyptian plover) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Recurvirostridae (avocets and stilts) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Rostratulidae (painted snipes) | SA | EA | AF | AU | NT | AT | IM | AA | |||
| Scolopacidae (sandpipers and snipes) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Stercorariidae (skuas) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | ? | AA |
| Thinocoridae (seedsnipes) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Turnicidae (buttonquail, buttonquails) | EA | AF | AU | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||||
| Ciconiiformes | |||||||||||
| Ciconiidae (storks) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Coliiformes | |||||||||||
| Coliidae (mousebirds or colies) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Columbiformes | |||||||||||
| Columbidae (pigeons and doves) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Raphidae (dodo and relatives)*Mau | |||||||||||
| Coraciiformes | |||||||||||
| Alcedinidae (kingfishers) |
SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Brachypteraciidae (ground rollers)*Mad | AT | ||||||||||
| Coraciidae (rollers) | EA | AF | PA | AT | IM | ||||||
| Leptosomidae (cuckoo-roller)*Mad | AT | ||||||||||
| Meropidae (bee-eaters) | EA | AF | PA | AT | IM | ||||||
| Momotidae (motmots) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Todidae (todies)*Car | NT | ||||||||||
| Craciformes | |||||||||||
| Cracidae (guans, curassows and chachalacas) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Megapodidae (megapodes) | EA | AU | IM | AA | |||||||
| Cuculiformes | |||||||||||
| Cuculidae (cuckoos) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Opisthocomidae (hoatzin) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Falconiformes | |||||||||||
| Falconidae (falcons) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Galbuliformes | |||||||||||
| Bucconidae (puffbirds) | SA | NA | NT | ? | |||||||
| Galbulidae (jacamars) | SA | NA | NT | ? | |||||||
| Galliformes | |||||||||||
| Numididae (guineafowl) | AF | ? | AT | ||||||||
| Odontophoridae (New World quails) | SA | NA | NT | NA | |||||||
| Phasianidae (grouse, partridges, pheasants, quail & turkeys) | SA | NA | EA | AF | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | ||
| Gaviiformes | |||||||||||
| Gaviidae (loons) | NA | EA | NA | PA | |||||||
| Gruiformes | |||||||||||
| Aramidae (limpkin, limpkins) | SA | NA | NT | NA | |||||||
| Cariamidae (seriemas) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Eurypygidae (sunbittern) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Gruidae (cranes) | NA | EA | AF | AU | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||
| Heliornithidae (finfoots) | SA | NA | EA | AF | NT | AT | IM | ||||
| Mesitornithidae (mesites)*Mad | AT | ||||||||||
| Otididae (bustards) | EA | AF | PA | AT | IM | ||||||
| Psophiidae (trumpeters) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Rallidae (coots, gallinules, rails and waterhens) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Rhynochetidae (kagu)*2 | AA | ||||||||||
| Musophagiformes | |||||||||||
| Musophagidae (turacos) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Passeriformes | |||||||||||
| Acanthisittidae (New Zealand wrens)*NZ | AA | ||||||||||
| Aegithalidae (bushtits and long-tailed tits) | NA | EA | NA | PA | IM | ||||||
| Aegithinidae (ioras) | EA | IM | |||||||||
| Alaudidae (larks) | NA | EA | AF | AU | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||
| Artamidae (wood-swallows) | EA | AU | IM | AA | |||||||
| Atrichornithidae (scrub-birds) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Bombycillidae (waxwings) | NA | EA | NA | PA | |||||||
| Callaeatidae (wattled crows)*NZ | AA | ||||||||||
| Campephagidae (cuckoo-shrikes) | EA | AF | AU | ? | AT | IM | AA | ||||
| Cardinalidae (cardinals, grosbeaks, cardinal-grosbeaks and saltators) | SA | NA | NT | NA | |||||||
| Certhiidae (creepers) | NA | EA | AF | NA | PA | AT | |||||
| Chamaeidae* | |||||||||||
| Cinclidae (dippers) | NA | EA | AF | NA | PA | ? | |||||
| Cisticolidae (cisticola and relatives) | EA | AF | AU | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||||
| Climacteridae (Australian treecreepers) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Cnemophilidae (satinbirds or cnemophilines)*NG | AA | ||||||||||
| Coerebidae (bananaquit, bananaquits) | SA | NA | NT | ? | |||||||
| Conopophagidae (gnateaters) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Corcoracidae (Australian mudnesters) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Corvidae (crows, jays and magpies) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Cotingidae (cotingas) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Cracticidae (butcherbirds) | ? | AU | ? | AA | |||||||
| Dicaeidae (flowerpeckers) | EA | AU | IM | AA | |||||||
| Dicruridae (drongos) | EA | AF | AU | AT | IM | AA | |||||
| Dulidae (palmchat)*Car | NT | ||||||||||
| Emberizidae (New World sparrows, buntings, emberizid finches, towhees) | SA | NA | EA | AF | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | ||
| Estrildidae (waxbills) | EA | AF | AU | ? | AT | IM | AA | ||||
| Eupetidae (jewel-babblers and relatives) | EA | AU | IM | AA | |||||||
| Eurylaimidae (broadbills) | EA | AF | AT | IM | |||||||
| Formicariidae (ground-antbirds) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Fringillidae (finches, gros-becs, Hawaiian honeycreepers, Old World finches, roselins) | SA | NA | EA | AF | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | ||
| Furnariidae (ovenbirds) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Grallinidae (mudlarks) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Hirundinidae (swallows and martins) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Hypocoliidae (hypocolius)* | EA | PA | ? | ||||||||
| Icteridae (New World blackbirds, orioles) | SA | NA | NT | NA | |||||||
| Irenidae (fairy-bluebirds) | EA | IM | |||||||||
| Laniidae (shrikes) | NA | EA | AF | ? | NA | PA | AT | IM | |||
| Malaconotidae (bush-shrikes)* | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Maluridae (fairy-wrens) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Melanocharitidae (berrypickers and longbills)*NG | AA | ||||||||||
| Meliphagidae (honeyeaters) | (<) | AU | (<) | AA | |||||||
| Menuridae (lyrebirds) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Mimidae (mockingbirds and thrashers) | SA | NA | NT | NA | |||||||
| Monarchidae (monarch-flycatchers) | EA | AF | AU | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||||
| Motacillidae (pipits and wagtails) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Muscicapidae (Old World flycatchers) | EA | AF | PA | AT | IM | ||||||
| Nectariniidae (sunbirds) | EA | AF | AU | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||||
| Neosittidae (sittellas) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Oriolidae (orioles) | EA | AF | AU | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||||
| Orthonychidae (logrunners) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Pachycephalidae (whistlers) | EA | AU | IM | AA | |||||||
| Paradisaeidae (birds-of-paradise) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Paramythiidae (painted berrypickers)*NG | AA | ||||||||||
| Pardalotidae (pardalotes) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Paridae (chickadees and titmice) | NA | EA | AF | NA | PA | AT | IM | ||||
| Parulidae (New World warblers, wood-warblers) | SA | NA | NT | NA | |||||||
| Passeridae (Old World sparrows) | EA | AF | PA | AT | IM | ||||||
| Petroicidae (Australasian robins) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Peucedramidae (olive warbler) | NA | NT | NA | ||||||||
| Philepittidae (asities)*Mad | AT | ||||||||||
| Picathartidae (picathartes) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Pipridae (manakins) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Pittidae (pittas) | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | AT | IM | AA | |||
| Platysteiridae (batises and wattle-eyes) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Ploceidae (bishops, weavers) | EA | AF | NT | NA | AT | IM | |||||
| Pomatostomidae (Australasian babblers) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Prunellidae (accentors) | EA | PA | |||||||||
| Ptilogonatidae (silky flycatchers) | NA | NT | NA | ||||||||
| Ptilonorhynchidae (bowerbirds) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Pycnonotidae (bulbuls) | EA | AF | PA | AT | IM | ||||||
| Regulidae (kinglets and firecrests) | NA | EA | AF | NA | PA | (<) | |||||
| Remizidae (penduline tits, verdins) | NA | EA | AF | NA | PA | AT | IM | ||||
| Rhabdornithidae (rhabdornis)*Ph | EA | IM | |||||||||
| Rhinocryptidae (tapaculos) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Rhipiduridae (fantails) | EA | AU | IM | AA | |||||||
| Sapayoaidae (broad-billed sapayoa) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Sittidae (nuthatches) | NA | EA | NA | PA | IM | ||||||
| Sturnidae (starlings) | EA | AF | AU | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||||
| Sylviidae (gnatcatchers, kinglets, Old World warblers) | NA | EA | AF | AU | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA | ||
| Thamnophilidae (typical antbirds) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Thraupidae (tanagers) | SA | NA | NT | NA | |||||||
| Timaliidae (babblers) | NA | EA | AF | NA | PA | AT | IM | ||||
| Trenidae* | |||||||||||
| Troglodytidae (wrens) | SA | NA | EA | AF | NT | NA | PA | ? | |||
| Turdidae (thrushes) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Pelecaniformes | |||||||||||
| Ardeidae (herons, egrets and bitterns) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Balaenicipitidae (shoebill) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Pelecanidae (pelicans) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Scopidae (hamerkop) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Threskiornithidae (ibises, spoonbills) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Phaethontiformes | |||||||||||
| Phaethontidae (tropicbirds) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | ? | AT | IM | AA |
| Phoenicopteriformes | |||||||||||
| Phoenicopteridae (flamingos) | SA | NA | EA | AF | NT | ? | AT | IM | |||
| Piciformes | |||||||||||
| Indicatoridae (honeyguides) | EA | AF | ? | AT | IM | ||||||
| Picidae (woodpeckers and wrynecks) | SA | NA | EA | AF | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | ||
| Ramphastidae () | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Podicipediformes | |||||||||||
| Podicipedidae (grebes) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Procellariiformes | |||||||||||
| Diomedeidae (albatrosses)*Sea |
SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Hydrobatidae (storm petrels)*Sea | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Pelecanoididae (diving petrels)*Sea | SA | AU | NT | AA | |||||||
| Procellariidae (petrels, fulmars and shearwaters)*Sea | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Psittaciformes | |||||||||||
| Psittacidae (parrots, cockatoos, lories and macaws) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | (<) | (<) | AT | IM | AA |
| Pteroclidiformes | |||||||||||
| Pteroclididae (sandgrouse) | EA | AF | PA | AT | IM | ||||||
| Sphenisciformes | |||||||||||
| Spheniscidae (penguins)*Sea | SA | AF | AU | NT | AT | AA | |||||
| Strigiformes | |||||||||||
| Aegothelidae (owlet-nightjars) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Caprimulgidae (nightjars) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Nyctibiidae (potoos) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Podargidae (frogmouths) | EA | AU | IM | AA | |||||||
| Steatornithidae (oilbird) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Strigidae (owls, typical owls) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Tytonidae (barn-owls) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Struthioniformes | |||||||||||
| Apterygidae (kiwis) | AA | ||||||||||
| Casuariidae (cassowaries) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Dromaiidae (emus) | AU | AA | |||||||||
| Rheidae (rheas) | SA | NT | |||||||||
| Struthionidae (ostriches) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Suliformes | |||||||||||
| Anhingidae (anhingas, darters) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Fregatidae (frigatebirds) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants, shags) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Sulidae (boobies and gannets) | SA | NA | EA | AF | AU | NT | NA | PA | AT | IM | AA |
| Tinamiformes | |||||||||||
| Tinamidae (tinamous) | SA | NA | NT | ||||||||
| Trogoniformes | |||||||||||
| Trogonidae (trogons) | SA | NA | EA | AF | NT | NA | ? | AT | IM | ||
| Upupiformes | |||||||||||
| Phoeniculidae (woodhoopoes) | AF | AT | |||||||||
| Upupidae (hoopoes) | EA | AF | PA | AT | IM | ||||||
| * Sorry, I haven’t yet figured out families Chameidae and Trenidae. *1 Sheathbills (Chionidae) range from Antarctica to the Falkland Islands. *2 The kagu (Rhynochetidae) is endemic to the island of New Caledonia. *Mad Asities (Philepittidae), ground rollers (Brachypteraciidae) and mesites (Mesitornithidae) are endemic to Madagascar, while the cuckoo-roller (Leptosomidae) is restricted to Madagascar and the Comoros. *Mau The dodo and related birds (Raphidae) inhabited the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues but are now extinct. *Ph The rhabdornis (Rhabdornithidae) is endemic to the Philippines. *NG Satinbirds (Cnemophilidae), berrypickers and longbills (Melanocharitidae) and painted berrypickers (Paramythiidae) are endemic to New Guinea. *NZ New Zealand wrens (Acanthisittidae) and wattled crows (Callaeatidae) are endemic to New Zealand. *Car Todies (Todidae) live only on islands in the Caribbean Sea. The palmchat (Dulidae) is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. *Sea Albatrosses (Diomedeidae), storm petrels (Hydrobatidae), diving petrels (Pelecanoididae), petrels (Procellariidae) and penguins (Spheniscidae) are seabirds and generally aren’t closely associated with continental landmasses unless they feed or nest along the coast. Diving petrels and penguins are largely restricted to the Southern Ocean and the southern tips of the southern continents, except for the Galapagos penguin, which ranges north along the west coast of South America. |
|||||||||||
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - 
