Birds Archives | JuneauNature

Birds is divided into Songbirds, Other landbirds, and Water birds. Explore those sub-categories view the entire JuneauNature hierarchy at this site map

An older take on relationships among the class Aves, based upon Welty & Babtista’s Life of Birds (1988). Every year, genetic findings force revisions to this tree. Those interested in finer details of avian taxonomy should consult more recent charts. For example, loons and grebes are no longer so closely branched. And waterfowl aren’t considered so close to herons.

Here, I’m treating basically the species who are so important to Southeast ecology, trophics, and culture that I’d feel negligent not bestowing a page or two. There’s little I could contribute in the world of Southeast avifauna that my buddy Bob Armstrong hasn’t done better. For birds, and for that matter almost all things taxonomic (amphibians, birds, fish, plants, fungi, insects, other inverts, lichens, fungi, mammals), go to Bob’s fantastic website.

In the early days of Discovery, Kathy Hocker and I created field ID laminates for birds, wildflowers, and intertidal critters. My birds guide describes only 50 of our commonest species, but that’s a good way to start for beginners.