Taxonomic Characters

1. Anterior body part is

modified into wings for
flying, posterior part
has various shapes,
adjusted for walking,
swimming, perching.
Both parts are used in
locomotion.

Taxonomic Characters Taxonomic Characters

2. Body is composed of head (caput), neck (collum, cervix), body Head is relatively small, there is
(truncus) and tail (cauda). beak (rostrum), composed of
maxilla and mandible, nares or
nostril on the upper part of the
lateral rostrum, crest (jengger)
(cera) is exvagination of the
soft skin at the basis of the
rostrum, eyes (organon visus)
are surrounded by featherly
skin and external ear opening
(porus acusticus-externus).

Copsychus saularis musicus (Kucica)

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 Head of the Green Peacock:
Pavo cristatus

Taxonomic Characters Taxonomic Characters

Eyes with yelow or reddish- External ear opening are located at the dorso caudal of the eyes.
orange iris. There are relatively Membrana tymphani is located inside and has the function to catch sound
large pupil compared with the size vibration..
of the eyes. Nictitans membranes
are located at the medial of the
eyes.

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 Taxonomic Characters Taxonomic Characters
3. Homoiotherm (body temperature is relatively stable around 40
degree Celcius)
•Neck is relatively long, covered with
4. Cor (heart) with four chambers, two atria and two ventricles, each
feather and easily moved to any
with complete septum atriorum and septum ventriculorum.
directions.
•Body is usually covered with
feathers. 5. Eryrthrocytes are oval shaped and nucleated.
Rhea, burung asli Amerika Selatan

•The tail, or uropygium, usually short

and covered with feathers (retrices),
there is uropygialis gland at the
dorsal part to produce lipid to
lubricate the feathers.

Angsa Kanada ( Branta canadensis)

Taxonomic Characters Taxonomic Characters

6. Extremities of pair of legs and wings. Wings are composed by
feathers. Feathers are
exoskeleton consisted of
Bird legs are usually long with short plumae, plumulae and
digities, tibiotarsi and filoplumae. Plumae
tarsometatarsi are relatively the composed of calamus,
same length to maintain balance. rachis, umbilicus inferior,
There are four or less digities on umbilicus superior and
the limb. Tarsometatarsus is vexillum. Feathers on wings
covered with keratinized skin and are called remiges, on tail
are called rectrices, cover
usually in scale form.
the body are tetrices, on
shoulder between the body
and wings are parapterium
and small feathers that grow
on the 2nd digiti of the
superior extrimity are called
ala spuria.

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 Old feathers, neoptyle shed and
replaced by new feathers,
teleoptyle. Body part where the
feather grown is called pterylae
and less or lack feathers is called
apteria.

Ostrich : Struthio camelus,

Taxonomic Characters Taxonomic Characters

7. Kidney (ren) or organa uropoetia on bird are specific, in pairs in left and 12. Colour pattern and body colour are various, and helpful in bird
right sides, each with 3 lobi, composed ofmetanephros identification and determination

8. Oviparous , the eggs are completed with embrional membrane

9. Has 12 pairs of nervi cranialis

10. Compared with other classis, Aves is not shown diversity

11. In general, the morphology isn’t shown many differences among

member of the Classis Aves

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 EVOLUTION Aves Evolution

The oldest bird is:

Archaeopteryx lithographica,
The fossil was found in stonebed that
was formed in Jura period. The size is
similar with crow size.

Bird is assumed to be evolved from

ordo Thecodotia (subclassis
Archossuria).

On the late Jura period “ there was

effort of flying” from primitive reptile
,Pterodactyla, though this animal was
failed to fly and more looked like bat
(flying with skin)

EVOLUSI AVES

Classis Aves has approximately 3.650 species and around 100

Bird is assumed to be separated with
Reptile around 150million years ago (after species are unidentified
mammals arise on earth), so it can be said
that bird is the latest of God creation.
Archaeopteryx lithographica was

1. Subclassis Archeornithes
assumed to be the connector of Reptilia
and Aves since there are some taxonomic
characters of Reptilia and Aves.

2. Subclassis Neornithes
Reptilian taxonomic characteristics are :
1. long tail and supported by vertebrae
2. There were teeth and claws on the
digities (anterior and posterior)
Avian taxonomic characteristics are :
1. feathers on the body and tail
2. furcula that was composed by shoulder
blade and the occurence of wings

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 1. Subclassis Archeornithes
1. This subclassis was comprised of extinct
birds. Birds that lived on the Mesozoic
era.
2. Have long tail with 13 or more tail
vertebra.
3. Lack of pygostyle.
4. Free metacarpals. Digities were free from
extrimities and completed with claws.
5. Thecodont teeth.

Example: Archeopteryx, Archeormis

Archaeopteryx lithographica

Archaeopteryx lithographica

Subclassis Neornithes Subclassis Neornithes

1. This subclass comprise extant and extinct birds.
2. Tail with pygostyle (area where tail feathers attached). Retrices is composed
half circle around pygostyle.
3. Lack teeth.
4. Sternum is well developed.

This bird group is usually has fused ossa metacarpalia; second digiti is the
longest digiti; has 13 vertebrae caudalis or less; sternum with or without carina .

All species is classified into 46 orders, 251 families.

Mostly describe are the famous orders.

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7
 Superordo 1. Palaeognathae Ordo 1. Struthioniformes

Taxonomic Characters:
This group usually lack of teeth, wings are reduced, flightless, Terrestrial, flightless but can run up to 65 km/hour,
unfused vertebrae caudalis, coracoid and scapula kecil grow closely,
connected ventral end of right and left os coxae, hind
sternum without carina, small and undeveloped pygostyle, lack retrices
or arranged irregularly if exist, male with penis, apteria is most likely limbs with 2 digities (3rd and 4th digities), feathers
none. occur on the head, neck and less on limbs, barbulae
without hooks, free barbae , big birds can reach up to
2,5 m with the weight of 150 kg.
Comprised of 5 ordo:
1. Struthioniformes
2. Rheiformes Two species:
3. Casuariiformes - Struthio camelus (Common Ostrich)  North Africa
4. Apterygiformes
- Struthio molybdophanes (Somali Ostrich)  north-
5. Tinamiformes
eastern Ethiopia and Somalia

Somali Ostrich
Ordo 2. Rheiformes
Taxonomic Characters :
Legs with 3 facing forward digities,
partially covered with feathers on
the head and neck, long neck,
barbulae without hooks, in mating
season male mates with several
females, and all lay eggs in the same
nest. The male guard the nest until
the eggs hatch. This bird can reach
the height of 140 cm.

Two Species:
- Rhea americana (greater Rhea)
- Rhea pennata (lesser Rhea/Darwin’s
Rhea)
Endemic to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,
Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Peru
Common Ostrich

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 Greater Rhea
Ordo 3. Casuariformes
Taxonomic Characters :
Terrestrial, flighless but can run fast, legs
with 3 digities with strong claws and facing
forward, neck and body with feathers, dorsal
feathers are longer than other part, barbulae
with hooks, without furcula or only the
remaining.
Short and strong beak, feed on mostly fruits,
and invertebrates when abundantly available,
female is bigger than the male, can reach the
height of 1,8 m with the weight of 41 Kg.

2 genera and 4 species:

- Dromaius novaehollandiae (Emu) 
endemic Australia
- Casuarius casuarius (Southern Cassowary)
 Australia
- Casuarius bennetti (Dwarf Cassowary) 
Lesser Rhea New Guinea, New Britain, Yapen Island
(Darwin’s Rhea) - Casuarius unappendiculatus (Northern
Cassowary)  Papua

Ordo 4. Apterygiformes

Taxonomic Characters :
Long and slender beak, slightly
curved with nares/nostril on the
tip, small eyes, reduced wings and
only one wing digiti, fat and short
legs with four digities, barbulae
without hooks, female are bigger
than male, can reach the height of
0,5 m

5 species :
- Little Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx owenii)
- Great Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx haastii)
- Southern Brown Kiwi (Apteryx australis)
- North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli)
- Okarito Kiwi (Apteryx rowi)

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 Superordo 2. Neognathae
Ordo 5. Tinamiformes
This bird lack of
teeth, sternum with
Burung modern
Taxonomic Characters : carina, wings are mostly
Big bird, low flight, feed on fruits, well developed, with 5 0r
seeds, and insects. 6 vertebrae caudalis,
9 genera, 47 species coracoid grows
unattached to the
scapula, with pygostyle,
rectrices, and barbulae
with hooks and form
vexillum.

- Galloanserae
- Anseriformes
(waterfowl)
- Galliformes
(landfowl)
- Neoaves
Red-winged Tinamou: Rhynchotus rufescens, in Central and South America

Ordo 1. ANSERIFORMES

Taxonomic Characters :
This bird is similar with duck, very
good at flying, slim head, short neck,
short beak composed of soft keratin,
widened and hard at the tip, there
are at the edge of the beak for
filtering water, big limbs/legs, long
three digities facing forward with
web in between, big and wide wings, Magpie Goose Horned Screamer
short cauda with many feathers, feed
on plants and water animals.

Belibis: Dendrocygna javanica

3 families, 58 genera, 171 species
- Anhimidae (2 genera, 3 species)  Screamer
- Anseranatidae (1 genus, 1 species)  Magpie goose
- Anatidae (57 genera, 173 species)  Duck, Geese, Swans
Southern Screamer
Northern Screamer

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 Ordo 2. GALLIFORMES
Taxonomic Characters :
Short beak, lengs for running and scratch ground, short wings and can
be used for flying low, adult male have spur and crest bigger than the
female, feed on seeds and insects.

Megacephalon maleo
Pavo cristatus

Ordo 3. COLUMBIFORMES
Pigeon and Dove
Taxonomic Characters :
Small, round head, short neck, short (some are slender, some are big) beak
with cera at the base, big ingluvies, compact body, with wings and tail
(some are short and some are long), feed on seeds, fruits, insects, and
small animals.

Perkutut: Dara Hijau:

Geopelia striata Treron pompadora

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 Ordo 4. CUCULIFORMES Ordo 5. CAPRIMULGIFORMES

Cuckoos
Taxonomic Characters:
Slightly curved and long beak, small feet with short legs, two digities
are facing forward, and two others are facing backward, however the
4th digiti can face forward. Feet can be used for climbing, feed on
insects, slug, and fruits.
Nightjars
Taxonomic Characters:
Very short and small beak, with wide rima oris tounder the eyes,
short neck and wings short, long tail, small and short limbs, active at
night (nocturnal), feed on insects and mouse.

Cabak: Caprimulgus affinis

Kedasi: Cacomantis sp. Bubut: Centropus burchelli

Ordo 6. APODIFORMES Ordo 7. Phoenicopteriformes

Hummingbirds, swift
Taxonomic Characters:
Taxonomic Characters :
This bird highly aquatic, surface-
Mostly small body, short limbs, small legs, long pointed wings, short tail, swimming birds, usually stand on one
can fly very fast, small or long slender beak, this bird can manage the time leg, webbed feet, capable of flying,
for mate or rest, feed on insects or honey. social birds, filter feeder on brine
shrimp and blue-green algae.

Lelayang: Apus spus Kolibri: Archilochus colubris

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 Ordo 8. PODICIPEDIFORMES Ordo 9. GRUIFORMES

Taxonomic Characters : Taxonomic Characters :

This bird can dive well, straight beak Truncus compact, bilaterally flat, short body neck, wings, tail and
with various shapes, digities without legs, strong legs with three digities, with various shape and size of
web, and widened forming kind of the body, feed on seeds and fruits.
lobes, short wings, rudimentary tail,
feed on crustacean, mollusc and some
plants.

Podiceps ruficollis,
lives cosmopolit.
Puyuh: Tusnix sylvaticus
Podiceps cristatus Ayam-ayaman : Gallicrex cinerea

Ordo 10. GAVIIFORMES Ordo 11. Sphenisciformes

Taxonomic Characters : Taxonomic Characters :
This bird can’t fly although evolved
This bird can swim, dive and fly
from flying bird, sternum with keel,
well, straight and pointed beak,
anterior extrimity modified into
three digities on feet facing
flipper for swimming, short and big
forward and with web, white ventral
feet completed with four clawed
and black, grey or stripes dorsal,
digities that facing forward, used
oviparous, lay 2 eggs and brood in
for waling on ice and there are web
turn by the parents for 25-30 days,
among the digities, small and thick
hathcling juvenile can fly by its own
feathers like scales cover all the
after 60 day, and mate at the age of
body, short tail, lack apteria and
three years. Feed on fish,
remiges, body posture is standing
crustacean, and mollusc.
Penguin : straight, feed on fish, crustacean
Aptenodytes forsteri, and cephalopods.
In Antartica

Gavia : Gavia artica, in Northern Europe and North America

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 Ordo 12. PROCELLARIIFORMES Ordo 13. CICONIIFORMES
Storks
Taxonomic Characters : Taxonomic Characters :
This bird is marine bird, with hooked Neck, limbs/feet and beak are relatively long, there is small web
and hollow beak, formed by several or no web between 1st and 2nd digities and between 2nd and 3rd
keratinized tissues, tubular nares or digities, tibiotarsus without feather, feed on fish, crustacean,
with duct,large nasales gland long and frog, reptile, and others.
narrow wings, webbed digities, facing
forward, the digities that facing
backward is rudimenter or none, body
size vary, from 25 to 50 cm, feed on
fish, squid, and other marine creatures.

Oceanodroma leucorhoa monorchis,

with separated tail

Sandang lawe: Ciconia episcopis

Conservation status
Blekok: Ardeola ralloides

Ordo 14. PELECANIFORMES Ordo 15, CHARADRIIFORMES

Taxonomic Characters :
All four digities are facing forward and with web, beak is usually
long with pointed upper beak and curved down, feed on fish and
crustacean.
Taxonomic Characters :
Small to big size bird, some with short and some with long beak,
straight, rather curved beak, moderately long legs, some with three
digities with very sharp calws, mostly with web between digities,
strong, wide (some are long) wings, feed on insects, mollusc, and
seeds.

Burung Pelikan:
Pelecanus roseus Blekek: Gallinago gallinaco Dara Laut: Sterna maxima
Burung Pecuk: Palacrocorax sp.

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 Ordo 16. STRIGIFORMES
Ordo 17. TROGONIFORMES
Taxonomic Characters:
Taxonomic Characters:
Big and round caput, big eyes and facing forward, surrounded by small
Short, wide and strong beak, with feathers around the base, big eyes,
radially arranged feathers, short beak shaped like a hook, upper part
short neck, short wings, wide and long tail, small feet and legs, 1st and 2nd
pointed and curved down, legs are completed with long,sharp, and strong
digities are facing forward, feed on insects, fruits, ad small reptile.
claws, and can be used to hold prey. 4th digiti can face forward or
backward, active at night (nocturnal), feed on mammals, birds, reptile, and
other animals.

Harpactes oreskrios
Trogon sp.
Ketupa ketupa Strix varia Otus lempiji

Ordo 18. CORACIIFORMES Ordo 19. PICIFORMES

Taxonomic Characters: Taxonomic Characters:
Big head, short neck, big,wide, straight and pointed beak, three Small or very large beak, round and curved, strong legs and feet, short wings
fingers are facing forward, long and slender, 3th and 4th digities and tail, feed on fruits, and insects.
grow attached, short limbs only for standing, wing are relatuvely
short, very short to long tail, feed on fish, crustacean, insects, and
small reptile.

woodpeckers: Ungkut2:
Ramphastos sp.
King fisher: Alcedo atthis Tetengket: Halcyon sp. Sesapi laut: Merops apiaster Dinopius (Tiga) javanense Megalaima haemacephala

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 Ordo 20. FALCONIFORMES Ordo 21. PSITTACIFORMES

Taxonomic Characters : Taxonomic Characters:

Dorsal tip of the beak is sharp and curved down like hook and there’s
Short head and neck, big short beak,
cera at the base, strong leg with clawed and curved digities to grab
strong, shaped like pinchers, sharp
and grasp prey, prey on smaller animals, including mammals. edges, the upper part of the beak is
long, pointed and curved down, the
down part is shorter and curved up,
have soft cera , upper jaw can move to
the os frontale, short limbs, 1sta nd
4th digities are facing backward, 2dn
Kakatua Hitam: and 3rd are facing forward, feet can
Macroglossus aterrinus be use to grasp, thick-cylinder tongue
short to long tail, feed on fruits,
nectar and pollen.

Ulung-ulung: Haliastur indus Falco rupicoloides

Nuri: Lorius rotatus

Ordo 22. PASSERIFORMES

Taxonomic Characters:
Three digities are facing forward, one digity is facing backward for perching,
12 – 14 vertebrae, feed on insects, mollusc and seeds.

Sturnopastor jalla atau Sturnus contra

jalla (Jalak), Paradise minor (paradise bird/Cendrawasih)

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