Skip to content

Vorstman's guideThe birds of Australia, New Zealand and their islands

All guides Species The egg Relationships Habitats Sources & licences Support the guide NederlandsEnglishEspañol

Orders and families

Phylogenetic order

Birds Aves
- Ratites and tinamous Palaeognathae
  - Cassowaries and emu Casuariiformes 2
    Emu and cassowaries Casuariidae 2
  - Kiwis Apterygiformes 4
    Kiwis Apterygidae 4
- Birds with a mobile palate Neognathae
  - Fowl Galloanserae
    
    Waterfowl Anseriformes 32
    Magpie goose Anseranatidae 1
    Ducks, swans and geese Anatidae 31
    
    Gamebirds Galliformes 13
    Megapodes Megapodiidae 3
    Guineafowl Numididae 1
    New World quail Odontophoridae 1
    Partridges, pheasants, grouse and allies Phasianidae 8
  - All other modern birds Neoaves
    
    Flamingos and grebes Mirandornithes
    
    Grebes Podicipediformes 4
    Grebes Podicipedidae 4
    
    Doves, cuckoos and bustards Columbaves uncertain branch
    
    Cuckoos, bustards and turacos Otidimorphae uncertain branch
    
    Bustards Otidiformes 1
    Bustards Otididae 1
    
    Cuckoos Cuculiformes 13
    Cuckoos Cuculidae 13
    
    Doves and sandgrouse Columbimorphae
    
    Pigeons and doves Columbiformes 29
    Doves and pigeons Columbidae 29
    
    Birds of the elements Elementaves uncertain branch
    
    Cranes and shorebirds Gruimorphae uncertain branch
    
    Cranes, rails and allies Gruiformes 19
    Cranes Gruidae 2
    Rails, gallinules and coots Rallidae 17
    
    Waders, gulls and terns Charadriiformes 112
    Plovers and allies Charadrii
    Thick-knees and stone-curlews Burhinidae 2
    Stilts and avocets Recurvirostridae 4
    Oystercatchers Haematopodidae 5
    Plovers and lapwings Charadriidae 19
    Sandpipers and snipes Scolopaci
    Plains-wanderer Pedionomidae 1
    Painted-snipes Rostratulidae 1
    Jacanas Jacanidae 1
    Sandpipers and allies Scolopacidae 36
    Gulls, terns and auks Lari
    Buttonquails Turnicidae 6
    Coursers and pratincoles Glareolidae 2
    Jaegers and skuas Stercorariidae 5
    Skimmers, noddies, terns and gulls Laridae 30
    
    Tropicbirds and waterbirds Phaethoquornithes
    
    Tropicbirds Phaethontiformes 2
    Tropicbirds Phaethontidae 2
    
    Waterbirds Aequornithes
    
    Penguins Sphenisciformes 9
    Penguins Spheniscidae 9
    
    Tubenoses Procellariiformes 71
    Albatrosses Diomedeidae 14
    Southern storm petrels Oceanitidae 7
    Northern storm petrels Hydrobatidae 3
    Petrels, shearwaters and diving petrels Procellariidae 47
    
    Storks Ciconiiformes 1
    Storks Ciconiidae 1
    
    Gannets and cormorants Suliformes 22
    Frigatebirds Fregatidae 2
    Boobies and gannets Sulidae 5
    Anhinga and darters Anhingidae 1
    Cormorants and shags Phalacrocoracidae 14
    
    Pelicans, herons and ibises Pelecaniformes 21
    Ibises and spoonbills Threskiornithidae 5
    Pelicans Pelecanidae 1
    Herons, egrets and bitterns Ardeidae 15
    
    Nightjars and swifts Strisores
    
    Nightjars Caprimulgiformes 3
    Nightjars and nighthawks Caprimulgidae 3
    
    Frogmouths Podargiformes 3
    Frogmouths Podargidae 3
    
    Owlet-nightjars Aegotheliformes 1
    Owlet-nightjars Aegothelidae 1
    
    Swifts Apodiformes 4
    Swifts Apodidae 4
    
    Land birds Telluraves
    
    Raptors, owls, kingfishers and woodpeckers Afroaves
    
    Hawks and owls Hieraves uncertain branch
    
    Owls Strigiformes 11
    Bay owls and barn owls Tytonidae 4
    Owls Strigidae 7
    
    Vultures, eagles and hawks Accipitrimorphae
    
    Birds of prey Accipitriformes 19
    Ospreys Pandionidae 1
    Kites, Old World vultures, eagles and hawks Accipitridae 18
    
    Kingfishers, woodpeckers and allies Coraciimorphae
    
    Kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers Coraciiformes 12
    Rollers Coraciidae 1
    Bee-eaters Meropidae 1
    Kingfishers Alcedinidae 10
    
    Falcons, parrots and passerines Australaves
    
    Falcons and passerines Eufalconimorphae
    
    Falcons Falconiformes 8
    Falcons and caracaras Falconidae 8
    
    Parrots and passerines Psittacopasserae
    
    Parrots Psittaciformes 63
    New Zealand parrots Strigopidae 3
    Cockatoos Cacatuidae 14
    Old World parrots Psittaculidae 46
    
    Passerines Passeriformes 376
    New Zealand wrens Acanthisitti
    New Zealand wrens Acanthisittidae 2
    Suboscines Tyranni
    Pittas Pittidae 3
    True songbirds Passeri
    Crows and allies Corvides
    Lyrebirds Menuridae 2
    Scrubbirds Atrichornithidae 2
    Australasian treecreepers Climacteridae 6
    Bowerbirds Ptilonorhynchidae 11
    Fairywrens, grasswrens and emu-wrens Maluridae 27
    Bristlebirds Dasyornithidae 3
    Pardalotes Pardalotidae 4
    Thornbills, scrubwrens, gerygones and allies Acanthizidae 45
    Honeyeaters Meliphagidae 78
    Logrunners Orthonychidae 2
    Australasian babblers Pomatostomidae 4
    Quail-thrushes and jewel-babblers Cinclosomatidae 7
    Cuckooshrikes Campephagidae 7
    Whiteheads Mohouidae 3
    Boatbills Machaerirhynchidae 1
    Woodswallows, bellmagpies and allies Artamidae 14
    Sittellas Neosittidae 1
    Whipbirds and wedgebills Psophodidae 4
    Australasian bellbirds Oreoicidae 1
    Shriketits Falcunculidae 3
    Old World orioles Oriolidae 3
    Whistlers and allies Pachycephalidae 12
    Fantails Rhipiduridae 7
    Drongos Dicruridae 1
    Monarchs and allies Monarchidae 13
    White-winged chough and apostlebird Corcoracidae 2
    Birds-of-paradise Paradisaeidae 4
    Crows, jays and magpies Corvidae 7
    Stitchbird Notiomystidae 1
    New Zealand wattlebirds Callaeidae 3
    Australasian robins Petroicidae 26
    Sparrows and allies Passerides
    Tits, swallows and warblers Sylviida
    Larks Alaudidae 2
    Cisticolas and allies Cisticolidae 2
    Reed warblers and allies Acrocephalidae 1
    Grasshopper warblers, grassbirds and allies Locustellidae 6
    Swallows Hirundinidae 7
    Bulbuls Pycnonotidae 1
    White-eyes and allies Zosteropidae 4
    Thrushes, flycatchers and starlings Muscicapida
    Rhabdornis, starlings and mynas Sturnidae 4
    Thrushes and allies Turdidae 4
    Finches, sparrows and buntings Passerida
    Flowerpeckers Dicaeidae 2
    Spiderhunters and sunbirds Nectariniidae 1
    Munias, parrotfinches, waxbills and allies Estrildidae 19
    Accentors Prunellidae 1
    Snowfinches and Old World sparrows Passeridae 2
    Wagtails and pipits Motacillidae 5
    Finches, euphonias and allies Fringillidae 4
    Old World buntings Emberizidae 2

All species › Nightjars

Nightjars | Caprimulgiformes

Nachtzwaluwachtigen | Chotacabras

Families in this order

Nightjars and nighthawks | Caprimulgidae3 species

Vorstman's Guide to the Birds of Australia and New Zealand — The birds of Australia, New Zealand and their islands

Every photograph on this site carries a free licence (Creative Commons or public domain) and is credited with author and licence.

All of Vorstman's guides

2026-09-20