Galliformes – Turkeys, pheasants & quails
Galliformes’ ancestors survived a sudden mass extinction of three-quarters of the plant and animal species 66 million years ago
Members of this order are chicken-like, stocky-bodied birds that mainly feed on the ground. They have short, rounded wings. They have sturdy feet with 4 to 5 toes and are usually land-dwellers, though some do like to spend their time nesting on trees. They are capable of a short but fast flight.
Amongst species of this family, many such as grouse, partridge, pheasant, turkey, quail, and chickens, have economic importance to humans in terms of poultry, meat, and other uses. The chicken was domesticated as early as 2000 BC.
In most of these species, the males have various colorful ornamentation and patterns on the head. The ‘crowing’ they are famous for announcing territories and maintaining their social groups.
Families in this order
A large family that includes popular gamebirds, habituating a wide variety of native ranges and are generally sedentary
Long-tailed, arboreal birds of Central and South America are generally considered important indicators of habitat quality
Native to America, having ‘toothed’ bill and lack of tarsal spurs forming their separate family
Natively living in Australian regions, they never incubate their eggs using body heat; instead, build mounds to burry eggs for hatching
Highly vocal birds domesticated for food and serve as watchdogs on farms, build nests on the ground but roost in trees at night
