Charadriiformes – Shorebirds/waders

Found near water bodies, these ‘frequent flyers’ inhabit all continents

Members of this order inhabit all seven continents of the world. Charadriiformes are divided into the waders, the gulls, and the auks. Auks look strikingly similar to penguins but can fly!

Predominantly aquatic birds, members of this family are strong fliers, and some pull off the longest and most impressive migrations among birds. Their plumage is typically white, grey, brown, or black, although many will have a bright contrast of yellow or red on either feet, eyes, or bills. They usually nest in huge colonies with thousands of nests, making their eggs prone to human harvesting. Unfortunately, many of these species are threatened by oil pollution or hunting.