| The population of birds |
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This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Lists need to be created for multiple orders, and examples of species must be added to multiple. Certain lists need to be added to category under main menu plus on the bottom with related topics.(December 2024) |
This is a list of bird species by global population, divided by avian order. While numbers are estimates, they have been made by the experts in their fields. For more information on how these estimates were ascertained, see Wikipedia's articles on population biology and population ecology. Contributing organizations include the IUCN, BirdLife International, and Partners in Flight.
The average global population of all mature birds is estimated to be on the order of 100 billion individuals. [1] [2] [3] Total species population, including immature individuals, is higher during the breeding season of each species. [3]
This list is incomplete, because experts have not estimated all bird populations. For example, the spectacled flowerpecker was only discovered in 2010, and did not receive its scientific name (Dicaeum dayakorum) until 2019, [4] adding to the other 73 new bird species described by ornithologists from 2000 – 2009. [5] [6] [7] Global population estimates for many of these at this time would lack accuracy.
All numbers are estimates, because they are made via bird surveys (e.g., point counting) and extrapolating species density estimates made via observation data over a species' known range. [8] Population estimates should be interpreted with a margin of error, even when only one value is provided.
The number of species within a order corresponds to IOC guidance [9] unless otherwise noted. IUCN/Birdlife International taxonomic classifications [10] often differ from the IOC; for specific disagreements, see Order specific pages.
| List by taxonomic order | Birds included | # of quantified species / # of total species (%) 1 | Example of less common species | Example of more common species | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accipitriformes | Hawks, eagles, kites, Old World vultures. | 180 / 259 (69%) | Philippine eagle (CR) | | Roadside hawk (LC) | |
| Pop: 128-924 [11] | Pop: 5,000,000-50,000,000 [12] | |||||
| Aegotheliformes | Owlet-nightjars. | 1 / 10 (10%) | ||||
| Anseriformes | Waterfowl: ducks, geese, swans, screamers. | 176 / 178 (99%) | White-winged duck (CR) | Mallard (LC) | ||
| Pop: 150-450 [13] | Pop: 17,260,000-19,300,000 [14] | |||||
| Apodiformes | Swifts, hummingbirds | ? / 480 | ||||
| Apterygiformes | Kiwis | 5 / 5 (100%) | Okarito kiwi (VU) | | Southern brown kiwi (VU) | |
| Pop: 350-400 [15] | Pop: 16,500 [16] | |||||
| Bucerotiformes | Hornbills, hoopoes, scimitarbills. | 15 / 75 (20%) | Sulu hornbill (CR) | | Eurasian hoopoe (LC) | |
| Pop: 1 - 49 [17] | Pop: 5,000,000 - 10,000,000 [18] | |||||
| Caprimulgiformes | Nightjars, nighthawks, poorwills. | 31 / 98 (32%) | Jamaican poorwill (CR) | | Common nighthawk (LC) | |
| Pop: 1-49 [19] | Pop: 23,000,000 [20] | |||||
| Cariamiformes | Seriemas. | 0 / 2 (0%) | ||||
| Cathartiformes | New World vultures, condors | 5 / 7 (71%) | ||||
| Casuariiformes | Cassowaries, emus. | 3 / 4 (75%) | Northern cassowary (LC) | | Emu (LC) | |
| Pop: 10,000-19,999 [21] | Pop: 630,000-725,000 [22] | |||||
| Charadriiformes | Waders, gulls, auks. | 268 / 390 | Shore dotterel (EN) | | Thick-billed murre (LC) | |
| Pop: 250 [23] | Pop: > 22,000,000 [24] | |||||
| Ciconiiformes | Storks. | 20 / 20 (100%) | Storm's stork (EN) | | White stork (LC) | |
| Pop: 300-1,750 [25] | Pop: 526,000-588,000 [26] | |||||
| Coliiformes | Mousebirds. | 0 / 6 (0%) | ||||
| Columbiformes | Doves, pigeons. | 94 / 351 | Socorro dove (EW) | | Rock dove (LC) | |
| Pop: 100 [27] | Pop: 260,000,000 [28] | |||||
| Coraciiformes | Kingfishers, motmots, bee-eaters. | 58 / 186 (31%) | Marquesan kingfisher (CR) | | Ringed kingfisher (LC) | |
| Pop: 350 [29] | Pop: 20,000,000 [30] | |||||
| Cuculiformes | Cuckoos. | 29 / 156 (19%) | Sumatran ground cuckoo (EN) | | Common cuckoo (LC) | |
| Pop: 1,500-6,000 [31] | Pop: 34,600,000-54,400,000 [32] | |||||
| Eurypygiformes | Kagu, sunbittern. | 2 / 2 (100%) | Kagu (EN) | | Sunbittern (LC) | |
| Pop: 250 - 299 [33] | Pop: 500,000-4,999,999 [34] | |||||
| Falconiformes | Falcons and caracaras. | 47 / 65 (72%) | Mauritius kestrel (EN) | | American kestrel (LC) | |
| Pop: 140 - 170 [35] | Pop: 9,200,000 [36] | |||||
| Galliformes | Gamebirds. | 121 / 302 | Bornean peacock-pheasant (EN) | Willow ptarmigan (LC) | | |
| Pop: 1,000 – 2,499 [37] | Pop: > 40,000,000 [38] | |||||
| Gaviiformes | Loons. | 5 / 5 (100%) | Yellow-billed loon (NT) | | Pacific loon (LC) | |
| Pop: 11,000 – 21,000 [39] | Pop: 930,000 – 1,600,000 [40] | |||||
| Gruiformes | Cranes, rails, finfoots, trumpeters, limpkin. | 139 / 190 (73%) 2 | Lord Howe woodhen (EN) | | American coot (LC) | |
| Pop: 200-286 [41] | Pop: 7,100,000 [42] | |||||
| Leptosomiformes | Cuckoo-roller. | 0 / 1 (0%) | ||||
| Mesitornithiformes | Mesites. | 3 / 3 (100%) | White-breasted mesite (VU) | | Subdesert mesite (VU) | |
| Pop: 5,300 [43] | Pop: 65,000-110,000 [44] | |||||
| Musophagiformes | Turacos. | 3 / 23 (13%) | ||||
| Nyctibiiformes | Potoos. | 3 / 7 (43%) | Northern potoo (LC) | | Great potoo (LC) | |
| Pop: 50,000 - 499,999 [45] | Pop: 500,000 - 4,999,999 [46] | |||||
| Opisthocomiformes | Hoatzin. | 0 / 1 (0%) | ||||
| Otidiformes | Bustards, floricans, korhaans. | 11 / 26 (42%) | Great Indian bustard (CR) | | Little bustard (NT) | |
| Pop: 50-249 [47] | Pop: 100,000-499,999 [48] | |||||
| Passeriformes | New Zealand wrens, suboscines, oscines, songbirds. | 55 / 6533 | ||||
| Pelecaniformes | Ibises, spoonbills, herons, shoebill, hamerkop, pelicans. | 106 / 118 (90%) | White-bellied heron (CR) | | Cocoi heron (LC) | |
| Pop: 50-249 [49] | Pop: 5,000,000-49,999,999 [50] | |||||
| Phaethontiformes | Tropicbirds. | 3 / 3 (100%) | Red-billed tropicbird (LC) | | White-tailed tropicbird (LC) | |
| Pop: 16,000-30,000 [51] | Pop: 400,000 [52] | |||||
| Phoenicopteriformes | Flamingos. | 6 / 6 (100%) | Andean flamingo (VU) | | Lesser flamingo (NT) | |
| Pop: 38,000 [53] | Pop: 2,220,000 – 3,240,000 [54] | |||||
| Piciformes | Woodpeckers, toucans, barbets. | 43 / 449 | Ivory-billed woodpecker (CR) | | Great spotted woodpecker (LC) | |
| Pop: 0 – 50 [55] | Pop: 73,500,000 – 216,000,000 [56] | |||||
| Podargiformes | Frogmouths. | 1 / 16 (6%) | ||||
| Podicipediformes | Grebes. | 22 / 23 (96%) 3 | New Zealand grebe (LC) | | Black-necked grebe (LC) | |
| Pop: 1,000 – 5,000 [57] | Pop: 3,900,000 – 4,200,000 [58] | |||||
| Pterocliformes | Sandgrouse. | 2 / 16 (13%) | ||||
| Procellariiformes | Albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels. | 143 / 149 (96%) | New Zealand storm petrel (CR) | | Antarctic prion (LC) | |
| Pop: 1-49 [59] | Pop: 50,000,000 [60] | |||||
| Psittaciformes | Parrots, cockatoos, macaws. | 134 / 403 | Kākāpō (CR) | | Red-tailed black cockatoo (LC) | |
| Pop: 210 [61] | Pop: > 100,000 [62] | |||||
| Rheiformes | Rheas. | 1 / 2 (50%) | ||||
| Sphenisciformes | Penguins. | 18 / 19 (95%) | Galapagos penguin (EN) | | Macaroni penguin (VU) | |
| Pop: 1,200 [63] | Pop: 12,600,000 [64] | |||||
| Steatornithiformes | Oilbird. | 1 / 1 (100%) | ||||
| Strigiformes | Owls. | 72 / 255 | Forest owlet (EN) | | Short-eared owl (LC) | |
| Pop: 70 – 400 [65] | Pop: > 2,000,000 [66] | |||||
| Struthioniformes | Ostriches. | 1 / 2 (50%) | Somali ostrich (VU) | | Common ostrich (LC) | |
| Pop: unknown [67] | Pop: 300,000-900,000 [68] | |||||
| Suliformes | Shags, frigatebirds, gannets, cormorants. | 44 / 60 (73%) | Chatham Islands shag (CR) | | Neotropic cormorant (LC) | |
| Pop: 710 [69] | Pop: 2,000,000 [70] | |||||
| Tinamiformes | Tinamous. | 17 / 46 (37%) | Black tinamou (VU) | | Great tinamou (LC) | |
| Pop: 1,900 – 4,400 [71] | Pop: 5,000,000 – 49,999,999 [72] | |||||
| Trogoniformes | Trogons, quetzals. | 14 / 43 (33%) | Javan trogon (VU) | | Collared trogon (LC) | |
| Pop: 2,500 – 9,999 [73] | Pop: 5,000,000 – 49,999,999 [74] | |||||
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