Ibises and Spoonbills
The family Threskiornithidae includes 35 extant species of large wading birds, and one more that became extinct in historical times. The family has been traditionally classified into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills; however, recent genetic studies have cast doubt on this arrangement, and have found the spoonbills to be nested within the Old World ibises, and the New World ibises as an early offshoot. These studies found two major clades within the family, a widespread clade that includes the type genus Threskiornis and seven other genera (including the spoonbills) occurring in b
AI overview
Ibises and spoonbills are a family of 35 large wading bird species that were traditionally thought to be two distinct groups, but recent genetic research has revealed they are more closely related than previously believed, with spoonbills actually nested within the ibis group. Understanding their true evolutionary relationships matters because it helps scientists accurately classify these birds and better understand how they evolved and are connected to one another.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Species
ibises & spoonbills
Family
- PhylumChordata
- ClassAves
- OrderCiconiiformes
- FamilyThreskiornithidae
Habitatmarine, brackish, freshwater
via
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Pelecaniformes
- Image
- African Sacred Ibis in Lake Ziway.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- P105
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Description
- Distribution and ecology
- Species
- Fossil genera
- References
- External links
The family Threskiornithidae includes 35 extant species of large wading birds, and one more that became extinct in historical times. The family has been traditionally classified into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills; however, recent genetic studies have cast doubt on this arrangement, and have found the spoonbills to be nested within the Old World ibises, and the New World ibises as an early offshoot. These studies found two major clades within the family, a widespread clade that includes the type genus Threskiornis and seven other genera (including the spoonbills) occurring in both the Old and New Worlds, and a smaller group of entirely New World species, with five genera.
==Taxonomy== The spoonbills and ibises were once thought to be related to other groups of long-legged wading birds in the order Ciconiiformes, until genetic studies found that they are members of the order Pelecaniformes. In response to these findings, the International Ornithological Congress (IOC) reclassified Threskiornithidae and their sister taxa Ardeidae under the order Pelecaniformes, instead of the previous order of Ciconiiformes, in 2010.