Galliformes
\nThe
Galliformes is an order of
birds containing the
turkeys,
chicken,
grouse,
quails and pheasants. About 256 species are found worldwide.
These birds vary in size from small to large, but they are typically stoutly built and have short thick bills primarily adapted for seed-eating or the consumption of other plant material such as heather shoots. The young birds will also take insects.
Most of these birds are resident, but some of the smaller temperate species, such as
quail, do
migrate. Many species show distinct differences between the sexes in size or appearance.
ORDER GALLIFORMES\n* Family:
Megapodidae, mound-builders\n* Family:
Cracidae, chachalacas, guans and curassows\n* Family:
Tetraonidae, grouse\n* Family:
Phasianidae, partridges, pheasants, quail, and allies (gallus).\n* Family:
Odontophoridae, New World quail\n* Family:
Numididae, guineafowl\n* Family:
Meleagrididae, turkeys\n* Family:
Mesitornithidae, mesites
The
buttonquail family is traditionally listed among the Galliformes, but many authorites now regard it as sufficiently different to list it as a separate order. Similarly, the
hoatzin was formerly listed here, but
DNA comparison has shown clearly that it is a
cuckoo.
The
Anseriformes (
ducks and their allies) and the Galliformes are ancestral to neognathous birds, and should follow
ratites and tinamous in bird classification systems. See the chart below
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