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Collection > Order (Birds) > Order Information (Caprimulgiformes)
Caprimulgiformes
Caprimulgiformes, from Latin caprimulgus (“goat milker”) and Latin -fōrmis (“-shaped”), in reference to an ancient folk tale that they sucked the milk from goats.
Nightjars, nighthawks, frogmouths, potoos, oilbirds, swifts, treeswifts and hummingbirds.
Photos
Saucerottia cyanocephala
© Karen López, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Saucerottia cyanocephala
© Karen López, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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Florisuga mellivora
© haleykorab, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Florisuga mellivora
© haleykorab, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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DISTRIBUTION
They occur on all the continents except Antarctica, but not in the far north, in large deserts, or on many oceanic islands.
SIZE
They range from 5.5 cm in length and 1.95 g in weight to 41 cm and 188 g.
MORPHOLOGY
Certain species have lengthy tails and wings, and their wingspan is rather small. Their little beaks are surrounded by bristles in the majority. The toes are somewhat webbed, and the legs and feet are small and feeble. A comb-like pecten on the inner edge of the middle toe's claw can be utilized to care for feathers. The plumage has a cryptic brown and grey pattern.
There are others that are the tiniest known living birds, the hummingbirds. Their bodies are small, and their wings resemble blades. Their anatomical structure allows them to fly like helicopters in all directions, even hovering. Their feet have three toes facing forward and one backward, called the hallux, and their legs are small and lack knees. They also have extremely specialized feathers and iridescent colors.
ECOLOGY & HABITAT
They occupy a wide range of habitats, from arid regions to rainforests and deciduous temperate woods.
DIET
Most of them have insectivorous diets, but a great part is specialized in nectarivorous diets.
REPRODUCTION
Different species have different nesting practices. Some choose not to build a nest and instead lay their eggs on the ground, on the floor covered in leaves, others build nests into the horizontal forks of trees. On a tree or shrub branch, certain species construct a nest that resembles a cup.
REFERENCES
del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D. A. (2010). Handbook of the Birds of the World Series. Lynx Edicions.
Lovette, I. J., Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2016). Handbook of Bird Biology. Wiley-Blackwell.
Gill, F. B., Prum, R. O. (2019). Ornithology. W.H. Freeman & Co. Ltd.
Total species known
609
Species in the collection
2
Species in Hong Kong
9
Selasphorus sasin
© komalt1, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Selasphorus sasin
© komalt1, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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