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Order: Podicipediformes Family: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds. They breed on fresh water, but often visit the sea whilst migrating and in winter. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers; however, their feet are placed far back on their bodies, making them quite ungainly on land. There are 20 species worldwide, though one—the Alaotra Grebe—may now be extinct.[2] Of these, one species has been recorded in The Gambia.
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Procellariidae
Shearwaters are medium-sized, long-winged seabirds. Highly pelagic, they come ashore only to breed, nesting on islands and rocky cliffs. They generally glide low above the water on stiff wings, and feed on fish, squid and similar oceanic food. There are 23–27 species worldwide. (Some experts split Audubon's Shearwater into several distinct species, while others consider those distinctive forms to be subspecies.) Of these, 13 species have been recorded in Africa, and two in The Gambia.
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Hydrobatidae
Storm-petrels are small birds which spend most of their lives at sea, coming ashore only to breed.[3] They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering or pattering across the water. Their flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. There are 22 species worldwide, three of which have been recorded in The Gambia.
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are medium-sized seabirds found primarily in tropical oceans; they typically come ashore only to breed. They are predominantly white, with elongated central tail feathers. When hunting for the flying fish (and occasional squid) they feed on, they hover above the water, then plunge dive in after their prey. There are three species worldwide, one of which has been recorded in The Gambia.
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are very large water birds with distinctive pouches under their beaks. Found along both inland and coastal waterways, they are primarily fish-eaters. Many species hunt in groups, chasing fish into shallow waters and then scooping them up in their huge bills, but one plunge-dives after prey. They nest colonially. There are eight species worldwide; of these, two have been recorded in The Gambia.
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Sulidae
Gannets and boobies are large seabirds with long beaks and long, pointed wings. They eat fish, which they hunt by plunge-diving from heights of up to 30 m and chasing their prey underwater. They nest colonially on islands and along coasts, either on the ground or in trees. There are ten species worldwide; of these six have been recorded in Africa, and two in The Gambia.
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants are medium to large seabirds, found primarily along the coast, but occasionally ranging some way inland in aquatic environments. Their plumage is generally dark, though most species have areas of brightly coloured skin on the face. They are primarily fish eaters. Their bills are long, thin, and sharply hooked and their four-toed feet are webbed. Because their plumage is only semi-waterproof, they often stand out of the water with their wings outstretched to dry out their feathers. There are 39 species worldwide; of these, 11 have been reported in Africa and two in The Gambia.
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Anhingidae
Darters are large waterbirds, found primarily in fresh and brackish water habitats. Because their plumage is not entirely waterproof, they often stand out of the water with their wings outstretched, drying off. Darters are strongly sexually dimorphic; males generally have much darker plumage than do females. They eat primarily fish, which they catch by diving from the water's surface. There are two to four species worldwide (some taxonomists lump all the Old World species as Anhinga melanogaster, while others treat them separately); of these, one has been recorded in Africa, and in The Gambia.
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds typically found soaring over tropical oceans. They have long wings and a deeply forked tail; their plumage is either black (males) or black-and-white (females and young). Males have inflatable coloured throat pouches, which are used in courtship. Frigatebirds spend most of their time in the air. They are kleptoparasites, and often chase other seabirds to get them to drop their catches of fish; they also scoop fish from the water's surface. There are five species worldwide; of these four have been reported in Africa, and one in The Gambia.
Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ardeidae
Herons, egrets and bitterns are long-legged birds typically associated with wetlands; herons and egrets are long-necked, while bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and quite secretive. Birds in this family often wade in shallow waters, preying on various aquatic organisms (including fish and frogs) as well as reptiles, amphibians and the occasional small bird. In flight, they hold their neck retracted in a gentle S-curve. There are 61 species worldwide; of these, 29 occur in Africa, and 18 in The Gambia.
Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Scopidae
Hamerkops are medium-sized, all-brown wading birds named for their hammer-headed appearance, which is created by the combination of their shaggy backwards-pointing crests and their heavy black bills. Typically found in wetland areas, they forage in shallow water for amphibians, small fish, crustaceans, insects, worms and small mammals. They build enormous, complex nests—which they generally use for only a matter of months—and occupy their territories year-round. There is only a single species, which is found in The Gambia.
Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills. They occur in most of the world's warmer regions and tend to live in drier habitats than herons, to which they're closely related. They build large stick nests, and sometimes nest colonially. Many species are migratory. Most storks eat a variety of small vertebrates and invertebrates; some eat carrion. There are 19 species of storks worldwide; of those, eight have been recorded in Africa and seven in The Gambia.
Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Threskiornithidae
Order: Phoenicopteriformes Family: Phoenicopteridae
Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae
Order: Falconiformes Family: Pandionidae
Order: Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae
Order: Falconiformes Family: Sagittariidae
Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae
Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae
Order: Galliformes Family: Numididae
Order: Gruiformes Family: Turnicidae
Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae
Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae
Order: Gruiformes Family: Heliornithidae
Order: Gruiformes Family: Otidae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Jacanidae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Rostratulidae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Haematopodidae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Recurvirostridae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Burhinidae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Glareolidae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae
Lapwings, plovers, and dotterels are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, generally in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions. There are 66 species worldwide; of these, 33 species have been recorded in Africa, and 15 in The Gambia.
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Stercorariidae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Sternidae
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Rynchopidae
Order: Pterocliformes Family: Pteroclidae
Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae
Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae
Order: Cuculiformes Family: Musophagidae
Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae
Order: Strigiformes Family: Tytonidae
Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae
Order: Caprimulgiformes Family: Caprimulgidae
Order: Apodiformes Family: Apodidae
Order: Coliiformes Family: Coliidae
Order: Coraciiformes Family: Alcedinidae
Order: Coraciiformes Family: Meropidae
Order: Coraciiformes Family: Coraciidae
Order: Coraciiformes Family: Upupidae
Order: Coraciiformes Family: Phoeniculidae
Order: Coraciiformes Family: Bucerotidae
Order: Piciformes Family: Capitonidae
Order: Piciformes Family: Indicatoridae
Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Alaudidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Hirundinidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Motacillidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Campephagidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Pycnonotidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Turdidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Cisticolidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Sylviidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Muscicapidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Platysteiridae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Monarchidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Timaliidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Paridae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Certhiidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Remizidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Nectariniidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Zosteropidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Oriolidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Laniidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Malaconotidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Prionopidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Dicruridae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Sturnidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Ploceidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Estrildidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Viduidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Emberizidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Fringillidae
Order: Passeriformes Family: Passeridae