List of Late Quaternary prehistoric bird species


Late Quaternary prehistoric birds are avian taxa that became extinct during the Late Quaternary – the Late Pleistocene or Early Holocene – and before recorded history, specifically before they could be studied alive by ornithological science. They had died out before the period of global scientific exploration that started in the late 15th century. In other words, this list deals with avian extinctions between 40,000 BC and AD 1500. For the purposes of this article, a "bird" is any member of the clade Neornithes, that is, any descendant of the most recent common ancestor of all currently living birds.
File:Giant Haasts eagle attacking New Zealand moa.jpg|thumb|An artist's rendition of a Haast's eagle attacking two South Island giant moa
The birds are known from their remains, which are subfossil; as the remains are not completely fossilized, they may yield organic material for molecular analyses to provide additional clues for resolving their taxonomic affiliations. Some birds are also known from folk memory, as in the case of Haast's eagle in New Zealand.
The extinction of the taxa in this list was coincident with the expansion of Homo sapiens beyond Africa and Eurasia, and in most cases, anthropogenic factors played a crucial part in their extinction, be it through hunting, introduced predators or habitat alteration. It is notable that a large proportion of the species are from oceanic islands, especially in Polynesia. Bird taxa that evolved on oceanic islands are usually very vulnerable to hunting or predation by rats, pigs, dogs or cats as they evolved in the absence of mammalian predators, and therefore have only rudimentary predator avoidance behavior. Many, especially rails, have additionally become flightless for the same reason and thus present even easier prey.
Taxon extinctions taking place before the Late Quaternary happened in the absence of significant human interference. Rather, reasons for extinction are random abiotic events such as bolide impacts, climate changes, mass volcanic eruptions, etc. Alternatively, species may have become extinct due to evolutionary displacement by successor or competitor taxa – it is notable for example that in the early Neogene, seabird biodiversity was much higher than today; this is probably due to competition by the radiation of marine mammals after that time. The relationships of these ancient birds are often hard to determine, as many are known only from very fragmentary remains and complete fossilization precludes analysis of information from DNA, RNA or protein sequencing.
Extinct bird species differed from still-existing birds by being larger, mostly restricted to islands, and often flightless. These factors made them especially vulnerable to human prosecution and to other anthropogenically related declines.

Taxonomic list of Late Quaternary prehistoric birds

All of these birds are in Neornithes.

[Palaeognathae]

Struthioniformes

The ostrichesStruthionidae – ostriches

†Aepyornithiformes

The elephant birds of Madagascar
  • †Aepyornithidae – greater elephant birds
  • * †Aepyornis
  • ** Giant elephant bird, Aepyornis maximus – a 2018 study moved the largest elephant bird specimens to the genus Vorombe, but a 2023 genetic study regarded Vorombe as synonymous with Aepyornis maximus
  • ** Hildebrandt's elephant bird, Aepyornis hildebrandti
  • †Mullerornithidae – lesser elephant birds
  • * †Mullerornis
  • ** Lesser elephant bird, ''Mullerornis modestus''

†Dinornithiformes

The moa of New Zealand

†Gastornithiformes

An extinct order of giant flightless fowl.

[Anseriformes]

The group that includes modern ducks, geese and swans.Anatidae – ducks, geese and swans

[Pangalliformes]

The group that includes modern chickens and quails.
True GalliformesMegapodidae – megapodes

Charadriiformes

s, gulls and auks

[Charadrii]

Charadriidae – plovers and lapwings

[Scolopaci]

Scolopacidae – sandpipers and allies

Lari">Lari (bird)">Lari

Alcidae – auks

Gruiformes

The group that includes modern rails and cranes.Rallidae – rails

Eurypygiformes

Rhynochetidae – kagus

Procellariiformes

The group that includes modern albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels and storm petrels.Procellariidae – petrels

Sphenisciformes

Spheniscidae – penguins
  • * Extinct species of extant genera
  • ** Eudyptes – crested penguins
  • *** Chatham penguin, Eudyptes warhami – possibly still existed around 1871 or 1872
  • * Extinct subspecies of extant species
  • ** Waitaha penguin, ''Megadyptes antipodes waitaha''

Ciconiiformes

Ciconiidae – storks

Suliformes

The group that includes modern boobies, gannets and cormorants.Phalacrocoracidae – cormorants and shags

Pelecaniformes

Ardeidae – herons

Cathartiformes

Phoenicopteriformes

The group that includes modern flamingos.Phoenicopteridae – flamingos

Mesitornithiformes

Mesitornithidae – mesites
  • *Extinct species of extant genera
  • ** Monias
  • *** Monias sp.

Columbiformes

Columbidae – pigeons and doves

Cuculiformes

Cuculidae – cuckoos

Accipitriformes

Accipitridae – hawks and eagles

Caprimulgiformes

Caprimulgidae – nightjars and allies

Aegotheliformes

Aegothelidae – owlet-nightjars

Apodiformes

s and hummingbirdsApodidae – swifts

Bucerotiformes

s and relatives, formerly included in CoraciiformesBucerotidae – hornbills

Piciformes

s, puffbirds and jacamarsPicidae – woodpeckers

Coraciiformes

Brachypteraciidae – ground rollers

Strigiformes">Owl">Strigiformes

True owls and barn owlsStrigidae – true owls

Falconiformes

Falconidae – falcons

Psittaciformes

Placement unresolved

Passeriformes

Placement unresolved

Taxonomic list of Late Quaternary extinct/possibly extinct/status unknown prehistoric birds

All of these birds are in Neornithes.

Struthioniformes

The ostrichesStruthionidae – ostriches
  • * Extinct subspecies of extant species
  • ** Arabian ostrich, Struthio camelus syriacus – survived until the 20th century

Charadriiformes

s, gulls and auksBurhinidae – stone-curlews
  • * Extinct species of extant genera
  • ** Burhinus
  • *** Dwarf thick-knee, Burhinus nanus - may have survived until the 17th century

Gruiformes

The group that includes modern rails and cranes.Rallidae – rails

Procellariiformes

The group that includes modern albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels and storm petrels.Procellariidae – petrels

Accipitriformes

Accipitridae – hawks and eagles

Passeriformes

  • Monarchidae – monarch flycatchers and paradise flycatchers
  • * Extinct species of extant genera
  • ** Myiagra
  • *** Myiagra sp.
  • Turdidae – thrushes and allies
  • * Extinct species of extant genera
  • ** Myadestes
  • *** Olomao, Myadestes lanaiensis – may have survived until the 19th century

General

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