TheAnimalsPedia

How Many Species Of Birds Are There?

How Many Species Of Birds Are There

How Many Species Of Birds Are There?

Birds are said to be one of the most abundant animals in the world. This is because we can find birds everywhere. Every landform from mountains to plateaus, places all kinds of weather and climates, and places with all kinds of vegetation.

You can literally see multiple species and types of birds in your courtyard. Birds are animals that can be seen in every size from the smallest hummingbird to the largest ostrich.

They all have different attributes and adaptations. Most birds can fly but there are exceptions such as ostriches and penguins. They are both prey and predator. 

You might also be interested to know What is a Group of Magpies Called?

Let us talk about how many species of birds there are in this world. To find an exact answer to this question, there have been multiple kinds of research and still, every resource has a different answer.

The most common answer is 10,000 to 11,000 species of birds.  According to the studies and research done by Experts at Princeton University, there are about 9,700 species in the world. Although, the debate about the exact number continues. 

The specific number remains debatable but all the research came down to a number around 10,000. So the estimated number of species of birds worldwide is assumed to be 10,000. 

How many birds are there in the world?

The number of species estimated is 10,000. Let us talk about the number of birds in the world. To know and calculate the exact number of birds in the world is impossible.

There are many things that can come in between when estimating the number of birds in the world. Birds are small creatures that fly around, counting each of them is impossible. 

But according to National Geographic, there are about 50 billion to 430 billion birds in the world in the year 2021. So there is a difference of about 380 billion bird gaps in the exact number of birds which is estimated.

This is the most accurate answer the researchers and experts can come up with because of all the uncertainties that play a part in the process. 

How many Bird Species are Endangered?

Before discussing the number of bird species that are endangered let’s see what endangered means. Endangered means a serious risk of extinction.

According to researchers and studies, there are around 1,481 bird species that are worldwide threatened. These 1,481 bird species include vulnerable species, endangered species, and critically endangered species. 

How many Bird Species are Extinct?

Before we get into the numbers, there are two categories of extinct birds we are going to talk about: the first one is ‘extinct’ and the other one is ‘extinct in the wild’.

The difference between the two is that when we say a bird is extinct, it means it does not exist anymore anywhere but if we say a bird is extinct in the wild, it means it doesn’t exist in the wild but is found in other places. 

According to researchers, there are about 159 species which have been extinct and about 5 species which have been extinct in the wild. The number might differ on other websites and studies but it is around these numbers. 

Global Bird Status

Let’s take a look at the status of the birds around the world:

  1. Extinct – 159
  2. Extinct in the wild – 5 
  3. Vulnerable- 798
  4. Endangered – 460 
  5. Critically endangered – 223
  6. Near threatened – 1001
  7. Least threatened – 8460 
  8. Data deficient – 52 

Facts about birds

Let’s talk about some interesting facts about birds in general:

  • Birds are of the classes of the Animalia kingdom. 
  • Birds share some of their characteristics with the group of animals called Reptiles. 
  • Birds come under the category of vertebrates, which means they have a skeleton with a spinal cord, limbs, and a skull. 
  • Birds are endothermic animals, which means their body can maintain a constant temperature itself, without being dependent on any outside source or factor.
  • Birds are bipedal like humans, which means they move on land with two limbs. 
  • Birds have upper limbs which have evolved in structure which are wings. Wings allow birds to fly. 
  • The body of most birds is spindle-shaped (shaped like an airplane) which lets them fly comfortably cutting through the wind. 
  • Birds’ bones are hollow inside. This minimizes their body weight which helps them fly more easily. 
  • Birds’ bodies are covered with feathers except for their legs, which are covered in scales. 
  • One of the most developed organs of birds is their heart. Their heart has 4 chambers, this way their oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood are divided properly, helping them maintain their body temperature. 
  • Birds are known to be intelligent. They have a complex nervous system and a well-developed brain.
  • Birds have two sexes, male and female. 
  • Birds are egg-laying animals. But the fertilization is internal.
  • Birds have a break inside their mouths. 

Types of Birds 

Evidently, it’s impossible to list and talk about all types of birds in this article. But let’s discuss some of them. Here is a list of some popular bird species:

  • Diurnal Birds (Accipitriformes)
  • Waterfowl Birds
  • Hummingbirds & Swifts
  • Kiwis and Extinct Birds
  • Hornbills & Hoopoes
  • Nightjars, Frogmouths & Oilbirds
  • Seriemas
  • Emus and Cassowaries
  • Shorebirds (Charadriiformes)
  • Storks, Herons & Vultures
  • Mousebirds (Coliiformes)
  • Pigeons and Dodos
  • Kingfishers, Rollers, & Bee-eaters
  • Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Koels
  • Kagus & Sunbitterns
  • Falcons
  • Chickens & Turkeys
  • Loons
  • Cranes & Rails
  • Cuckoo Rollers
  • Mesites
  • Turacos & Plantain Eaters
  • Hoatzins
  • Perching Birds
  • Pelicans & Frigate Birds
  • Tropicbirds
  • Flamingos
  • Woodpeckers
  • Albatrosses & Petrels
  • Rheas or Nandus
  • Boobies & Gannets
  • Ostriches 
  • Owls 
  • Trogons & Quetzals
  • Tinamous

And so so many more. 

Conclusion 

In the above article, we discussed how many species of birds are there in the world. And The number of species estimated is 10,000. We also discussed the number of birds in the world which is between 50 billion to about 430 billion.

Further, we went through the number of extinct, extinct in the wild, endangered, critically endangered, and vulnerable bird species. We also took a look at the global status of birds. Lastly, we talked about some bird facts and some types of birds. 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *