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- Matt Baker presents a family tree of modern birds based on evolutionary research. The video traces birds from their dinosaur ancestors through major evolutionary branches to the families, orders, and other taxonomic groups used to classify birds today.
- UsefulCharts is expanding its popular tree-of-life poster into a four-chart series. The original evolutionary tree-of-life chart received a major update in 2024, prompting Baker to develop more detailed charts covering particular sections of the tree.
- The expanded poster series covers four major areas of life. The plants-and-fungi chart is already finished; the three remaining planned charts will cover insects and other invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles, and birds and mammals. The precise division of the remaining subjects is still to be determined.
- The Kickstarter campaign offers several ways to support the posters. Backers can preorder any one of the four charts, any two charts, or the complete set. A $1 pledge is also available to support the campaign and help its visibility through Kickstarter's algorithm.
- The posters are intended to be high-quality educational products. Baker promises thick paper and very high printing resolution, with stretch goals planned. The stated production schedule calls for printing and mailing the posters by the end of November, while the campaign is described as running throughout August.
- The bird chart is still a working draft. Baker invites viewers to identify errors, suggest missing information, and leave comments because changes can still be made before the final product is completed.
- Birds are living dinosaurs and technically belong within the reptile lineage. They are generally classified separately from other surviving reptiles because of their substantial differences, but their evolutionary ancestry makes them part of the dinosaur and reptile story.
- Dinosaurs are divided into Ornithischia and Saurischia in the classification presented. Ornithischia means “bird-hipped” and includes extinct dinosaurs such as Triceratops. Saurischia means “reptile-hipped,” and, despite the name, this is the lineage from which birds descend.
- Saurischian dinosaurs included theropods and sauropods. Theropods included the ancestors of birds as well as famous dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex. Sauropods included enormous long-necked dinosaurs, among the largest land animals ever to have lived.
- Modern birds descend from the Paraves group of theropod dinosaurs. Archaeopteryx is presented as the best-known extinct example of this group. The modern bird class, Aves, descends from Paraves and is still classified within that broader evolutionary lineage.
- Aves is the Latin word for birds. The chart marks the bird section in yellow, orange, and red and divides the lineage into three principal branches: Paleognathae, Galloanserae, and Neoaves.
- Paleognathae means “old jaws.” Baker explains that members of this group have anatomical features, particularly around the beak and sternum, that are closer to those of extinct dinosaurs than those of many other modern birds.
- Most familiar paleognaths have lost the ability to fly. Examples include ostriches in Africa, rheas in South America, emus in Australia, and kiwis in New Zealand.
- Galloanserae combines Latin words associated with roosters and geese. Its birds are divided into waterfowl, classified in the order Anseriformes, and landfowl, classified in Galliformes.
- The pheasant family contains most familiar landfowl. The Phasianidae family includes pheasants, grouse, partridges, turkeys, and chickens, many of which are commonly eaten by humans. Quail are treated separately in their own family.
- Peafowl belong to the same broad landfowl family as pheasants and chickens. Unlike many other members of the family, peafowl are generally admired for their plumage rather than raised primarily for food. “Peacock” refers specifically to a male, while “peahen” refers to a female.
- Most waterfowl belong to the Anatidae, or duck, family. This includes mallards and other ducks, swans, geese, and Canada geese.
- Neoaves contains approximately 95% of all bird species. Its name means “new birds,” and Baker identifies a major 2024 genetic study as the basis for a revised understanding of its evolutionary relationships.
- The revised Neoaves classification has four principal clades. These are Mirandornithes, containing flamingos and grebes; Columbaves, named after the Latin word for dove; Elementaves, associated with birds occupying different environments; and Telluraves, meaning land birds.
- Columbaves includes the main pigeon and dove lineage. Most members belong to the Columbiformes order and Columbidae family, while cuckoos and roadrunners are presented as exceptions belonging to their own orders and families.
- The dove family includes several familiar species. Examples include collared doves, turtle doves, and mourning doves. The same family also contains domestic and feral pigeons commonly seen in urban parks.
- Modern city pigeons descend from the wild rock dove. Their presence in parks and other urban environments reflects the domestication and spread of this ancestral species.
- The passenger pigeon became extinct following an enormous population collapse. Once far more common in North America than it was during the twentieth century, the species reportedly declined from a population of approximately four billion because of overhunting and deforestation. The last passenger pigeon died in 1914, less than a century after the population's dramatic collapse began.
- Passenger pigeons must not be confused with carrier or homing pigeons. The latter are domestic pigeons specially trained to carry messages and remain in existence today.
- The dodo became flightless on Mauritius before humans arrived. Living on a remote island in the Indian Ocean with abundant food and no natural predators, it evolved without the need for flight. After humans arrived with dogs and other animals, the dodo rapidly disappeared; Baker places its likely extinction around 1690.
- Elementaves groups birds associated with diverse environments. The category encompasses birds found at sea, on land, and along shorelines, including several groups with very different ecological adaptations.
- Shorebirds belong to the Charadriiformes order in the classification shown. This order includes plovers, sandpipers, and gulls. The gull family also includes terns and skimmers.
- True seabirds differ from shorebirds in how they use aquatic environments. Birds in the Aequornithes clade spend most of their time in the water, whereas shorebirds generally spend their time alongside it.
- Loons are not ducks, despite their superficial resemblance. Baker uses them to illustrate how birds that look similar can belong to different evolutionary groups.
- The seabird grouping includes several diverse bird lineages. Baker identifies storks, cormorants, and penguins, as well as birds in the pelican order. He notes that some members of the latter group, including certain herons and ibises, have become associated with freshwater habitats rather than the sea.
- Penguins represent another independent loss of flight. They are included among the birds discussed in the seabird section, illustrating how different bird lineages have adapted to aquatic environments.
- Cranes are classified separately from the shorebirds and seabirds discussed earlier. They are predominantly freshwater birds found in marshes, rather than birds that spend most of their time at sea or along shorelines.
- Cranes and herons can be distinguished by their posture in flight. Cranes fly with their necks extended, whereas herons typically fly with their necks bent into an S shape.
- Swifts and hummingbirds belong to Apodiformes. Their exceptionally short legs distinguish them from many other birds. Baker explains that pod means foot and apod means “without feet,” reflecting the name's association with their reduced feet and legs.
- Many illustrations in the chart come from iNaturalist. Baker selected bird photographs from public-domain observations on the citizen-science platform, rather than using photographs without regard to their licensing status.
- Baker invites the iNaturalist community to help improve the chart. The platform allows users to identify and document observations of birds, plants, mushrooms, insects, and other organisms. Baker says the video is not sponsored by iNaturalist and identifies his account as Matt-B, inviting users to send suggestions or tag relevant observations.
- Telluraves has been divided into Afroaves and Australaves since 2012. Baker connects this division to an evolutionary split around the time of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Afroaves is associated with the lineage that evolved on what became Africa, while Australaves is associated with lineages that evolved on what became South America and Australia.
- Afroaves contains two major groups of birds of prey. These are Accipitriformes and Strigiformes, which include different families of raptors and owls.
- Accipitriformes includes ospreys and the hawk family. The latter encompasses hawks, eagles, and buzzards, grouping several familiar birds of prey within the same broader lineage.
- Strigiformes contains the owls. Barn owls belong to the Tytonidae family, whereas most other owls discussed—including horned owls, snowy owls, and wood owls—belong to Strigidae.
- Barred owls are wood owls, not barn owls. The similar names can be confusing, but Baker places barred owls within the wood-owl group, separate from the barn-owl family.
- Afroaves also includes scavenging birds such as turkey vultures and condors. Baker identifies these birds under Cathartiformes and also places kingfishers and woodpeckers within the Afroaves section of the chart.
- Woodpeckers belong to the Picidae family. Baker chooses four of the most common woodpecker types in the United States to illustrate this family on the chart.
- Falcons belong to Australaves rather than the same major raptor lineage as hawks and eagles. Older classifications grouped these birds together in one large order, but genetic research has changed that understanding.
- Falcons are more closely related to parrots than to hawks, according to the genetic classification presented. This is one of the clearest examples in the video of how evolutionary research can overturn classifications based on outward appearance or similar lifestyles.
- All parrots belong to the Psittaciformes order. Cockatoos occupy their own family, while macaws, grey parrots, and Amazon parrots are grouped within Psittacidae.
- Psittacidae and Psittaculidae are separate, similarly named families. Budgies and lovebirds belong to Psittaculidae, not the main parrot family Psittacidae highlighted alongside macaws and grey parrots.
- Passeriformes is the largest order discussed and contains about 60% of all bird species. Baker gives this order its own red color on the chart to emphasize its size and importance within Aves.
- Passeriformes means the order of sparrow-like perching birds. Its name derives from passer, the Latin word for sparrow. Members have feet adapted for gripping branches, typically with three long toes pointing forward and one long toe pointing backward.
- Not all passerines are songbirds. The order includes New Zealand wrens in a small suborder and New World flycatchers in the Tyranni suborder, also known as tyrant flycatchers.
- Songbirds belong to the Passeri suborder and are also known as oscines. They differ from other birds in having additional muscles associated with their windpipes, allowing them to produce complex sounds used to communicate information and attract mates.
- Passeri is divided into Passerida and Corvida in the classification presented. Passerida contains most songbirds, while Corvida contains the corvid group, including crows, ravens, and their relatives.
- Corvids are presented as exceptionally intelligent birds. Baker compares their intelligence roughly to that of a seven-year-old child and highlights their ability to solve complex puzzles, construct tools from multiple parts, and remember human faces for many years.
- Corvids are capable problem-solvers even though they do not mimic human speech as effectively as parrots. Their intelligence is illustrated through practical cognitive skills rather than vocal imitation alone.
- The corvid family includes jackdaws, magpies, jays, rooks, ravens, and crows. These birds share the broader evolutionary grouping despite differences in appearance and common behavior.
- North America has one principal crow species across much of the continent, according to Baker. He identifies it as Corvus brachyrhynchos, a scientific name he translates as “short-nosed crow.”
- Europe has at least two familiar crow species. These include the all-black carrion crow and the black-and-grey hooded crow, illustrating regional variation within the crow group.
- The Passerida lineage is divided into three smaller groupings in the chart. Baker proceeds through groups associated with tits, flycatchers and thrushes, and sparrows and finches before discussing several families of American songbirds.
- The tit family is Paridae. The name derives from an old Scandinavian word meaning “small,” rather than having the humorous meaning that English speakers might initially assume. Chickadees are familiar members of the family.
- Bush tits are smaller than many familiar tits but belong to their own family. Baker uses them to illustrate how similar-looking or closely related birds can still be separated into distinct taxonomic groups.
- Other birds associated with the tit grouping include Old World warblers, larks, and swallows. Their placement reflects evolutionary relationships rather than simply the environments in which they live.
- Old World and New World are geographic terms with historical baggage. Old World refers to Europe, Africa, and Asia, while New World refers to the Americas. Baker acknowledges that these labels derive from colonial history and are problematic, although they remain widely used in taxonomy.
- Similar common names do not necessarily indicate close evolutionary relationships. European settlers often named American birds after familiar European species because they looked alike. Baker uses warblers as an example and notes that the same naming pattern appears among sparrows, robins, finches, and other birds.
- The European robin and American robin belong to different bird families. The European robin is a type of flycatcher in the group discussed under Muscicapidae, whereas the red-breasted American robin belongs to the thrush family, Turdidae.
- The thrush family includes American robins, Eurasian blackbirds, and bluebirds. These birds are grouped together despite differences in appearance and common names.
- The broader group containing these birds also includes mockingbirds, wrens, nuthatches, kinglets, and starlings. The classification demonstrates that familiar bird categories can contain species with quite different appearances and behaviors.
- Starlings are known for their large coordinated flocks, called murmurations. Their synchronized movements make them a distinctive example of collective behavior among birds.
- European starlings became invasive in North America after being introduced in New York City's Central Park. Baker says a small number were released there in the late nineteenth century, when the introduction seemed like a good idea.
- The North American starling population is estimated at approximately 100 million. Baker says starlings can outcompete native birds and are now widely regarded as pests, making their introduction an example of unintended consequences in wildlife management.
- The Old World sparrow family is Passeridae. The house sparrow shown on the chart originally came from Eurasia and was introduced to North America, where it has become an invasive species.
- The sparrow gives Passeriformes its name, but not every bird called a sparrow belongs to the same family. The name reflects the familiar form of perching birds rather than a close relationship between all species with “sparrow” in their common names.
- Finches belong to the Fringillidae family and include both Old World and New World species. Their short, stout beaks are adapted to breaking seeds and nuts, distinguishing them from many other songbirds.
- The finch family includes familiar European and North American species. Baker identifies the European chaffinch and goldfinch alongside the North American house finch and goldfinch.
- Canaries originated in Europe but have become globally popular domesticated pets. Baker also says they were infamously used in American coal mines to detect carbon dioxide, presenting them as another example of how humans have used birds for purposes beyond companionship.
- New World nine-primaried oscines form another important group of American songbirds. The term refers to their having nine main wing feathers, compared with the ten typically found in most other birds, according to Baker's explanation.
- The cardinal family includes the northern cardinal and several other types of American songbirds. The northern cardinal is highlighted as one of the most easily recognized birds in North America. The family also includes certain grosbeaks, buntings, and tanagers, although most true tanagers belong to a separate family.
- The Icteridae family includes grackles, orioles, and New World blackbirds. The Baltimore oriole is one of Baker's examples of a familiar species within this group.
- New World warblers form a separate family from the Old World warblers discussed earlier. Their similar common names reflect historical naming based on appearance rather than necessarily close evolutionary relationships.
- New World sparrows belong to the Passerellidae family. Although they share the word “sparrow” with Old World species, they are not as closely related as the names might suggest.
- European settlers named American sparrows after familiar European house sparrows. Native North American examples include crowned sparrows and song sparrows, as well as towhees and juncos, even though the latter two are not directly named sparrows.
- Baker invites viewers to identify the most common birds in their own backyards. He uses the question to encourage viewers to connect the evolutionary classification with birds they can observe locally.
- Baker shares the birds visiting his and his wife's feeders in Vancouver, Canada. Their regular visitors include house finches, goldfinches, chickadees, song sparrows, juncos, northern flickers, Anna's hummingbirds, and American crows.
- The video closes with another appeal for Kickstarter support. Viewers are encouraged to preorder the charts or make a $1 pledge, and those unable to contribute financially are asked to share the campaign link with friends or on social media.