User blog:StaraptorEmpoleon/Animal Diversity Web has a new layout, but...

'''Warning: some anger ahead... you have been warned.'''

I was just noticing today that ADW has a new layout, but...

Their bird taxonomy is severely outdated. No joke. Even Wikipedia is more advanced. They're in the freaking dark ages of bird taxonomy (aka the nineties).

But this isn't the freaking NINETIES. Nineties was thirteen years ago (if you count the current date).

Why are you still using this OLD TAXONOMY, ADW? It looks ridiculous.

Palaeognaths
Here's what it looks like:


 * Struthioniformes: cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostriches, and rheas.
 * Apterygidae: kiwis
 * Casuariidae: cassowaries
 * Dinornithidae: moas
 * Dromaiida: eemus
 * Rheidae: rheas
 * Struthionidae: ostrich
 * Tinamiformes: tinamous.

I'll admit, I was a little reluctant to separate the Struthioniformes, but I realise that none of them really look like each other. At least the took the decency to split cassowaries and emus! Oh, I see they didn't even include the elephant birds, yet they included to moas?! What the eff!

What it should look like:'
 * Struthioniformes: ostriches
 * Struthionidae: ostriches
 * Rheiformes: rheas
 * Rheidae: rheas
 * Apterygiformes: kiwis
 * Apterygidae: kiwis
 * Aepyornithiformes: elephant birds
 * Aepyornithidae: elephant birds
 * Casuariiformes: cassowaries and emus
 * Casuariidae: cassowaries
 * Dromaiidae: emus
 * Dinornithiformes: moas
 * Dinornithidae: moas
 * Tinamiformes: tinamous.

At least John Boyd III includes the elephant birds AND moas. Amen.

Neognaths
I'm now moving on to the Neognaths...

Galloanserae
Everything seems to be fine, don't see any problems (except why are New World quail and phasianids in a superfamily? Don't remember seeing that on Boyd's website...)

Neoaves

 * Proceeds to bash head into a wall*

Oh my God...

You gotta be kidding me!

What the frick is going on?!

What their classification looks like:


 * Aegothelidae: owlet-nightjars


 * Apodiformes: swifts, hummingbirds and treeswifts
 * The families of Apodiformes look okay, but are missing the owlet-nightjars


 * Balaenicipitiformes: shoebills
 * Balaenicipitidae SHOULD be in Pelecaniformes


 * Caprimulgiformes: nightbirds
 * Nyctibiidae should be in Nyctibiiformes, Podargidae should be in Podargiformes and Steatornithidae should be in Steatornithiformes


 * Charadriiformes: shorebirds and relatives
 * Alcidae: puffins, murres, auklets, and relatives
 * Burhinidae: thick-knees
 * Charadriidae: lapwings and plovers
 * Chionidae: sheathbills and Magellanic plover
 * Dromadidae: crab plover
 * Glareolidae: coursers and pratincoles
 * Haematopodidae: oystercatchers
 * Ibidorhynchidae: ibisbill
 * Jacanidae: jacanas
 * Laridae: gulls, terns, and skimmers
 * Pedionomidae: plains-wanderer
 * Pteroclididae: sandgrouse
 * Recurvirostridae: avocets and stilts
 * Rostratulidae: painted snipe
 * Scolopacidae: sandpipers, snipes, and relatives
 * Stercorariidae: skuas and jaegers
 * Thinocoridae: seedsnipe


 * Ciconiiformes: storks and relatives


 * Coliiformes: mousebirds


 * Columbiformes: pigeons and doves


 * Coraciiformes: kingfishers and relatives


 * Cuculiformes: cuckoos and relatives


 * Falconiformes: diurnal birds of prey


 * Galbuliformes:


 * Gaviiformes: loons


 * Gruiformes: coots, cranes and rails


 * Mesitornithiformes: mesites


 * Musophagiformes: turacos


 * Opisthocomiformes: hoatzins


 * Otididae: bustards


 * Passeriformes: perching birds


 * Pelecaniformes: pelicans, tropicbirds, cormorants, and relatives


 * Phoenicopteriformes: flamingos


 * Podicipediformes: grebes


 * Procellariiformes: tube-nosed seabirds


 * Psittaciformes: parrots


 * Scopidae: hamerkop


 * Sphenisciformes: penguins


 * Strigiformes: owls


 * Trogoniformes: trogons


 * Turniciformes: buttonquail

Okay... why don't the bustards, owlet-nightjars and the hamerkop have any orders? It looks stupid! And what is Balaenicipitiformes? I don't think I've ever seen that before! And how come Galbuliformes have anything after the colon? Yeah. I'm confused.