<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><head><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/><o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--></head><body>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/><o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]-->
Thanks for the link, Martha, this answers some questions for me!<blockquote class="iosymail" style=""><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I had long assumed nightjars (Caprimulgiformes) and <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">owls (Strigiformes) </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">were closely related, and wondered how swifts </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">fit in. Because I’ve always thought of a nightjar as halfway between a swift and an owl. Now I see I was way off. </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">After the branching at 60 million years ago that gave us nightjars, there were four more branches to get to </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">swifts & hummingbirds (Apodiformes).</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> Owls are a branch off the lineage that goes to new world vultures (Cathartiformes) as well as hawks, eagles, and osprey (Accipitriformes). </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div>It’s interesting to see that osprey (Pandionidae) is in <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Accipitriformes but separated from hawks and eagles by 40 million years.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I’ve also long been curious about the how closely Trogoniformes, Coriciiformes, and Piciformes are related. Now I can see it laid out. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Thank you,</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Kevin Moore</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Seattle, WA</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><div dir="ltr">------------------------------<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Message: 4<br></div><div dir="ltr">Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:14:55 -0800<br></div><div dir="ltr">From: Martha Jordan via Tweeters <<a ymailto="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>><br></div><div dir="ltr">To: Tweeters <<a ymailto="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>><br></div><div dir="ltr">Subject: [Tweeters] Birds of the World Interactive Phylogeny Explorer<br></div><div dir="ltr">Message-ID:<br></div><div dir="ltr"> <<a ymailto="mailto:CAPbe3Q7DbjYz6BOxVzdk_nhgRg1Z8XnMc0x-ui65YmaiwYkVOw@mail.gmail.com" href="mailto:CAPbe3Q7DbjYz6BOxVzdk_nhgRg1Z8XnMc0x-ui65YmaiwYkVOw@mail.gmail.com">CAPbe3Q7DbjYz6BOxVzdk_nhgRg1Z8XnMc0x-ui65YmaiwYkVOw@mail.gmail.com</a>><br></div><div dir="ltr">Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"> For those that do not get emails from Cornell Lab: Birds of the World<br></div><div dir="ltr">launches interactive phylogeny explorer illustrating evolutionary<br></div><div dir="ltr">relationships of all 11,000+ bird species. A great place to get<br></div><div dir="ltr">information on all our birds.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"> Link is long but here it is:<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/phylogeny?utm_campaign=18989223-BOW%20Newsletter%202025&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--lAYH5XbWLwhyAtiim66uQcNIKgBPSxxDqGSPoJy7qVwpbxBZ7KhxNiXbSV4d5TDmuXbDxzmy2mvGAXaRFjHDVjOUU4w&_hsmi=400499071&utm_content=400499295&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/phylogeny?utm_campaign=18989223-BOW%20Newsletter%202025&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--lAYH5XbWLwhyAtiim66uQcNIKgBPSxxDqGSPoJy7qVwpbxBZ7KhxNiXbSV4d5TDmuXbDxzmy2mvGAXaRFjHDVjOUU4w&_hsmi=400499071&utm_content=400499295&utm_source=hs_email</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Martha Jordan<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Everett</div></div>
</body></html>