Cathartiformes Temporal range: Eocene to present |
|
---|---|
a California Condor | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Clade: | Accipitrimorphae |
Order: |
Cathartiformes Coues, 1884 |
Families | |
The order Cathartiformes is an order of raptors or birds of prey that include the New World vultures and the now extinct teratornithidae. Sometimes these raptors are classified in the related order Accipitriformes (which include the like eagles and hawks), but they are now considered a separate but closely related order. In the past they were considered to be a sister group to the storks of the order Ciconiiformes based on DNA-DNA hybridization and morphology.