Picides

Picides
Scaly-throated honeyguide (Indicator variegatus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Class:	Aves
Order:	Piciformes
Suborder:	Pici
Infraorder:	Picides Meyer & Wolf, 1810
Families
Indicatoridae Picidae

Picides is an infraorder of the Piciformes order, that includes woodpeckers and honeyguides. The honeyguides were thought to be closely related to the barbets, as their aerial displays and vocalizations are more similar to each other than either are to woodpeckers. However, phylogenetic analysis has shown that honeyguides and woodpeckers are indeed sister taxa.^[1][2]

Systematics

Despite having only two families, Picides is an extremely widespread group; the family Picidae is the largest and most widespread in the order Piciformes, containing about 200 species in four subfamilies and being found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica.

• Infraorder Picides
  • Family Indicatoridae (honeyguides)
  • Family Picidae
    • Subfamily Jynginae (wrynecks)
    • Subfamily Picumninae (piculets)
    • Subfamily Nesoctitinae (Antillean piculet)
    • Subfamily Picinae (woodpeckers)

References

1. Sibley, Charles Gald & Ahlquist, Jon Edward (1990): Phylogeny and classification of birds. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.
2. Moyle, R. G. (2004). Phylogenetics of barbets (Aves: Piciformes) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 30(1), 187-200.

External links

• Tree of Life Piciformes