Your list of birds starts with Ducks. My field guide starts with Loons. Why?

Problem: The birds seems to be appearing in a "strange" order in the program when I select taxonomic order. Why aren't Loons shown first?

Solution: In the July 2003 issue of the Auk, the American Ornithologists' Union announced that the correct taxonomic order for birds in North America was to put Ducks and Grouse directly after the Tinamous. As a result, the American Ornithologists' Union as well as the American Birding Association now show Ducks first.

Yes, that really does mean that all your field guides are suddenly incorrect! But this is not something new. North American field guides from 1950 have the Parrots and Cuckoos listed first. As scientists learn more, these lists will continue to change.