The Speciation and Biogeography of Birds

Abstract

Birds are an ecologically important and conspicuous component of the fauna throughout the world, with more than 9 700 species inhabiting a diverse range of habitats from the tropics and deserts to the Arctic tundra and Antarctic. Bird species are not distributed evenly throughout the world. Species richness is greatest in tropical habitats (especially in South America), decreasing toward the poles. Furthermore, the distribution of birds varies from species with a global distribution (for example, the Peregrine Falcon) to species, such as the Sydney Rock Warbler, which are restricted to a relatively small geographic area.