A Unified View: The Global List of Birds in 2025 | List of Birds

 

Table of Contents:

• The Release of AviList: A Major Achievement
• What is AviList? A Look at the Numbers
• How Did Scientists Put This List Together?
• Why Does This Checklist Matter to Me?
• Is This List Permanent?
• FAQ

A Unified View: The Global List of Birds in 2025

Why has it taken until 2025 for the world to agree on exactly how many bird species exist? The world's birds are put into catalogs more fully than ever before. In 2025, the release of AviList - the first single, worldwide list of bird types - shows a great step forward for bird science, protection efforts, as well as bird-watching groups everywhere.

The Release of AviList: A Major Achievement

A working group developed AviList. This group worked together and had representatives from important organizations like the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, BirdLife International, the American Ornithological Society, the International Ornithologists’ Union, and Avibase. AviList combines decades of research about classification into one single, trustworthy reference book.

What is AviList? A Look at the Numbers

AviList names 11,131 types of birds. Scientists sort these into:

• 252 families,
• 2,376 groups (genera), and
• 46 main divisions (orders).

The checklist also names 19,879 smaller divisions of birds (subspecies). This gives a detailed picture for understanding how different bird life forms are. This single way of looking at things fixes earlier differences found among big worldwide checklists. Examples of previous checklists are those kept by the International Ornithological Congress, also BirdLife International. The goal is to lessen confusion about how scientists classify species across science, conservation, in addition to hobbyist bird-watching situations.

How Did Scientists Put This List Together?

The creation of AviList was a strict process. Taxonomists (scientists who name and classify organisms) and bird scientists held meetings every month. They studied proof from many sources:

• Evolutionary family trees,
• DNA sequences (the specific order of genetic material),
• Recordings of sounds, and
• Specimens kept in museums.

Decisions about a bird's status as a species and the names used were made when everyone agreed. This guarantees that the checklist shows the most current scientific knowledge about bird classification.

Why Does This Checklist Matter to Me?

A main advantage of AviList is that people easily access it. The checklist is free for download. Researchers, people who work to save species, teachers, next to people who love birds use it. By giving a reliable standard for classifying birds, AviList does the following:

• It makes the sharing and collection of data simpler.
• It supports efforts to save species worldwide.
• It makes clear the boundaries between species for both professional and amateur bird scientists.

Is This List Permanent?

No, the checklist gets updates every year. This ensures it stays current when scientists find new things or change classifications. This approach allows AviList to work as a document that changes over time. It shows the developing understanding of how bird life forms differ and how we put them into groups. For those interested in studying the global list of birds, AviList gives a full and dependable resource. Whether you are an experienced bird scientist, a dedicated birdwatcher, or simply curious about the world's bird types, AviList offers a single and trustworthy look at the birds that live on our planet.

FAQ

Will AviList replace all other existing bird checklists?

AviList is meant to serve as a primary, unifying reference. It synthesizes information from many previous lists. While other organizations maintain their own lists for specific regional or historical purposes, AviList aims to become the standard global authority, reducing discrepancies between them.

How often does AviList change?

The core group updates the checklist annually. This schedule ensures that new discoveries, such as newly recognized species or changes in classification based on new genetic evidence, get added regularly. This way, the list stays a reliable, current resource for you.

Do I need to pay to access AviList?

No, the checklist is freely available for you to download and use. This decision was made to support global research, conservation, along with educational efforts.

Resources & References:

1. https://www.avilist.org
2. https://www.park-royalhotels.com/en/blog.html
3. https://americanornithology.org/66th-supplement-to-checklist-of-north-american-birds-publishes/
4. https://www.aba.org/listing-taxonomy/
5. https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/avilist-unified-global-checklist/
6. https://www.birdlife.org/news/2025/06/11/avilist-unites-the-worlds-bird-species/
7. https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org