Ratites & Tinamous

Abstract

There are five families of living ratites, four with a single genus. The ostrich of Africa, the rheas of South America and the kiwis of New Zealand are placed in separate orders, while the emu and cassowaries of Australia and New Guinea belong to separate families in a fourth order. Two other ratite groups have become extinct so recently as to need mention, the moas of New Zealand and the elephant birds of Madagascar. Both almost certainly owe their final extinction to human interference. Some 25 species of moas, belonging to two families, are known, and are usually placed in the Order Dinornithiformes, though some authorities merge them with the kiwis in the Apterygiformes. The 9 known species of elephant birds comprise the Order Aepyornithiformes. All ratites, except for the ostrich which extends just north of the equator and until recently occurred also from Arabia to Syria, are restricted to the southern hemisphere.