This order comprises the following families:

• Ardeidae (Herons)
• Pelecanidae (Pelicans)
• Balaenicipitidae (Shoebill)
• Scopidae (Hamerkop)
• Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)

Timetree of Pelecaniformes, with the distribution of each family being indicated by the colour-code used throughout this website (see Distribution code). 

References

Chesser, R.T., C.K.L. Yeung, C.-T. Yao, X.-H. Tian, and S.H. Lee (2010), Molecular phylogeny of the spoonbills (Aves: Threskiornithidae) based on

mitochondrial DNA, Zootaxa 66, 53-60. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2603.1.2. (abstract) 

Duan, Y., S. Shao, Y. Li, and X. Luo (2018), The complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis

(Pelecaniformes: Ardeidae), Mitochondrial DNA Part B 3(2), 1284-1285. DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2018.1532842. (pdf) 

Hruska, J.P. (2018), "A phylogenomic evaluation of the relationships among herons (Aves, Ardeidae)", Master´s Thesis, University of Kansas. (pdf)

Huang, T., Y. Wang, YL Zhou, and Z. Xu (2019), Complete mitochondrial genome of Pelecanus crispus and its phylogeny, Mitochondrial DNA Part B 4(2),

3075-3076. DOI: 10.1080. 23802359.2019.1666679. (pdf) 

Kennedy, M., S.A. Taylor, P. Nádvorník, and H.G. Spencer (2013), The phylogenetic relationships of the extant pelicans inferred from DNA sequence data,

Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 2603, 215-222. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.09.034. (abstract)

Krattinger, F. (2010), "Molecular phylogeny of Threskiornithidae", Master´s Thesis, University of Fribourg. 

Kuhl, H., C. Frankl-Vilches, A. Bakker, G. Mayr, G. Nikolaus, S.T. Boerno, S. Klages, B. Timmermann, and M. Gahr (2021), An unbiased molecular approach

 using 3'UTRs resolves the avian family-level tree of life, Mol. Biol. Evol. 38(1), 108-127. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa191. (pdf)

Liang, W.-L., J. Zhu, and Z.-M. Ren (2019), Complete mitochondrial genome of Ciconia nigra (Ciconiiformes: Ciconiidae), a threatened stork in

China, Mitochondrial DNA Part B 4(2), 2509-2510. DOI: 10.1080/23802.359.2019.1640082. (pdf)

Päckert, M., J. Hering, E. Fuchs, P. Barthel, and W. Heim (2014), Genetic barcoding confirms first breeding record of the Yellow Bittern, Ixobrychus sinensis,

(Aves: Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae) in the Western Palearctic. Vertebr. Zool. 64(2), 251-260. (pdf)

Prum, R.O., J.S. Berv, A. Dornburg, D.J. Field, J.P. Townsend, E.M. Lemmon and A.R. Lemmon (2015), A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using

 targeted next-generation DNA sequencing, Nature 526, 569-57. (abstract)

Ramirez, J.L., C.Y. Miyaki, and S.N. Del Lama (2013), Molecular phylogeny of Threskiornithidae (Aves: Pelecaniformes) based on nuclear and mitochondrial

DNA, Genet. Mol. Res. 12(3), 2740-2750. DOI: 10.4238/2013.July.30.11. (pdf) 

Zhou, X., Q Lin, W. Fang, and X. Chen (2014), The complete mitochondrial genomes of sixteen ardeid birds revealing the evolutionary process of the gene

rearrangements, BMC Genomics. 15, 573. (pdf)