Photo: National Park Service, Fossil Butte National Monument
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Gallinuloididae
The oldest known galliform — and the first bird species discovered in the FBM.
The Galliformes order has over 200 living species, divided into eight families. Most are ground-feeding herbivores including pheasants, turkeys, chickens, and quails. These species are capable of flight, but commonly run to escape a predator.
G. wyomingensis is considered a non-aquatic bird, but it has been found in both near-shore and mid-lake deposits. This indicates that it may have attempted to fly over Fossil Lake on occasion.
Species text: National Park Service, Fossil Butte National Monument — Fossil Bird Species.