Ornithologists with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have stitched together the most complete avian evolutionary tree ever, unveiling surprising relationships and offering bird lovers the illustrated Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer to trace lineages and evolutionary milestones. But with more than 11,000 bird species in the world, organizing the available phylogenetic trees into a single synthetic depiction, and keeping it current, has long challenged ornithologists. The Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer uniquely addresses these challenges by staying current with the latest research. “This tool combines centuries of bird research with computational tools to create an engaging and interactive resource that tells the story of how birds evolved,” said Dr. Eliot Miller, a researcher with American Bird Conservancy. We will release an updated Phylogeny Tool annually, thus providing a comprehensive phylogenetic dataset that syncs with current taxonomy.”“This tool greatly benefits science,” said Dr. Pam Rasmussen, a researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.