Parent taxon: Aves according to T. Park and E. M. G. Fitzgerald 2012
Sister taxa: Accipitriformes, Aegotheliformes, Aletornis, Avimimiformes, Avipedidae, Callaeidae, Chaoyangornithidae, Charadriiformes, Colymbiformes, Emeidae, Eoaves, Eremopezidae, Gansuiformes, Gastornithiformes, Hwangsanipes, Ignotornidae, Jeholornithiformes, Jindongornipodidae, Koreanornipodidae, Liaoxiornithidae, Manu, Meliphagidae, Metornithes, Monarchidae, Mystiornithiformes, Neornithes, Odontornithes, Omnivoropterygiformes, Ornithothoraces, Ornithurae, Palaeoaves, Pangalliformes, Pansphenisciformes, Petroicidae, Proornis, Protoaviformes, Pygostylia, Rahona, Sapeornithiformes, Shandongornipodidae, Stereornithes, Struthiones, Tatarornipes, Trisauropodiscidae, Tshulia, Tubinares, Turnagridae, Uhangrichnus, Zhongjianornis, Zhongornis
Subtaxa: Icadyptes, Inkayacu, Kaiika, Kairuku, Perudyptes, Spheniscidae, Waimanu