[6] The early diversification of the various neoavian groups occurred very rapidly around the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event,[7][8] and attempts to resolve their relationships with each other have resulted initially in much controversy.

[17] The disagreement on topology even with large phylogenomic studies led Alexander Suh in 2016 to propose a hard polytomy of nine clades as the base of Neoaves.

[19] Despite other disagreements, these studies do agree on a number of supraordinal groups, which Reddy and colleagues in 2017 dubbed the "magnificent seven", which together with three "orphaned orders" make up Neoaves.

Mirandornithes (flamingos, grebes) Columbimorphae (pigeons, mesites, sandgrouse) Otidimorphae (cuckoos, bustards, turacos) Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightbirds) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Gruiformes (cranes, rails) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Eurypygimorphae (sunbittern, kagu, tropicbirds) Aequornithes (core waterbirds) Afroaves Australaves Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightbirds) Columbimorphae (pigeons, mesites, sandgrouse) Otidimorphae (cuckoos, bustards, turacos) Gruiformes (cranes, rails) Mirandornithes (flamingoes, grebes) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Eurypygimorphae (sunbittern, kagu, tropicbirds) Aequornithes (core waterbirds) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Telluraves (core landbirds) Mirandornithes (flamingoes, grebes) Columbimorphae (pigeons, mesites, sandgrouse) Otidimorphae (cuckoos, bustards, turacos) Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightbirds) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Gruiformes (cranes, rails) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Eurypygimorphae (sunbittern, kagu, tropicbirds) Aequornithes (core waterbirds) Afroaves Australaves Mirandornithes (flamingos, grebes) Columbimorphae (pigeons, mesites, sandgrouse) Otidimorphae (cuckoos, bustards) Musophagiformes (turacos) Gruiformes (cranes, rails) Aequornithes (core waterbirds) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightbirds) Eurypygimorphae (sunbittern, kagu, tropicbirds) Telluraves (core landbirds) Mirandornithes (flamingos, grebes) Columbimorphae (pigeons, mesites, sandgrouse) Otidimorphae (cuckoos, bustards, turacos) Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightbirds) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Gruiformes (cranes, rails) Eurypygimorphae (sunbittern, kagu, tropicbirds) Aequornithes (core waterbirds) Telluraves (core landbirds) Mirandornithes (flamingos, grebes) Pteroclimesites (sandgrouse, mesites) Columbiformes (pigeons) Cuculiformes (cuckoos) Musophagotides (turacos, bustards) Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightbirds) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Gruiformes (cranes, rails) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Eurypygimorphae (sunbittern, kagu, tropicbirds) Aequornithes (core waterbirds) Telluraves (core landbirds) Mirandornithes (flamingos, grebes) Columbimorphae (pigeons, sandgrouse, mesites) Otidimorphae (bustards and cuckoos without turacos) Musophagiformes (turacos) Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightbirds) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Gruiformes (cranes, rails) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Eurypygimorphae (sunbittern, kagu, tropicbirds) Aequornithes (core waterbirds) Telluraves (core landbirds) Columbimorphae (pigeons, sandgrouse, mesites) Otidimorphae (bustards, turacos, cuckoos) Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightbirds) Gruiformes (cranes, rails) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Mirandornithes (flamingos, grebes) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Eurypygimorphae (sunbittern, kagu, tropicbirds) Aequornithes (core waterbirds) Telluraves (core landbirds) Mirandornithes (flamingos, grebes) Columbimorphae (pigeons, sandgrouse, mesites) Otidimorphae (bustards, turacos, cuckoos) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Gruiformes (cranes, rails) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightbirds) Eurypygimorphae (sunbittern, kagu, tropicbirds) Aequornithes (core waterbirds) Telluraves (core landbirds)

[23] Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos) Podicipediformes (grebes) Columbiformes (pigeons and doves) Mesitornithiformes (mesites) Pterocliformes (sandgrouse) Musophagiformes (turacos) Otidiformes (bustards) Cuculiformes (cuckoos) Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Gruiformes (rails and cranes) Charadriiformes (waders, gulls, and relatives) Caprimulgiformes (nightjars) Nyctibiiformes (potoos) Steatornithiformes (oilbirds) Podargiformes (frogmouths) Aegotheliformes (owlet-nightjars) Apodiformes (swifts, treeswifts and hummingbirds) Phaethontiformes (tropicbirds) Eurypygiformes (sunbittern and kagu) Gaviiformes (loons/divers) Procellariiformes (albatrosses, shearwaters, and petrels) Sphenisciformes (penguins) Ciconiiformes (storks) Suliformes (frigatebirds, gannets, cormorants, and darters) Pelecaniformes (pelicans, herons and ibises) Strigiformes (owls) Accipitriformes (hawks, eagles, vultures, and relatives) Coliiformes (mousebirds) Leptosomiformes (cuckoo roller) Trogoniformes (trogons) Bucerotiformes (hornbills, hoopoes and relatives) Coraciiformes (kingfishers, rollers, bee-eaters and relatives) Piciformes (woodpeckers and relatives) Cariamiformes (seriemas) Falconiformes (falcons and caracaras) Psittaciformes (parrots) Passeriformes (passerines)