Praeornis is an extinct genus of early avialan, possibly an enantiornithine,[1] from the Late Jurassic Karabastau Formation of Kazakhstan.

[2] The holotype, specimen PIN 2585/32 (a single feather from the Karabastau Formation, Aulie, Kazakhstan), was discovered and described in 1971 by Aleksandr Grigorevich Sharov.

The analysis showed that the chemical markers of the Praeornis fossil was more similar to the fish scales than to the plant leaves, supporting the hypothesis that the feathers were animal in origin.

Agnolin et al. (2017) suggested that Praeornis was a member of the Enantiornithes after the holotype was compared to a similar feather from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil.

The feathers of Praeornis are unique as a result of their extremely thick central quill (rachis) and stiffened barbs.