Eocene birds of Europe

Strigogyps is an extinct genus of prehistoric bird from the Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene of France and Germany. It was probably around the size of a large chicken or a guan, weighing not quite . Apparently, as indicated by the ratio of lengths of wing to leg bones, S. sapea was flightless. Its legs were not adapted to running, so it seems to have had a walking lifestyle similar to trumpeters. Unlike other Cariamiformes which appear to have been mostly carnivorous, the specimens of one species, Strigogyps sapea, suggest a facultatively herbivorous or omnivorous diet.

Palaeotis is a genus of paleognath birds from the middle Eocene epoch of central Europe. One species is known, Palaeotis weigelti. The holotype specimen is a fossil tarsometatarsus and phalanx. Lambrect (1928) described it as an extinct bustard (genus Otis), and gave it its consequent name (Palaeotis means ancient bustard). After a suggestion by Storrs L. Olson, a review of the type specimen and the referral of several other fossils by Houde and Haubold (1987) concluded that Palaeotis is a palaeognath and assigned it to the same order as ostriches; the Struthioniformes. In 2021, it was conside

Juncitarsus is an extinct genus of wading birds from the Eocene of the United States and Germany. Though previously considered a flamingo, it is likely outside of Phoenicopteridae, possibly a basal member of the Mirandornithes (neither Phoenicopteriformes or Podicipediformes).

Eleutherornis cotei is an extinct flightless predatory cariamiform bird which lived during the Middle Eocene of France and Switzerland. Since the early 20th century, researchers have initially described the fossils of Eleutherornis as separate taxa, some remains as a species of Gastornis and others as an ancient ratite related to modern ostriches. However, subsequent analyses have questioned the original interpretations, and a thorough reexamination in 2013 indicated that all of these described remains represent the same species.

Pseudocrypturus is a genus of extinct paleognathous bird. Three species are known and the type species is Pseudocrypturus cercanaxius. It is a relative of such modern birds as ostriches. It lived in the early Eocene. The holotype fossil is in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. It has catalog number USNM 336103. It was collected from the Fossil Butte Member, Green River Formation, Lincoln County, Wyoming.

Aegialornis is a genus of prehistoric apodiform birds. It formed a distinct family, the Aegialornithidae, and was in some ways intermediate between modern swifts and owlet-nightjars, lacking the more extreme adaptations to an aerial lifestyle that swifts show today, but already having sickle-shaped wings like them. They do not appear to be a direct ancestor of modern swifts, however, but rather a group that retained an overall basal morphology. Altogether, they were not too dissimilar from modern treeswifts.

Paraprefica is an extinct genus of potoo (family Nyctibiidae) from the middle Eocene (c. 48 million years ago). Its fossil remains have been found in the Messel pit at Messel, Germany.

Lithornis is a genus of extinct paleognathous birds. Although Lithornis was able to fly well, their closest relatives are the extant tinamous (which are poor flyers) and ratites (which are flightless birds).

Eocypselus is a genus of prehistoric birds related to modern hummingbirds and swifts. Five species of Eocypselus are currently known. Compared with modern apodiforms, it may have been a better percher with shorter wing feathers, and it might have been nocturnal.

Masillastega is an extinct genus of aquatic bird from the Eocene of Germany. The only described species is Masillastega rectirostris. It is related to modern gannets and boobies, but unlike these birds it occurred in freshwater environments. It was found in the lake that would become the Messel Pit. thumb|Life restoration

Protostrigidae is a prehistoric family of owls which occurred in North America, Europe, and Asia during the Eocene and early Oligocene periods. Genera include Eostrix, Minerva, Oligostrix, and Primoptynx. In 1983, Cécile Mourer-Chauviré demonstrated that Protostrix is a junior synonym of Minerva.

Rhynchaeites (Greek for "beak fossil") is an extinct genus of wading bird, a stem-group threshkiornithid, which lived in Europe and North America during the Eocene epoch. The genus contains three species, R. messelensis, R. litoralis and R. mcfaddeni. It is one of the oldest members of the ibis family known from fossil remains.