The order Charadriiformes is a group with many species such as shorebirds like jacanas, curlews, plovers, turnstones, and stone-curlews, as well as the former Alciformes (penguins, puffins, guillemots) and the former Lariformes (skuas, terns, gulls). They are found in all water bodies, both coastal and continental, as well as in all seas and oceans, at all latitudes. Despite their apparent diversity, the Charadriiformes are united by a number of anatomical features, and by various common growth and lifestyle traits. They form the sister group to the Gruiformes (cranes).