Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "aves" tana nufin nau'in nau'in jinni mai dumi, ƙwai masu yin kwai da ke da gashin fuka-fukai, da muƙamuƙi, da gaɓoɓin gaba da aka canza su azaman fuka-fuki. Aves shine kalmar Latin don tsuntsaye, kuma ya haɗa da kusan nau'in 10,000 masu rai, waɗanda ake samuwa a cikin wurare masu yawa a duniya. Class Aves yana daya daga cikin manyan ajujuwa shida na kashin baya, kuma ana siffanta shi da wani tsari na musamman na daidaitawa wanda ke baiwa tsuntsaye damar tashi da bunkasuwa a yanayi daban-daban.