Galbuli is one of the two suborders of the order Piciformes. It includes two families, Bucconidae (puffbirds) and Galbulidae (jacamars), both restricted to the Neotropics (in contrast to the more widespread suborder Pici).
It was thought the jacamars and puffbirds were not closely related to toucans and woodpeckers, but instead related to the order Coraciiformes.[1][2] However, analysis of nuclear DNA in a 2003 study placed them as sister group to Pici, also showing that the groups had developed zygodactyl feet (two toes facing forward and two aft) before separating.[3] Per Ericson and colleagues, in analysing genomic DNA, confirmed that puffbirds and jacamars were sister groups and their place in Piciformes.[4] The lineage is sometimes elevated to order level as Galbuliformes,[5] first proposed by Sibley and Ahlquist in 1990.[2]