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Passeriformes

(Order)

Overview

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A passerine is a of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: it is roughly twice as diverse as the largest of the mammal orders, the Rodentia.

The names "passerines" and "Passeriformes" are derived from Passer domesticus, the scientific name of the type species – the house sparrow – and ultimately from the Latin term passer for true sparrows and similar small birds.

Characteristics

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Many passerines are songbirds and have complex muscles to control the syrinx; many gape in the nest as infants to beg for food.

The order is divided into three suborders, Tyranni (suboscines), Passeri (oscines), and the basal Acanthisitti. Oscines have the best control of their syrinx muscles among birds, producing a wide range of songs and other vocalizations (though some of them, such as the crows, do not sound musical to human beings); some such as the lyrebird are accomplished imitators. The Acanthisittids or New Zealand wrens are tiny birds restricted to New Zealand, at least in modern times; they were long placed in Passeri; their taxonomic position is uncertain, though they seem to be a distinct and very ancient group.

Most passerines are smaller than typical members of other avian orders. The heaviest and altogether largest passerine is the thick-billed raven; some common ravens come close in terms of size, and lyrebirds and many birds of paradise are longer overall.[verification ne eded] Some of the smallest passerines are the pygmy-tyrants.

The foot of a passerine has three toes directed forward and one toe directed backwards, called anisodactyl arrangement. This arrangement enables the passerine birds to perch upon vertical surfaces, such as trees and cliffs. The toes have no webbing or joining, but in some cotingas the second and third toes are united an their basal third. The hind toe joins the leg at the same level as the front toes. In other orders of birds the toe arrangement is different. The leg muscle composed within Passerine Birds' leg contain a special characteristics in which is adapted for perching. The leg muscles of Passerine will automatically tighen and become stiff, if the Passerine starts lose hold of the branch they are perching upon. This enables species of Passerine to sleep while perching on surfaces without falling off. This is especially useful for Passerine birds that develop nocturnal lifestyles[1].

All Passerine birds develop twelve tail feathers. Certain species of passerines have stiff tail feathers, which are designed to help balance themselves when perching upon vertical surfaces.

The chicks of Passerines are all blind, featherless, and helpless when hatched from their eggs. This adaptation requires the chicks to be presented with a lot of parental care. Most passerines lay colored eggs, in contrast with non-passerines, whose eggs are white except in some ground-nesting groups such as Charadriiformes and nightjars, where camouflage is necessary, and some parasitic cuckoos, which match the passerine host's egg.

Origin and Evolution

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The evolutionary history of and relationships among the passerine families remained rather mysterious until around the end of the 20th century . Many passerine families were grouped together on the basis of morphological similarities that, it is now believed[citation needed], are the result of convergent evolution, not a close genetic relationship. For example, the "wrens" of the northern hemisphere, those of Australia, and those of New Zealand look very similar and behave in similar ways, and yet belong to three far-flung branches of the passerine family tree; they are as unrelated as it is possible to be while remaining Passeriformes.

Much research remains to be done, but advances in molecular biology and improved paleobiogeographical data are gradually revealing a clearer picture of passerine origins and evolution. It is now thought that the first passerines evolved in Gondwana at some time in the Paleogene, maybe around the Late Paleocene some 60–55 mi llion years ago (mya)[citation needed]. The initial split was between the Tyranni, the songbirds, the Eurylaimides and the New Zealand "wrens", which must have diverged during a short period of time (some million years at most). The Passeriformes apparently evolved out of a fairly close-knit clade of "near passerines" which contains such birds as the Piciformes and Coraciiformes.[2]

A little later, a great radiation of forms took place out of Australia-New Guinea: the Passeri or songbirds. A major branch of the Passeri, "Parvorder Passerida", emerged either as the sister group to the basal lineages and corvoids ("Parvorder Corvida"), or more likely as a subgroup of it, and expanded deep into Eurasia and Africa, where there was a further explosive radiation of new lineages. This eventually led to three major passeridan lineages comprising about 4,000 species, which in addition to the corvoidan clade and numerous minor lineages make up songbird diversity today. There has been extensive biogeographical mixing, with northern forms returning to the south, southern forms moving north, and so on.

Fossil Record

Earliest passerines
Perching bird osteology, especially of the limb bones, is rather diagnostic.[3] However, the early fossil record is poor because the first Passeriformes were apparently on the small side of the present size range, and their delicate bones did not preserve well. QM specimens F20688 (carpometacarpus) and F24685 (tibiotarsus) from Murgon, Queensland are fossil bone fragments clearly recognizable as passeriform; they repre sent two species of approximately some 10 and some 20 cm in overall length and prove that some 55 mya, barely into the Early Eocene, early perching birds were recognizably distinct.[4] A quite similar group, the Zygodactylidae (named for their zygodactylous approach to perching) independently arose at much the same time – and possibly from closely related ancestors – in the landmasses bordering the North Atlantic, which at that time was only some two-thirds of its present width.

Until the discovery of the Australian fossils, it was believed for some time that Palaeospiza bella from the Priabonian Florissant Fossil Beds (Late Eocene, around 35 mya) was the oldest known passeriform. However, it is now considered a non-passeriform near passerine.

From the Bathans Formation at the Manuherikia River in Otago, New Zealand, MNZ S42815 (a distal right tarsometatar sus of a Tui-sized bird) and several bones of at least one species of Saddleback-sized bird have recently been described. These date from the Early to Middle Miocene (Awamoan to Lillburnian, 19-16 million years ago).[5]

Male Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae). This very primitive songbird shows strong sexual dimorphism, with a peculiarly apomorphic display plumage in males.

Modern knowledge about the living passerines' interrelationships (see the list of families below) suggests that the last common ancestor of all living Passeriformes was a small forest bird, probably with a stubby tail[6] and an overall drab coloration, but possibly with marked sexual dimorphism. The latter trait seems to have been lost and re-evolved multiple times in songbird evolution alone, judging from its distribution among the extant lineages: the common ancestor of Passerida for example was almost certainly not markedly dimorphic considering the trait is very rare among the basal lineages of these, but very common among the youngest passerid clade, the Passeroidea; on the other hand among the basalmost Passeri there are a considerable number of strongly dimorphic lineages such as the very ancient Menuridae as well as many Meliphagoidea and Corvoidea. Sexual dimorphism is also not uncommon in the Acanthisittidae and prominent in some suboscines such as the Pipridae and Cotingidae.

Early European passerines
In Europe, perching birds are not too uncommon in the fossil record from the Oligocene onwards, but mos t are too fragmentary for a more definite placement:

Wieslochia was possibly not a member of any extant suborder. That not only the Passeri expanded much beyond their region of origin is proven by an undetermined broadbill (Eurylaimidae) from the Early Miocene (roughly 20 mya) of Wintershof, Germany, and the indeterminate Late Oligocene suboscine from France listed above. Even very basal Passeriformes might have been common in Europe until the Middle Miocene, some 12 mya.[13] Extant Passeri superfamilies were quite distinct by that time and are known since about 12–13 mya when modern genera were present in the corvoidean and basal songbirds. The modern d iversity of Passerida genera is known mostly from the Late Miocene onwards and into the Pliocene (about 10–2 mya). Pleistocene and early Holocene lagerstätten (<1.8 mya) yield numerous extant species, and many yield almost nothing but extant species or their chronospecies and paleosubspecies.

American fossils
In the Americas, the fossil record is more scant before the Pleistocene, from which several still-existing suboscine families are documented. Apart from the indeterminable MACN-SC-1411 (Pinturas Early/Middle Miocene of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina),[14] an extinct lineage of perching birds has been described from the Late Miocene of California, USA: the Palaeoscinidae with the single genus Paleoscinis. "Palaeostruthus" eurius (Pliocene of Florida) probably belongs to an extant family, most likely passeroidean.

Systematics and Taxonomy

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The peculiar Bearded Reedling, Panurus biarmicus, may be the most enigmatic passerine. No truly close relatives have been identified.

Initially[citation needed], the Corvida and Passerida were classified as "parvorders" in the suborder Passeri; in accord with the usual taxonomic practice, they would probably be ranked as infraorders. As originally envisioned in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, they contained, respectively, the l arge superfamilies Corvoidea and Meliphagoidea as well as minor lineages, and the superfamilies Sylvioidea, Muscicapoidea and Passeroidea.

This arrangement has been found to be overly simplified by more recent research. Since the mid 2000s, literally dozens of studies are being published which try rather successfully to resolve the phylogeny of the passeriform radiation. For example, the Corvida in the traditional sense were a rather arbitrary assemblage of early and/or minor lineages of passeriform birds of Old World origin, generally from the region of Australia, New Zealand, and Wallacea. The Passeri on the other hand can be made monophyletic by moving some families about, but the "clean" three-superfamily-arrangement has turned out to be far more complex and it is uncertain whether future authors will stick to it.

Major "wastebin" families such as the Old World warblers and Old World babblers have turned out to be paraphyletic and are being rearranged. S everal taxa turned out to represent highly distinct species-poor lineages and consequently new families had to be established, some of them – like the Stitchbird of New Zealand and the Eurasian Bearded Reedling – monotypic with only one living species.[15]. It seems likely that in the Passeri alone, a number of minor lineages will eventually be recognized as distinct superfamilies. For example, the kinglets constitute a single genus with less than 10 species today, but seem to have been among the first perching bird lineages to diverge as the group spread across Eurasia. No particularly close relatives of them have been found among comprehensive studies of the living Passeri, though it is suspected that they might be fairly close to some little-studied tropical Asian groups. Treatment of the nuthatches, wrens, and their closest relatives as a distinct subfamily Certioidea is increasingly c onsidered justified; the same might eventually apply to the titmice and their closest relatives.

This process is still continuing. Therefore, the arrangement as presented here is subject to change. However, it should take precedence over unreferenced conflicting treatments in family, genus and species articles here; see the next section for default sources.

Taxonomic List of Passeriformes Families

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Female (left) and male Rifleman or tititipounamu (Acanthisitta chloris), one of the 2 surviving Acanthisittidae species.

This list is in taxonomic order, placing related species/groups next to each other. The Passerida subdivisions are updated as needed from the default sequence of the Handbook of the Birds of the World,[16] based on the most modern and comprehensive studies.[17]

Regarding Arrangement of Families

The families are sorted into a somewhat unusual sequence. This is because so many reallocations have taken place since about 2005 that a definite arrangement has not been established yet. The present sequence is an attempt to preserve as much of the traditional sequence while giving priority to adequately addressing the relationships between the families.

Suborder acanthisitti

  • Acanthisittidae: New Zealand "wrens"
Rainbow Pitta (Pitta iris), a fairly dark ground-living bird with brilliant color patches, like most Pittidae.

Suborder tyranni

Suboscines

  • Infraorder Eurylaimides – Old World suboscines (or Broad-billed suboscines). Probably a separate suborder.
    • Superfamily Eurylaimoidea – broadbills and allies
      • Eurylaimidae: broadbills
      • Philepittidae: asities
      • Sapayoidae: Broad-billed Sapayoa
    • Superfamily Pittoidea
      • Pittidae: pittas
Golden-headed Manakin (Pipra erythrocephala)
  • Infraorder Tyrannides - New World suboscines
    • Superfamily N.N. – "bronchophones"
      • Tyrannidae: tyrant flycatchers
      • Tityridae: tityras and allies.
      • Cotingidae: cotingas
      • Pipridae: manakins
    • Superfamily Furnarioidea - tracheophones
      • Furnariidae: ovenbirds and woodcreepers
      • Thamnophilidae: antbirds
      • Formicariidae: antpittas, antthrushes and typical tapaculos. Possibly polyphyletic.
      • Conopophagidae: gnateaters and gnatpittas
      • N.N.: atypical "tapaculos" (crescent-chests and allies)
Noisy Scrub-bird (Atrichornis clamosus), one of the most plesiomorphic Passeri.

Suborder passeri

Songbirds or oscines

  • Basal Passeri – the most ancient true songbirds, endemic to Australia. Sometimes considered a superfamily "Menuroidea"[verification needed].
    • Menuridae: lyrebirds
    • Atrichornithidae: scrub-birds
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
  • Superfamily Meliphagoidea – mainly insectivores and nectarivores, distribution centered on Australo-Melanesian region extending into surroundings, notably the Pacific.
    • Maluridae: fairy-wrens, emu-wrens and grasswrens
    • Dasyornithidae: bristlebirds. Formerly in Acanthizidae.
    • Acanthizidae: scrubwrens, thornbills, and gerygones
    • Meliphagidae: honeyeaters
    • Meliphagoidea incertae sedis
      • Pardalotidae: pardalotes. Formerly in Acanthizidae, might be included in Meliphagidae.
      • Acanthorhynchus: spinebills. Usually included in Meliphagidae; might be considered a monotypic family if Pardalotidae are considered valid too.
  • Superfamily Corvoidea – a highly d iverse group of global distribution, but most plentiful in the Australasian region and surroundings. The oldest truly globally successful group of passerines, they include among them what may well be the most intelligent and the most spectacular of the order.
    Male Stitchbird or hihi (Notiomystis cincta) showing convergence with honeyeaters.
    Yellow-crowned Gonolek (Laniarius barbarus: Malaconotidae)
    The Hawaiian Crow or ?alala (Corvus hawaiiensis) is nearly extinct; only a few dozen birds survive in captivity.
    • Melanocharitidae: berrypeckers and longbills. Tentatively placed here.
    • Callaeidae: New Zealand wattlebirds. Tentatively placed here.
    • Family N.N.: Stitchbird. Tentatively placed here.
    • Cnemophilidae: satinbirds. Tentatively placed here.
    • Neosittidae: sittellas
    • Vireonidae: vireos
    • Campephagidae: cuckoo-shrikes and trillers
    • Pachycephalidae: whistlers and allies. Delimitation with regards to several proposed families and subfamilies requires thorough study.
    • Oriolidae: orioles and Figbird
    • Paramythiidae: Tit Berrypecker and Crested Berrypecker. Formerly in Passerida.
    • Artamidae: woodswallows, butcherbirds, currawongs and Australian Magpie
    • Malaconotidae: puffback shrikes, bush shrikes, tchagras and boubous
    • Platysteiridae: wattle-eyes. Formerly in Passerida. Probably paraphyletic.
    • Aegithinidae: ioras
    • Pityriaseidae: Bornean Bristlehead. Tentatively placed here.
    • Prionopidae: helmetshrikes and woodshrikes
    • Vangidae: vangas
    • Dicruridae: drongos
    • Monarchidae: monarch flycatchers
    • Rhipiduridae: fantails
    • Paradisaeidae: birds of paradise
    • Corcoracidae: White-winged Chough and Apostlebird
    • Laniidae: shrikes
    • Corvidae: crows, ravens and jays
    • Corvoidea incertae sedis
      • Vireolanius: shrike-vireos. Usually included in Vireonidae, possibly a monotypic family,
      • Erpornis: White-bellied Erpornis. Formerl y in Yuhina (Passerida: Timaliidae); possibly a monotypic family, possibly in Vireonidae
      • Colluricinclidae: shrike-thrushes. Often included in Pachycephalidae but perhaps recognizable as a subfamily at least.
      • Cinclosomatidae: whipbirds and allies. Contains Psophodidae but that might make it paraphyletic. At least some species belong in Pachycephalidae if Falcunculinae are not considered a distinct family.
      • Falcunculidae: Shrike-tit and allies. Usually included in Pachycephalidae; might be distinct family or merged in Cinclosomatidae or Psophodidae[verification needed].
      • "Pitohuidae": pitohuis. Usually included in Pachycephalidae but seem closer to Oriolidae and best considered a distinct family including Oreoica and possibly other Pachycephalid ae sensu lato.
      • Melampitta: melampittas. Two very puzzling birds of unclear systematics; the monophyly of the genus was long disputed. Maybe a basal offshoot of the Monarchidae, maybe a family of their own.
        Male Regent Bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus, Ptilonorhynchidae)
  • Passeri (mainly "Corvida") incertae sedis
    The tiny Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) belong s to a minor but highly distinct lineage of Passeri.
    • Possible superfamily "Ptilonorhynchoidea"[verification needed] – bowerbirds and Australian treecreepers
      • Climacteridae: Australian treecreepers
      • Turnagridae: Piopio (extinct)
      • Ptilonorhynchidae: bowerbirds
    • Possible superfamily N.N. - logrunners and pseudo-babblers
      • Orthonychidae: logrunners
      • Pomatostomidae: pseudo-babblers
    • Petroicidae: Australian robins
    • Possible superfamily N.N.
      • Picathartidae: rockfowl.
      • Chaetopidae: rock-jumpers. Recently split from Turdidae.
      • Eupetidae: Malaysian Rail-babbler. Recently split from Cinclosomatidae.
    • Possible monotypic superfamily Reguloidea – kingl ets
      • Regulidae: kinglets
    • Possible monotypic superfamily N.N.
    • Family N.N.: Hyliotas. Recently split from Sylviidae.
    • Irenidae: fairy-bluebirds. Reguloidea? Basal to/in Passeroidea?
    • Chloropseidae: leafbirds. Reguloidea? Basal to/in Passeroidea?

Infraorder passerida

Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica), showing some apomorphies of its ancient yet highly advanced lineage.
  • Superfamily Sylvioidea – mostly insectivores, distribution centered on the Indo-Pacific region. Few occur in the Australian region and fewer still in the Americas. U sually sleek and drab birds, few have pronounced sexual dimorphism.
    Blyth's Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum) is now in the Acrocephalidae.
    • Alaudidae: larks
    • Hirundinidae: swallows and martins
    • Phylloscopidae: leaf-warblers and allies. Recently split from Sylviidae.
    • Aegithalidae: long-tailed tits or bushtits[18]
    • Cettiidae: ground-warblers and allies. Recently split from Sylviidae.
    • Megaluridae: grass-warblers and allies. Recently split from Sylviidae.
    • "Bernieridae": Malagasy warblers. A newly assembled family.
    • Acrocephalidae: marsh- and tree-warblers. Recently split from Sylviidae.
    • Pycnonotidae: bulbuls
    • Cisticolidae: cisticolas and allies
    • Sylviidae: "true/sylviid warblers" and parrotbills. Might be merged in Timaliidae. Monophyly needs confirmation.
    • Zosteropidae: white-eyes. Probably belongs in Timaliidae.
    • Timaliidae: (Old World) babblers. Monophyly needs confirmation.
    • Sylvioidea incertae sedis
      • "African warblers": A proposed clade, but monophyly needs confirmation. Formerly in Sylviidae.
      • Donacobius: Black-capped Donacobius. Monotypic family? Tentatively placed here; possibly closest to Megaluridae. Formerly in Troglodytidae and Mimidae.
      • Nicator: Relationships unresolved, monotypic family? Tentatively placed here; formerly in Pycnonotidae.
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus), like many Muscicapoidea a stout and cryptic bird with complex vocalizations.
  • Superfamily Muscicapoidea – mostly insectivores, near-global distribution centered on Old World tropics. One family endemic to Americas. Nearly absent (except introductions) from the Australian region. Usually rather stocky for their size, most are quite dark and dull though Sturnidae are commonly iridescent and/or colorful. Sexual dimorphism often absent, sometimes pronounced.
    • Cinclidae: dippers
    • Muscicapidae: Old World flycatchers and chats. Monophyly needs confirmation.
    • Turdidae: thrushes and allies. Monophyly needs confirmation.
    • Buphagidae: oxpeckers. Formerly usually included in Sturnidae.
    • Sturnidae: starlings and possibly Philippine creepers. Placement of latter in Muscicapoidea seems good, but inclusion in Sturnidae requires confirmation; possibly distinct family Rhabdornithidae.
    • Mimidae: mockingbirds and thrashers
  • Superfamily Certhioidea - wrens and allies. Sometimes included in Muscicapoidea.
    Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla). Nuthatches can climb downwards head-first.
    • Sittidae: nuthatches
    • Tichodromadidae: Wallcreeper: Traditionally placed as a subfamily of the nuthatches and more rarely of the treecreepers, no study has been able to verify either placement this far. Thus it is better considered a monotypic family, at least for the time being.
    • Certhiidae: treec reepers
    • Salpornithidae: Spotted Creeper. Tentatively placed here; often considered a subfamily of the Certhidae.
    • Troglodytidae: wrens
    • Polioptilidae: gnatcatchers
  • Superfamily Passeroidea – mostly herbivores including many seed-eaters, near-global distribution centered on Palearctic and Americas. Includes the Nine-primaried oscines (probably a subclade). A very high proportion of colorful and highly sexually dimorphic forms.
    Like these male (right) and female Gouldian Finches (Erythrura gouldiae), ...
    ... or this Green-and-gold Tanager (Tangara schrankii), many Passeroidea are very colorful.
    • Passeridae: true sparrows
    • Prunellidae: accentors
    • Motacillidae: wagtails and pipits
    • Urocynchramidae: Przewalski's Finch. Recently split from Fringillidae; tentatively placed here.
    • Estrildidae: estrildid finches (waxbills, munias, etc)
    • Ploceidae: weavers
    • Viduidae: indigobirds and whydahs
    • Nine-primaried oscines:
      • Peucedramidae: Olive Warbler
      • Fringillidae: true finches and Hawaiian honeycreepers. Possibly polyphyletic.
      • Icteridae: grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles
      • Parulidae: New World warblers
      • Thraupidae: tanagers and allies
      • Cardinalidae: cardinals
      • Emberizidae: buntings and Ameri can sparrows
    • Passeroidea incertae sedis
      • Coerebidae: Bananaquit. Family invalid or not monotypic; reallocation pending.
  • Passerida incertae sedis - Rather basal Passerida, most of which seem to constitute several small but distinct lineages that could be considered superfamilies. Most occur in Asia, Africa and North America.
    • Panurus: Bearded Reedling (Bearded "Tit"). Relationships enigmatic. Formerly in "Paradoxornithidae", might be included in Sylvioidea as monotypic family Panuridae or even constitute the smallest passerine superfamily.
    • Possible superfamily Paroidea – titmice and allies. Might be included in Sylvioidea.
      The Blue Tit< /a> (Cyanistes caeruleus) and its relatives stand well apart from rest of the Sylvioidea sensu lato.
      • Paridae: tits, chickadees and titmice
      • Remizidae: penduline tits. Sometimes included in Paridae.
      • Stenostiridae: stenostirids ("flycatcher-tits"). A newly assembled family; sometimes included in Paridae.
    • Possible superfamily Bombycilloidea – waxwings and allies. Included in Muscicapoidea if Sittoidea/Certhioidea are not considered a distinct superfamily.
      • Bombycillidae: waxwings
      • Dulidae: Palmchat. Tentatively placed here.
      • Ptilogonatidae: silky flycatchers. Tentatively placed here.
      • Hypocoliidae: Hypocolius. Tentatively placed here.
      • Mohoidae[19][20]< /sup>
    • Possible superfamily "Dicaeoidea" – sunbirds and flowerpeckers. Might be included in Passeroidea.
      • Nectariniidae: sunbirds
      • Dicaeidae: flowerpeckers
    • Possible monotypic superfamily N.N.
      • Promeropidae: sugarbirds. Might be included in Passeroidea.

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Order Passeriformes is further organized into finer groupings including:

Families

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Acanthisittidae

The New Zealand wrens, Acanthisittidae, are a of tiny passerines endemic to New Zealand. They were represented by six known species in four or five genera, although only two species survive in two genera today. [more]

Acanthizidae

The Acanthizidae, also known as the Australasian warblers, are a of passerine birds which include gerygones, thornbills, and scrubwrens. The Acanthizidae consists of small to medium passerine birds, with a total length varying between 8 and 19 cm. They have short rounded wings, slender bills, long legs, and a short tail. Most species have olive, grey, or brown plumage, although some have patches of a brighter yellow. The smallest species of acanthizid, and indeed the smallest Australian passerine, is the Weebill, the largest is the Pilotbird [more]

Aegithalidae

The long-tailed tits or bushtits, Aegithalidae, are a family of small birds. The family contains 13 species in four genera. [more]

Aegithinidae

The ioras are a , Aegithinidae, of small passerine bird species found in India and southeast Asia. The family has only four species in a single genus, Aegithina. They are one of only three bird families that are entirely endemic to the Indomalayan ecozone. They were formerly grouped with the other two of those families, the leafbirds and fairy-bluebirds, in the family Irenidae. [more]

Alaudidae

Larks are birds of the family Alaudidae. All species occur in the Old World, including northern and eastern Australia; only one, the Shore Lark, has spread to North America, where it is called the Horned Lark. Habitats vary widely, but many species live in dry regions. [more]

Atrichornithidae

Scrub-birds are shy, secretive, ground-dwelling birds of the family Atrichornithidae. There are just two . The Rufous scrub-bird is rare and very restricted in its range, and the Noisy scrub-bird is so rare that until 1961 it was thought to be extinct. Both are native to Australia. [more]

Bombycillidae

The waxwings form the genus Bombycilla of birds. According to most authorities, this is the only genus placed in the family Bombycillidae. [more]

Callaeatidae

The small bird family Callaeidae (also named in some sources as Callaeatidae) is to New Zealand. It contains three monotypic genera; of the three species in the family, only two survive and one of them, the Kokako, is an endangered species. A third, the Huia became extinct early in the 20th century. [more]

Callaeidae

[more]

Campephagidae

The cuckoo-shrikes and allies in the Campephagidae are small to medium-sized passerine bird species found in the subtropical and tropical Africa, Asia and Australasia. The roughly 85 species are found in eight (or nine) genera which comprise five distinct groups, the 'true' cuckoo-shrikes (Campephaga, Coracina, Lobotos, Pteropodocys and Campochaera) the trillers (Lalage), the minivets (Pericrocotus), the flycatcher-shrikes (Hemipus). The wood-shrikes (Tephrodornis) were often considered to be in this family but are probably closer to the helmetshrikes or bushshrikes. Another genus, Chlamydochaera, which has one species, the Black-breasted Fruithunter was often placed in this family but has now been shown to be a thrush (Turdidae). [more]

Cardinalidae

The Cardinals or Cardinalidae are a of passerine birds found in North and South America. The South American cardinals in the genus Paroaria are placed in another family, the Thraupidae (previously placed in Emberizidae). [more]

Certhiidae

The treecreepers are a , Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. The family contains ten species in two genera, Certhia and Salpornis. Their plumage is dull-colored, and as their name implies, they climb over the surface of trees in search of food. [more]

Chloropseidae

The leafbirds (Chloropseidae) are a family of small bird species found in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. They are one of only three bird families that are entirely endemic to the Indomalayan ecozone. They were formerly grouped with the ioras and fairy-bluebirds in the family Irenidae. As presently defined, the leafbird family is monotypic, with all species placed in the genus Chloropsis. [more]

Cinclidae

Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the family Cinclidae. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater. [more]

Cisticolidae

The Cisticolidae family of small birds is a group of about 110 warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are often included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. [more]

Climacteridae

There are 7 of Australasian treecreeper in the passerine bird family Climacteridae. They are medium-small, mostly brown birds with patterning on their underparts, and all are endemic to Australia-New Guinea. They resemble, but are not closely related to, the Holarctic treecreepers. The family is one of several families identified by DNA-DNA hybridisation studies to be part of the Australo-Papuan songbird radiation. There is some molecular support for suggesting that their closest relatives are the large lyrebirds. [more]

Cnemophilidae

The Satinbirds or Cnemophilines, Cnemophilidae are a group of birds which consists of three species found in the mountain forests of New Guinea. They were originally thought to be part of the birds of paradise family Paradisaeidae until genetic research suggested that the birds are not closely related to Birds of Paradise at all and are perhaps closer to Melanocharitidae. [more]

Coerebidae

The Bananaquit, Coereba flaveola, is a bird first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Certhia flaveola. [more]

Colluricinclidae

[more]

Conopophagidae

The gnateaters are a family, Conopophagidae, consisting of ten small passerine species in two genera, which occur in South and Central America. The family was formerly restricted to the gnateater genus Conopophaga; analysis of mtDNA cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 sequences (Rice 2005a,b) indicates that the "antpittas" of the genus Pittasoma also belong in this family. The association between this genus and Conopophaga is also supported by traits in their natural history, morphology, and vocalizations (Rice, 2005a). The members of this family are very closely related to the antbirds and less closely to the antpittas and tapaculos. Due to their remote and dim habitat, gnateaters are a little-studied and poorly known family of birds, though they are often sought after by birdwatchers. [more]

Corvidae

Corvidae is a family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English name used is corvids (more technically) or the crow family (more informally), and there are over 120 species. The genus Corvus, including the crows and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family. [more]

Cotingidae

The cotingas are a large family of bird species found in Central America and tropical South America. Cotingas are birds of forests or forest edges, which mostly eat fruit or insects and fruit. Comparatively little is known about this diverse group, although all have broad bills with hooked tips, rounded wings, and strong legs. They may be the most diverse passerine family in body size, ranging from the 8-cm Kinglet Calyptura to the 50-cm male Amazonian Umbrellabird, although the smaller bird may not be a true cotinga. [more]

Cracticidae

The family Artamidae gathers together 20 of mostly crow-like birds native to Australasia and nearby areas. [more]

Dasyornithidae

The bristlebirds are a family, Dasyornithidae, of bird. There are three species in one genus, Dasyornis. The family is endemic to Australia. The genus Dasyornis was sometimes placed in the Acanthizidae or, as a subfamily, Dasyornithinae, along with the Acanthizinae and Pardalotinae, within an expanded Pardalotidae, before being elevated to full family level by Christidis & Boles (2008). [more]

Dendrocolaptidae

The woodcreepers (Dendrocolaptinae) comprise a of sub-oscine passerine birds endemic to the Neotropics. They were formerly considered a distinct family Dendrocolaptidae. They superficially resemble the Old World treecreepers, but they are unrelated and the similarities are due to convergent evolution. The subfamily contains around 57 species in 15 to 20 genera. [more]

Dicaeidae

The flowerpeckers are a , Dicaeidae , of passerine birds. The family comprises two genera, Prionochilus and Dicaeum, with 44 species in total. The family has sometimes been included in an enlarged sunbird family Nectariniidae. The berrypeckers of the family Melanocharitidae and the painted berrypeckers, Paramythiidae, were once lumped into this family as well. The found in tropical southern Asia and Australasia from India east to the Philippines and south to Australia. The family is catholic in its habitat preferences, occupying a wide range of environments from sea level to montane environments.Some species, like the Mistletoebird of Australia, are recorded as being highly nomadic over parts of their range. [more]

Dicruridae

The drongos are a family of small birds of the Old World tropics. They are found in the family Dicruridae, which is sometimes much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers. The name is originally from the indigenous language of Madagascar, where it refers to local species, but is now used to refer to all members of the family. [more]

Emberizidae

The Emberizidae are a large family of birds. [more]

Eopsaltriidae

The family Petroicidae includes roughly 45 species in about 15 genera. All are endemic to Australasia or nearby areas. For want of a more accurate common name, the family is often described as the Australasian robins. The family occurs in New Guinea, Australia and numerous Pacific Islands as far east as Samoa. Within the family the species are known not only as robins but the flycatchers, and scrub-robins. They are however unrelated to Old World family Muscicapidae (to which other species with such names belong), or the monarch flycatchers (Monarchidae). [more]

Estrildidae

The estrildid finches are small birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae (weaver-finch), or previously as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows. [more]

Eupetidae

The Malaysian Rail-babbler (Eupetes macrocerus) is a strange rail-like pied inhabitant of the floor of primary forest in the and Sumatra (the nominate subspecies macrocerus), as well as Borneo (ssp. borneensis), distantly related to Australian crow-like birds. Its population has greatly decreased because much of the lowland primary forest has been cut, and secondary forests usually have too dense a bottom vegetation or do not offer enough shade to be favourable for the species. However, it is locally still common in logged forest or on hill-forest on slopes, and probably not in immediate danger of extinction. [more]

Eurylaimidae

The broadbills are a family of small birds, Eurylaimidae. The Smithornis and Pseudocalyptomena species occur in sub-Saharan Africa; the rest extend from the eastern Himalayas to Sumatra and Borneo. The family possibly also includes the Sapayoa from the Neotropics and the asities from Madagascar. [more]

Formicariidae

The Formicariidae, formicariids, or ground antbirds are a of smallish passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America. They are between 10 and 20 cm (4-8 in) in length, and are related to the antbirds, Thamnophilidae, and gnateaters, Conopophagidae. This family contains probably (see below) some 100–120 species in 1 or 2 large and a number of fairly small genera. [more]

Fringillidae

The true finches are birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to Southern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found only in the Palaearctic. The scientific name Fringillidae comes from the Latin word fringilla for the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) – a member of that last subfamily – which is common in Europe. [more]

Furnariidae

Ovenbirds or furnariids are a large family of small passerine bird species found in Central and South America. They form the family Furnariidae. The North American Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) is a rather distantly related bird, a wood warbler (family Parulidae). [more]

Hirundinidae

The swallows and martins are a group of birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Swallow is used colloquially in Europe as a synonym for the Barn Swallow. [more]

Hypocolidae

[more]

Hypocoliidae

[more]

Icteridae

The Icterids are a group of small to medium, often colorful birds restricted to the New World. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. The name, meaning "jaundiced ones" (from the prominent yellow feathers of many species) comes from the Ancient Greek ikteros, through the Latin ictericus. This group includes the New World blackbirds, New World orioles, the Bobolink, meadowlarks, grackles, cowbirds, oropendolas and caciques. [more]

Incerta_sedis

[more]

Irenidae

The two fairy-bluebirds are small bird species found in forests and plantations in tropical southern Asia and the Philippines. They are the sole members of the genus Irena and family Irenidae, and are related to the ioras and leafbirds. [more]

Laniidae

Shrikes are birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for butcher, and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits. Several African species are known as fiscals, derived from the Afrikaans term for the hangman, fiskaal. [more]

Malaconotidae

The bushshrikes are smallish bird species. They were formerly classed with the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, but are now considered sufficiently distinctive to be separated from that group as the family Malaconotidae. [more]

Maluridae

The Maluridae are a of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the true wrens of the Northern Hemisphere. The family includes 14 species of fairy-wren, 3 emu-wrens, and 10 grasswrens. [more]

Melanocharitidae

The Melanocharitidae, the berrypeckers and longbills, is a small family restricted to the forests of New Guinea. The family was once placed inside the Flowerpecker family Dicaeidae, and the longbills were once considered to be honeyeaters (which they closely resemble). It comprises ten species in two genera, the Melanocharis berrypeckers and the Toxorhamphus. There is some confusion with the common names, as there are two other berrypecker species in the tiny family Paramythiidae, once considered to be close to the flowerpeckers as well; and several Old World warbler genera in Africa also known as longbills. The Spotted Berrypecker was once attributed its own genus Rhamphocharis. [more]

Meliphagidae

The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea. Bali, on the other side of the Wallace Line, has a single species. [more]

Menuridae

A Lyrebird is either of two of ground-dwelling Australian birds, most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral colored tailfeathers. [more]

Mimidae

The mimids are the family of passerine birds, Mimidae, that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. As their name (Latin for "mimic") suggests, these birds are notable for their vocalization, especially some species' remarkable ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. [more]

Monarchidae

The Monarch Flycatchers (Monarchidae) comprise a family of birds which includes boatbills, shrikebills, paradise-flycatchers, and magpie-larks. [more]

Motacillidae

The Motacillidae are a of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera and they include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and Asia, with two species migrating and breeding in Alaska. The pipits have the most cosmopolitan distribution, being found across mostly in the Old World but occurring also in the Americas and oceanic islands such as New Zealand and the Falklands. [more]

Muscicapidae

The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small birds restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing. [more]

Nectariniidae

The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a , Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Fruit is also part of the diet of some species. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings. [more]

None

Oriolidae

The orioles are a family of Old World birds. The family Oriolidae comprises the figbirds in the genus Sphecotheres, and the Old World orioles in the genus Oriolus. Several other genera have been proposed to split up the genus Oriolus. For example, the African black-headed species are sometimes placed in the genus Baruffius. The family is not related to the New World orioles, which are icterids, family Icteridae. The family is distributed across Africa, Europe, Asia down into Australia. The few temperate nesting species are migratory, and some tropical species also show seasonal movements. [more]

Orthonychidae

The Orthonychidae is a of birds with a single genus, Orthonyx, which comprises three species of passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea, the Logrunners and the Chowchilla. Some authorities consider the Australian family Cinclosomatidae to be part of the Orthonychidae. The three species use their stiffened tails to brace themselves when feeding. [more]

Pachycephalidae

The family Pachycephalidae, collectively the whistlers, includes the whistlers, shrike-thrushes, , pitohuis and Crested Bellbird, and is part of the ancient Australo-Papuan radiation of songbirds. Its members range from small to medium in size, and occupy most of Australasia. Australia and New Guinea are the centre of their diversity, with species and genera also reaching New Zealand, and in the case of the whistlers, the South Pacific islands as far as Tonga and Samoa and parts of Asia as far as India. The exact delimitation of boundaries of the family are uncertain, for example the genus Mohoua, which is endemic to New Zealand has been placed with the family based on a number of morphological features and DNA-DNA hybridization studies, but the placement is still controversial. [more]

Panuridae

[more]

Paradisaeidae

The birds of paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order . They are found in eastern Indonesia, Torres Strait Islands, Papua New Guinea, and eastern Australia. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head. Birds of paradise range in size from the King Bird of Paradise at 50 grams (1.8 oz) and 15 cm (6 in) to the Black Sicklebill at 110 cm (43 in) and the Curl-crested Manucode at 430 grams (15.2 oz). [more]

Paramythiidae

The painted berrypeckers, Paramythiidae, are a very small family restricted to the mountain forests of New Guinea. The family comprises two species in two genera: the Tit Berrypecker (Oreocharis arfaki) and the Crested Berrypecker (Paramythia montium). These are colorful medium-sized birds which feed on fruit and some insects. These species were formerly included in the Dicaeidae, but DNA-DNA hybridization studies showed these species were related to each other but distinct from the flowerpeckers. [more]

Pardalotidae

Pardalotes are a , Pardalotidae, of very small, brightly colored birds native to Australia, with short tails, strong legs, and stubby blunt beaks. This family is composed of four species in one genus, Pardalotus, and several subspecies. The name derives from a Greek word meaning "spotted". The family once contained several other species now split into the family Acanthizidae. [more]

Paridae

The tits, chickadees, and titmice comprise Paridae, a large family of small birds which occur in the northern hemisphere and Africa. Most were formerly classified in the genus Parus. [more]

Parulidae

The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small often colorful birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers (Sylviidae) or the Australian warblers. [more]

Passeridae

True sparrows, the sparrows in the family Passeridae, are small passerine birds. As eight or more species nest in or near buildings, and the House Sparrow and Eurasian Tree Sparrow in particular inhabit cities in large numbers, sparrows may be the most familiar of all wild birds. [more]

Petroicidae

The family Petroicidae includes roughly 45 species in about 15 genera. All are endemic to Australasia or nearby areas. For want of a more accurate common name, the family is often described as the Australasian robins. The family occurs in New Guinea, Australia and numerous Pacific Islands as far east as Samoa. Within the family the species are known not only as robins but the flycatchers, and scrub-robins. They are however unrelated to Old World family Muscicapidae (to which other species with such names belong), or the monarch flycatchers (Monarchidae). [more]

Philepittidae

The asities, are a , the Philepittidae, of small suboscine passerine birds. The family consists of four species in two genera endemic to Madagascar. They were thought to have been related to the pittas, hence the scientific name of the family, but a 1993 study suggested that they are actually just a subfamily of broadbills. The morphology of the syrinx is very similar to the Grauer's Broadbill of Africa. Here they are considered traditionally as a separate family. Some authors have placed the Broad-billed Sapayoa of South America in the family, although it is now mostly considered a broadbill. The Neodrepanis species are known as sunbird-asities and were formerly known as false sunbirds. [more]

Picathartidae

The picathartes, rockfowl or bald crows are a small genus of two bird species within the family Picathartidae found in the rain-forests of tropical west and central Africa. They have unfeathered heads, and feed on insects and invertebrates picked from damp rocky areas. Both species are totally non-migratory, being dependent on a specialised rocky jungle habitat. [more]

Pipridae

The manakins are a , Pipridae, of some sixty small passerine bird species of the American tropics. [more]

Pittidae

Pittas are a , Pittidae, of passerine birds mainly found in tropical Asia and Australasia, although a couple of species live in Africa. Pittas are all similar in general structure and habits, and are placed in a single genus, Pitta. The name is derived from the word pitta in the Telugu language of Andhra Pradesh in India and is a generic local name used for all small birds. [more]

Pityriaseidae

For the skin disease, see . [more]

Platysteiridae

Platysteiridae is a family of small stout birds of the African tropics. The family contains the wattle-eyes, batises and shrike-flycatchers. They were previously classed as a subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. [more]

Ploceidae

[more]

Polioptilidae

The 15-20 species of small birds in the gnatcatcher family occur in North and South America (except far south and high Andean regions). Most species of this mainly tropical and subtropical group are resident, but the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher of the USA and southern Canada migrates south in winter. They are close relatives of the wrens. [more]

Pomatostomidae

The Pomatostomidae (Australo-Papuan or Australasian babblers, also known as pseudo-babblers) are small to medium-sized birds endemic to . For many years, the Australo-Papuan babblers were classified, rather uncertainly, with the Old World babblers (Timaliidae), on the grounds of similar appearance and habits. More recent research, however, indicates that they are too basal to belong the Passerida - let alone the Sylvioidea where the Old World babblers are placed - and they are now classed as a separate family close to the Orthonychidae (logrunners). [more]

Prunellidae

The accentors are in the only family, the Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. This small group of closely related passerines are all in a single genus Prunella. All but the Dunnock and the Japanese Accentor are inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia; these two also occur in lowland areas, as does the Siberian Accentor in the far north of Siberia. This genus is not strongly migratory, but they will leave the coldest parts of their range in winter, and make altitudinal movements. [more]

Ptilogonatidae

The silky-flycatchers are a small family of birds which occur mainly in Central America, although the range of one species, the Phainopepla, extends into the southwestern USA. [more]

Ptilonorhynchidae

This article is about the family of birds called bowerbirds. For the band, see . [more]

Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) are a of medium-sized passerine songbirds. Many forest species are known as greenbuls. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia to Indonesia, and north as far as Japan. A few insular species occur on the tropical islands of the Indian Ocean There are about 130 species in around 24 genera. While some species are found in most habitats, overall African species are predominately found in rainforest whilst rainforest species are rare in Asia, instead preferring more open areas. The only Bulbul which occurs in Europe was spotted in the Cyclades and bears a yellow patch, being otherwise of a snuffy brown ; and this is possibly the bird which has got mixed up with the nightingale in Eastern poetry, as it occurs in Israel, and is there called "bulbul" in Hebrew by the Israelis as well as in Arabic and Persian language. [more]

Regulidae

The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the , but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the colored crowns of adult birds. This family has representatives in North America and Eurasia. There are seven species in this family; one, the Madeira Firecrest, Regulus madeirensis, was only recently split from Firecrest as a separate species. One species, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, differs sufficiently in its voice and plumage to occasionally be afforded its own genus, Corthylio. [more]

Remizidae

The penduline tits are a of small passerine birds, related to the true tits. All but the Verdin and Fire-capped Tit make elaborate bag nests hanging from trees (whence "penduline", hanging), usually over water; inclusion of the Fire-capped Tit in this family is disputed by some authorities[citation needed]. [more]

Rhabdornithidae

The Philippine creepers or rhabdornises are small birds. The family is endemic to the Philippines. The group contains a single genus Rhabdornis with three species. They do not migrate, other than to make local movements. [more]

Rhinocryptidae

The tapaculos are a group of small passeriform birds with numerous species, found mainly in South America and with the highest diversity in the Andean regions. Three species, the Choco, the Pale-throated and the Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, are found in southern Central America. [more]

Rhipiduridae

Fantails are small birds of southern Asia and Australasia belonging to the genus Rhipidura in the family Rhipiduridae. Most of the species are about 15 to 18 cm long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as "fantails", but the Australian Willie Wagtail, is a little larger, and though still an expert hunter of insects on the wing, concentrates equally on terrestrial prey. [more]

Saxicolidae

[more]

Sittidae

Sittidae is a family of small birds which has two subfamilies: [more]

Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for Starling, sturnus. Starlings occur naturally in the Old World, from Europe, Asia and Africa, to northern Australia and the islands of the tropical Pacific. Several European and Asian species have been introduced to these areas as well as North America, Hawaii and New Zealand, where they generally compete for habitat with native birds and are considered to be invasive species. [more]

Sylviidae

The "Old World Warblers", family Sylviidae are a of small passerine bird species; the names sylviid warblers or true warblers may be more appropriate. The Sylviidae mainly occur as breeding species, as the name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent Africa. However, most birds of temperate regions are strongly migratory, and winter in the latter continent or tropical Asia. Many are accomplished songbirds, though perhaps not as much as other warblers or some thrushes. [more]

Thamnophilidae

The antbirds are a large , Thamnophilidae, of passerine birds found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 200 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire-eyes, bare-eyes and bushbirds. They are related to the antthrushes and antpittas (family Formicariidae), the tapaculos, the gnateaters and the ovenbirds. [more]

Thraupidae

The tanagers (sg. pronounced ) are a , Thraupidae, of birds in the order Passeriformes. The family has an American distribution. [more]

Timaliidae

The Old World babblers or timaliids are a large family of mostly passerine birds. They are rather diverse in size and coloration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in southeast Asia. The American Wrentit is an enigmatic species that was in recent times placed with the Old World babblers but may, in fact, not belong here. The timaliids are one of two unrelated groups of birds known as babblers, the other being the Australasian Babblers of the family Pomatostomidae (also known as pseudo-babblers). [more]

Troglodytidae

The wrens are birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are about 80 species of true wrens in about 20 genera, though the name is also ascribed to other unrelated birds throughout the world. Only one species occurs in the Old World, where it is commonly known simply as the "Wren"; it is called Winter Wren in North America. [more]

Trudidae

[more]

Turdidae

The Thrushes, Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. [more]

Turnagridae

Turnagridae is a disputed family which consisted of two species of Piopio, birds endemic to New Zealand, both of which are now considered extinct. [more]

Tyrannidae

The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of birds which occur throughout North and South America, but are mainly Neotropical in distribution. They are now considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with around 400 species. In every country in the Americas, except for the United States and Canada, they are the most diverse avian family. As could be expected from a family this large, the members vary greatly both in shape, patterns and colors. Some Tyrant flycatchers superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers. They are members of suborder Tyranni (suboscines) that do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. [more]

Vangidae

The vangas are a group of little-known small to medium-sized birds restricted to Madagascar. Their relationship with other passerine groups is uncertain, but they seem most closely related to several other enigmatic African groups, such as helmetshrikes (Fuchs et al., 2004). Several of these species (including Van Dam's, Rufous and Sickle-billed) can be found in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. [more]

Vireonidae

The vireos (sg. pronounced ) are a group of small to medium-sized birds (mostly) restricted to the New World. They are typically dull-plumaged and greenish in color, the smaller species resembling wood warblers apart from their heavier bills. They range in size from the Choco Vireo, Dwarf Vireo and Lesser Greenlet, all at around 10 centimeters and 8 grams, to the peppershrikes and shrike-vireos at up to 17 centimeters and 40 grams (Forshaw & Parkes 1991). [more]

Zosteropidae

The white-eyes are small birds native to tropical, subtropical and temperate Sub-Saharan Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and Australasia. White-eyes inhabit most tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Guinea. Discounting some widespread members of the genus Zosterops, most species are endemic to single islands or archipelagos. The Silvereye, Zosterops lateralis, naturally colonised New Zealand, where it is known as the "Wax-eye" or Tauhau ("stranger"), from 1855. The Silvereye has also been introduced to Hawaii as well as the Society Islands in French Polynesia. [more]

At least 197 species and subspecies belong to the Family Zosteropidae.

More info about the Family Zosteropidae may be found here.

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Rebecca Stefoff(2008), "The Bird Class", Marshall Cavendish Benchmark
  2. ^ Johansson & Ericson (2003)
  3. ^ See e.g. Boles (1997), Manegold et al. (2004), Mayr & Manegold (2006)
  4. ^ Boles (1997)
  5. ^ Worthy et al. (2007)
  6. ^ The last common ancestor of all songbirds most likely had a decidedly longer tail. See del Hoyo et al. (2003, 2004).
  7. ^ Specimen SMF Av 504. A flattened right hand of a passerine perhaps 10 cm long overall. If suboscine, perhaps closer to Cotingidae than to Eurylaimides: Roux (2002), Mayr & Manegold (2006)
  8. ^ Huguenet et al. (2003), Mayr & Manegold (2006)
  9. ^ Specimens SMF Av 487-496; SMNS 86822, 86825-86826; MNHN SA 1259–1263: tibiotarsus remains of small, possibly basal Passeriformes: Manegold et al. (2004)
  10. ^ A partial coracoid of a probable Muscicapoidea, possibly Turdidae; distal tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus of a smallish to mid-sized passerine which may be the same as the preceding; proximal ulna and tarsometatarsus of a Paridae-sized passerine: Gál et al. (1998-1999, 2000)
  11. ^ A humerus diaphysis piece of a swallow-sized passerine: Hír et al. (2001)
  12. ^ Hír et al . (2001)
  13. ^ Manegold et al. (2004)
  14. ^ Distal right humerus, possibly suboscine: Noriega & Chiappe (1991, 1993)
  15. ^ The former does not even have recognized subspecies, while the latter is one of the most singular birds alive today. Good photos of a Bearded Reedling are for example here and here.
  16. ^ del Hoyo et al. (2003-)
  17. ^ Lov ette & Bermingham (2000), Cibois et al. (2001), Barker et al. (2002, 2004), Ericson & Johansson (2003), Beresford et al. (2005), Alström et al. (2006), Jřnsson & Fjeldsĺ (2006)
  18. ^ Gill, F., Wright, M. & Donsker, D. (2008). IOC World Bird Names (version 1.6). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
  19. ^ Lovette, I.J. (2008). Convergent Evolution: Raising a Family from the Dead. Current Biology. Volume 18, Issue 24, 23 December 2008, Pages R1132-R1134.
  20. ^ Fleischer R.C., James H.F., and Olson S.L. (2008). Convergent Evolution of Hawaiian and Australo-Pacific Honeyeaters from Distant Songbird Ancestors. Current Biology, Volume 18, Issue 24, 1927-1931, 11 December 2008.

Sources

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Last Revised: September 22, 2009
2009/09/22 08:08:02