Section 9 – Passerines: Perching Birds
The Order Passeriformes is the largest and most diverse group of birds, containing over half of all known species. From ancient New Zealand wrens and tropical antbirds to fairywrens, crows, warblers, thrushes, finches and tanagers, passerines occupy almost every habitat on Earth.
Biologists recognise several major branches within the passerines, and my pages follow these main splits:
- Suboscines (mostly tropical passerines with simpler song structure)
- A: Early passerines & Old World suboscines – New Zealand Wrens, Broadbills & Pittas
- B: New World suboscines – Antbirds, Flycatchers & Ovenbirds
- Oscines (true songbirds with more complex vocal structure)
- C: Australasian early songbirds – Fairywrens, Honeyeaters & Allies
- D: Crow lineage songbirds (Corvoids) – Crows, Shrikes, Orioles & Allies
- E: Core Passerida (warbler- and thrush-like songbirds) – Warblers, Babblers, Wrens, Thrushes & Starlings
- F: Passeroidea (finch-like songbirds) – Finches, Sparrows, Pipits, New World Warblers & Tanagers
These groupings follow the main evolutionary branches of passerines, moving from the earliest lineages to the most recent songbird groups.
The earliest branches of the passerine tree, including the most ancient lineages and the Old World suboscines.
- New Zealand Wrens: The deepest split in the passerines, representing the oldest surviving lineage.
- Old World Suboscines: Broadbills, asities, pittas, and the enigmatic Sapayoa — groups with simpler vocal anatomy and long evolutionary histories outside the true songbirds.
A very large and diverse group of suboscine birds found primarily in Central and South America.
- Manakins, Cotingas, Tityras: Often colourful or behaviourally spectacular species of the Neotropics.
- Tyrant Flycatchers: The largest family of suboscines, with enormous ecological diversity.
- Antbirds, Antpittas, Tapaculos, Ovenbirds & Woodcreepers: Ground‑dwellers, skulking insectivores, and bark‑foraging specialists that dominate the forest understorey.
The earliest‑diverging oscine (true songbird) lineages, almost all originating in Australasia.
- Lyrebirds, Scrubbirds & Treecreepers: Ancient Australian lineages with specialised behaviours.
- Bowerbirds & Fairywrens: Iconic groups known for elaborate displays and striking plumage.
- Honeyeaters, Pardalotes & Acanthizids: A major Australasian group including nectar‑feeders and small insectivores.
A large and diverse clade of oscines that originated in Australasia before spreading worldwide.
- Cuckooshrikes, Drongos, Monarchs & Orioles: A broad mix of forest and woodland songbirds.
- Birds‑of‑Paradise & Satinbirds: Famous for elaborate plumage and displays.
- Corvids: Crows, ravens, jays, and magpies — among the most intelligent birds.
- Rockjumpers, Picathartes & Australasian Robins: Distinctive lineages with specialised ecologies.
An extensive diversification of Old World songbirds, including many familiar garden and woodland species.
- Warblers & Babblers: Leaf warblers, reed warblers, white‑eyes, yuhinas, and many others.
- Nuthatches, Treecreepers & Wrens: Bark‑foragers and undergrowth specialists.
- Thrushes, Chats & Old World Flycatchers: Some of the world’s most accomplished singers.
- Starlings, Mynas & Dippers: Social flocking birds and unique aquatic specialists.
The most recently evolved branch of the passerines, containing many seed‑eaters and colourful tropical groups.
- Finches, Crossbills & Serins: Classic seed‑crackers with specialised bills.
- Wagtails, Pipits & Sparrows: Ground‑feeding and open‑country specialists.
- New World Warblers: Small, colourful insectivores of the Americas.
- Tanagers, Honeycreepers & Blackbirds: A massive evolutionary diversification centred in Central and South America, including some of the most vibrant birds on Earth.
Each of these groupings links to a dedicated page with further explanation and full family lists.