page_title: Passerine
section_title: Suborder Passeri (oscines)
hierarchical_section_title: Passerine / Taxonomic list of Passeriformes families / Suborder Passeri (oscines)
caption_attribution_description: Lesser Striped Swallow Cecropis abyssinica (syn. Hirundo abyssinica) in South Africa
context_page_description: A passerine is any bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or songbirds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by the arrangement of their toes, which facilitates perching, amongst other features specific to their evolutionary history in Australaves.
  With more than 140 families and some 6,500 identified species, Passeriformes is the largest order of birds and among the most diverse orders of terrestrial vertebrates. Passerines are divided into three suborders: Acanthisitti, Tyranni and Passeri. The passerines contain several groups of brood parasites such as the viduas, cuckoo-finches, and the cowbirds. Most passerines are omnivorous, while the shrikes are carnivorous.
  The terms "passerine" and "Passeriformes" are derived from the scientific name of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus, and ultimately from the Latin term passer, which refers to sparrows and similar small birds.
context_section_description: Atrichornithidae: scrub-birds
  Menuridae: lyrebirds
  Climacteridae: Australian treecreepers
  Ptilonorhynchidae: bowerbirds
  Maluridae: fairywrens, emu-wrens and grasswrens
  Dasyornithidae: bristlebirds
  Pardalotidae: pardalotes
  Acanthizidae: scrubwrens, thornbills, and gerygones
  Meliphagidae: honeyeaters
  Pomatostomidae: pseudo-babblers
  Orthonychidae: logrunners
  Infraorder Corvides
  Cinclosomatidae: jewel-babblers, quail-thrushes
  Campephagidae: cuckooshrikes and trillers
  Mohouidae: whiteheads
  Neosittidae: sittellas
  Superfamily Orioloidea
  Psophodidae: whipbirds
  Eulacestomidae: wattled ploughbills
  Falcunculidae: shriketit
  Oreoicidae: Australo-Papuan bellbirds
  Paramythiidae: painted berrypeckers
  Vireonidae: vireos
  Pachycephalidae: whistlers
  Oriolidae: Old World orioles and figbirds
  Superfamily Malaconotoidea
  Machaerirhynchidae: boatbills
  Artamidae: woodswallows, butcherbirds, currawongs, and Australian magpie
  Rhagologidae: mottled whistler
  Malaconotidae: puffback shrikes, bush shrikes, tchagras, and boubous
  Pityriaseidae: bristlehead
  Aegithinidae: ioras
  Platysteiridae: wattle-eyes and batises
  Vangidae: vangas
  Superfamily Corvoidea
  Rhipiduridae: fantails
  Dicruridae: drongos
  Monarchidae: monarch flycatchers
  Ifritidae: blue-capped ifrit
  Paradisaeidae: birds-of-paradise
  Corcoracidae: white-winged chough and apostlebird
  Melampittidae: melampittas
  Laniidae: shrikes
  Corvidae: crows, ravens, and jays
  Infraorder Passerides
  Cnemophilidae: satinbirds
  Melanocharitidae: berrypeckers and longbills
  Callaeidae: New Zealand wattlebirds
  Notiomystidae: stitchbird
  Petroicidae: Australian robins
  Eupetidae: rail-babbler
  Picathartidae: rockfowl
  Chaetopidae: rock-jumpers
  Parvorder Sylviida
  Hyliotidae: hyliotas
  Stenostiridae: fairy flycatchers
  Paridae: tits, chickadees and titmice
  Remizidae: penduline tits
  Panuridae: bearded reedling
  Alaudidae: larks
  Nicatoridae: nicators
  Macrosphenidae: crombecs and African warblers
  Cisticolidae: cisticolas and allies
  Superfamily Locustelloidea
  Acrocephalidae: reed warblers, Grauer’s warbler and allies
  Locustellidae: grassbirds and allies
  Donacobiidae: black-capped donacobius
  Bernieridae: Malagasy warblers
  —
  Pnoepygidae: wren-babblers
  Hirundinidae: swallows and martins
  Superfamily Sylvioidea
  Pycnonotidae: bulbuls
  Sylviidae: sylviid babblers
  Paradoxornithidae: parrotbills and myzornis
  Zosteropidae: white-eyes
  Timaliidae: tree babblers
  Leiothrichidae: laughingthrushes and allies
  Alcippeidae: Alcippe fulvettas
  Pellorneidae: ground babblers
  Superfamily Aegithaloidea
  Phylloscopidae: leaf-warblers and allies
  Hyliidae: hylias
  Aegithalidae: long-tailed tits or bushtits
  Scotocercidae: streaked scrub warbler
  Cettiidae: Cettia bush warblers and allies
  Erythrocercidae: yellow flycatchers
  Parvorder Muscicapida
  Superfamily Bombycilloidea
  Dulidae: palmchat
  Bombycillidae: waxwings
  Ptiliogonatidae: silky flycatchers
  Hylocitreidae: hylocitrea
  Hypocoliidae: hypocolius
  Mohoidae: oos
  Superfamily Muscicapoidea
  Elachuridae: spotted elachura
  Cinclidae: dippers
  Muscicapidae: Old World flycatchers and chats
  Turdidae: thrushes and allies
  Buphagidae: oxpeckers
  Sturnidae: starlings and rhabdornis
  Mimidae: mockingbirds and thrashers
  —
  Regulidae: goldcrests and kinglets
  Superfamily Certhioidea
  Tichodromidae: wallcreeper
  Sittidae: nuthatches
  Certhiidae: treecreepers
  Polioptilidae: gnatcatchers
  Troglodytidae: wrens
  Parvorder Passerida
  Promeropidae: sugarbirds
  Modulatricidae: dapple-throat and allies
  Nectariniidae: sunbirds
  Dicaeidae: flowerpeckers
  Chloropseidae: leafbirds
  Irenidae: fairy-bluebirds
  Peucedramidae: olive warbler
  Urocynchramidae: Przewalski's finch
  Ploceidae: weavers
  Viduidae: indigobirds and whydahs
  Estrildidae: waxbills, munias and allies
  Prunellidae: accentors
  Passeridae: Old World sparrows and snowfinches
  Motacillidae: wagtails and pipits
  Fringillidae: finches and euphonias
  Superfamily Emberizoidea (previously known as the nine-primaried oscines)
  Rhodinocichlidae: rosy thrush-tanager
  Calcariidae: longspurs and snow buntings
  Emberizidae: buntings
  Cardinalidae: cardinals
  Mitrospingidae: mitrospingid tanagers
  Thraupidae: tanagers and allies
caption: Lesser striped swallow (Cecropis abyssinica), showing some apomorphies of its ancient yet highly advanced lineage.
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