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More About Passerines - Other ...
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A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. More than half of all species of bird are passerines. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines are one of the most spectacularly successful vertebrate orders: with around 5,400 species, they are roughly twice as diverse as the most successful of the mammal orders, the Rodentia.
The group gets its name from the Latin name for the House Sparrow, Passer domesticus.
Many passerines are songbirds and have complex muscles to control their syrinx; all of them gape in the nest as infants to beg for food.
The order is divided into two suborders, Tyranni, and Passeri (oscines). Oscines have the most control of their syrinx muscles and are true songbirds (though some of them, such as the crow, do not sound like it). Most passerines are smaller than typical members of other avian orders.
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 which, it is now known, are the result of convergent evolution, not a close genetic relationship. For example, the "wrens" of the northern hemisphere, of Australia, and of New Zealand all 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 yet remaining Passeriformes.
Much research remains to be done, but a series of biochemical studies are gradually revealing a clearer picture of passerine origins and evolution. It is now thought that the early passerines evolved in Gondwana at about the time that the southern supercontinent was breaking up. This led to the Tyranni and, a little later, to a great radiation of forms in Australia-New Guinea (the Passeri or songbirds). A major branch of the passerine tree, the Passerida (or sparrow-like forms), emerged either as the sister group to another (the Corvida, or crow-like birds), or more likely as a subgroup of the Corvida, and reached the northern hemisphere, where there was a further explosive radiation of new species. Since then, there has been extensive mixing, with northern forms returning to the south, southern forms moving north, and so on.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family:
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Passerines - Other
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INFO LINKS
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Western Kingbird
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Western Kingbird, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
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Western Wood-Pewee
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Western Wood-Pewee, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
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Golden-breasted Starling
Honolulu Zoo
Golden-breasted Starling Read More
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Bristle-crowned Starling
Kenya Birds
About Bristle-crowned Starling Read More
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Fischer's Starling
Kenya Birds
About Fischer's Starling Read More
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Greater Blue-eared Starling
Kenya Birds
About Greater Blue-eared Starling Read More
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Hunter's Sunbird
Kenya Birds
About Hunter's Sunbird Read More
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Red-billed Oxpecker
Kenya Birds
About Red-billed Oxpecker Read More
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Rüppell's Long-tailed Starling
Kenya Birds
About Rüppell's Long-tailed Starling Read More
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Superb Starling
Kenya Birds
About Superb Starling Read More
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Tacazze Sunbird
Kenya Birds
About Tacazze Sunbird Read More
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Wattled Starling
Kenya Birds
About Wattled Starling Read More
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Yellow-billed Oxpecker
Kenya Birds
About Yellow-billed Oxpecker Read More
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Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher Read More
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Brown Thrasher
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Brown Thrasher Read More
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Cedar Waxwing
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Cedar Waxwing Read More
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Eastern Kingbird
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Eastern Kingbird Read More
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Eastern Pewee
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Eastern Pewee Read More
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Golden-Crowned Kinglet
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Golden-Crowned Kinglet Read More
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Mockingbird
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Mockingbird Read More
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Starling
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Starling Read More
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Black-collared Starling
Yunnan Animal Museum
About Black-collared Starling Read More
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Silver-breasted Broadbill
Yunnan Animal Museum
About Silver-breasted Broadbill Read More
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European starling
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
European starling: Facts and Pictures Read More
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Greater Blue-eared Starling
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Safaricam datasheet for Greater Blue-eared Starling Read More
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Redwinged Starling
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Safaricam datasheet for Redwinged Starling Read More
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Bohemian Waxwing
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Bohemian Waxwing fact sheet Read More
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Cedar Waxwing
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Cedar Waxwing fact sheet Read More
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European Starling
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
European Starling fact sheet Read More
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Golden-crowned Kinglet
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Golden-crowned Kinglet fact sheet Read More
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Northern Mockingbird
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Northern Mockingbird fact sheet Read More
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Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Ruby-crowned Kinglet fact sheet Read More
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Veery
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Veery fact sheet Read More
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American Dipper
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about American Dipper Read More
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Phainopepla
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Phainopepla Read More
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Verdin
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Verdin Read More
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