Passerine Information


Passerine Information

There are 333 informational link matches for 'Passerine'.
Pages: Prev. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next

American Dipper
Kodiak Island, Alaska

Photographer: Dave Menke
Source: US Fish and Wildlife
This image is in public domain.

Rate this image and leave your feedback | Send as an e-card

You can customize this image and buy at it as a
T-Shirt | Magnet | Tote Bag | Mousepad

More About Passerines - Other ...

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.

Taxonmony

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family:

Source: Wikipedia Read more about Passerines - Other

INFO LINKS

Superb Lyrebird
web.edunet4u.net/~nature/ (Korean)
Brief description and picture Read More

Fairy Pitta
web.edunet4u.net/~nature/ (Korean)
Brief description and picture Read More

Japanese Waxwing
web.edunet4u.net/~nature/ (Korean)
Brief description and picture Read More

Waxwing
web.edunet4u.net/~nature/ (Korean)
Brief description and picture Read More

Fernwren
Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges
Narrative article about Fernwren Read More

Chowchilla
Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges
Narrative article about Chowchilla Read More

Noisy Miner
Australian Museum Online
Description of Noisy Miner, with nice pictures and references Read More

Red Wattlebird
Australian Museum Online
Description of Red Wattlebird, with nice pictures and references Read More

Superb Lyrebird
Australian Museum Online
Description of Superb Lyrebird, with nice pictures and references Read More

Western Spinebill
Michael Morcombe
Information and picture gallery Read More

Western Wattlebird
Michael Morcombe
Information and picture gallery Read More

Isabelline Wheatear
Michael Morcombe
Information and picture gallery Read More

Cedar Waxwing
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About Cedar Waxwing Read More

Veery
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About Veery Read More

Western Wood-Pewee
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About Western Wood-Pewee Read More

Brown Thrasher
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About Brown Thrasher Read More

Eastern Kingbird
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About Eastern Kingbird Read More

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About Ruby-crowned Kinglet Read More

American Dipper
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About American Dipper Read More

Bohemian Waxwing
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About Bohemian Waxwing Read More

European Starling
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About European Starling Read More

Golden-crowned Kinglet
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About Golden-crowned Kinglet Read More

Western Kingbird
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
About Western Kingbird Read More

Austral Canastero
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Austral Canastero Read More

Canyon Canastero
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Canyon Canastero Read More

Cordilleran Canastero
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Cordilleran Canastero Read More

Creamy-Breasted Canastero
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Creamy-Breasted Canastero Read More

Dusky-Tailed Canastero
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Dusky-Tailed Canastero Read More

Lesser Canastero
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Lesser Canastero Read More

Crag Chilia
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Crag Chilia Read More

Bar-Winged Cinclodes
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Bar-Winged Cinclodes Read More

Blackish Cinclodes
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Blackish Cinclodes Read More

Dark-Bellied Cinclodes
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Dark-Bellied Cinclodes Read More

Gray-Flanked Cinclodes
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Gray-Flanked Cinclodes Read More

Seaside Cinclodes
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Seaside Cinclodes Read More

White-Winged Cinclodes
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about White-Winged Cinclodes Read More

Pages: Prev. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next

Home Basket My Account About