The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into
CisticolidaeThe Cisticolidae family of small passerine 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....
and the kinglets into Regulidae. In the past ten years they have been the subject of much research and many species are now placed into other families, including the
AcrocephalidaeAcrocephalidae is a family of oscine passerine birds, in the superfamily Sylvioidea....
,
CettiidaeCettiidae is a newly validated family of small insectivorous songbirds , formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" assemblage. It contains the typical bush-warblers and their relatives. As common name, cettiid warblers is usually used.Its members occur mainly in Asia and Africa, ranging...
,
PhylloscopidaePhylloscopidae is a newly described family of small insectivorous birds formerly placed in the Old World warbler family. Its members occur in Eurasia, ranging into Wallacea and Africa...
, and
MegaluridaeLocustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds , formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grass-warblers, grassbirds, and the Bradypterus "bush-warblers". These birds occur mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region...
. In addition some species have been moved into existing families or have not yet had their placement fully resolved. A smaller family of warblers, together with some babblers formerly placed in the family Timaliidae and the
parrotbillThe parrotbills are a group of peculiar birds native to East and Southeast Asia, though feral populations are known from elsewhere. They are generally small, long-tailed birds which inhabit reedbeds and similar habitat. They feed mainly on seeds, e.g. of grasses, to which their bill, as the name...
s, are retained in a much smaller family
SylviidaeSylviidae is a family of passerine birds that was part of an assemblage known as the Old World warblers. The family was formerly a wastebin taxon with over 400 species of bird in over 70 genera. The family was poorly defined with many characteristics shared with other families...
.
Characteristics
Most Old World Warblers are of generally undistinguished appearance, though some Asian species are boldly marked. The sexes are often identical, but may be clearly distinct, notably in the genus
Sylvia. They are of small to medium size, varying from 9 to 16 centimetres in length, with a small, finely pointed bill. Almost all species are primarily
insectivorousAn insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
, although some will also eat fruit, nectar, or tiny seeds.
The majority of species are monogamous and build simple, cup-shaped nests in dense vegetation. They lay between two and six eggs per clutch, depending on species. Both parents typically help in raising the young, which are able to fly at around two weeks of age.
Systematics
In the late 20th century, the Sylviidae were thought to unite nearly 300 small insectivorous bird
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in nearly 50
generaIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. They had themselves been split out of the Muscicapidae. The latter family had for most of its existence served as perhaps the ultimate
wastebin taxonWastebasket taxon is a term used in some taxonomic circles to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined by their lack of one or more distinct character states or by their not belonging to one or more other taxa...
on the history of
ornithologyOrnithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
. By the early 20th century, about every insectivorous
Old WorldThe Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
"songster" known to science had at one point been placed therein, and most continued to be so.
Only after the mid-20th century did the dismantling of the "pan-Muscicapidae" begin in earnest. However, the Sylviidae remained a huge family, with few clear patterns of relationships recognisable. Though by no means as diverse as the Timaliidae (Old World babblers) (another "wastebin taxon" containing more thrush-like forms), the frontiers between the former "pan-Muscicapidae" were much blurred. The largely southern warbler family
CisticolidaeThe Cisticolidae family of small passerine 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....
was traditionally included in the Sylviidae. The
kingletThe kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers, 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...
s, a small genus in a
monotypicIn biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
family Regulidae, were also frequently placed in this family. The
American Ornithologists' UnionThe American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
includes the
gnatcatcherThe 15-20 species of small passerine birds in the gnatcatcher family occur in North and South America . 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...
s, as subfamily Polioptilinae, in the Sylviidae.
Sibley & Ahlquist (1990) united the "Old World warblers" with the babblers and other taxa in a
superfamilyIn biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
SylvioideaSylvioidea is a superfamily of passerine birds. It is one of at least three major clades within the Passerida along with the Muscicapoidea and Passeroidea. It contains about 1300 species including the Old World warblers, Old World babblers, swallows, larks, bulbuls and perhaps the tits...
as a result of
DNA-DNA hybridisationDNA-DNA hybridization generally refers to a molecular biology technique that measures the degree of genetic similarity between pools of DNA sequences. It is usually used to determine the genetic distance between two species...
studies. This demonstrated that the Muscicapidae as initially defined were a
form taxonForm classification is the classification of organisms based on their morphology, which does not necessarily reflect their biological relationships...
which collected entirely unrelated songbirds. Consequently, the
monophylyIn common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
of the individual "songster" lineages themselves was increasingly being questioned.
More recently, analysis of
DNA sequenceThe sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
data has provided information on the Sylvioidea. Usually, the scope of the clade was vastly underestimated and only one or two specimens were sampled for each presumed "family". Minor or little-known groups such as the
parrotbillThe parrotbills are a group of peculiar birds native to East and Southeast Asia, though feral populations are known from elsewhere. They are generally small, long-tailed birds which inhabit reedbeds and similar habitat. They feed mainly on seeds, e.g. of grasses, to which their bill, as the name...
s were left out entirely (e.g. Ericson & Johansson 2003, Barker
et al. 2004). These could only confirm that the Cisticolidae were indeed distinct, and suggested that
bulbulBulbuls are a family, Pycnonotidae, 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...
s (Pycnonotidae) were apparently the closest relatives of a group containing Sylviidae, Timaliidae, cisticolids and white-eyes.
In 2003, a study of Timaliidae relationships (Cibois 2003a) using mtDNA
cytochrome bCytochrome b/b6 is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. In addition, it commonly refers to a region of mtDNA used for population genetics and phylogenetics.- Function :...
and 12S/
16S rRNA16S ribosomal RNA is a component of the 30S subunit of prokaryotic ribosomes. It is approximately 1.5kb in length...
data indicated that the Sylviidae and Old World babblers were not reciprocally monophyletic to each other. Moreover,
Sylvia, the
type genusIn biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
of the Sylvidae, turned out to be closer to taxa such as the
Yellow-eyed BabblerThe Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense is a passerine bird species found in open grass and scrub in south Asia. Its common name refers to its traditional placement with the Old World babbler family Timaliidae...
(
Chrysomma sinense) (traditionally held to be an atypical timaliid) and the
WrentitThe Wrentit is a small bird that lives in chaparral and bushland. It is the only species in the genus Chamaea....
(
Chamaea fasciata), an enigmatic species generally held to be the only
AmericanThe Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
Old World babbler. The parrotbills, formerly considered a family Paradoxornithidae (roughly, "puzzling birds") of unclear affiliations also were part of what apparently was a well distinctive
cladeA clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
.
Cibois suggested that the Sylviidae should officially be suppressed by the
ICZNThe International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 28 members from 20 countries, mainly practicing zoological taxonomists...
as a taxon and the genus
Sylvia merged into the Timaliidae (Cibois 2003b), but doubts remained. Clearly, the sheer extent of the groups concerned made it necessary to study a wide range of taxa. This was begun by Beresford
et al. (2005) and Alström
et al. (2006). They determined that the late-20th-century Sylviidae united at least 4, but probably as many as 7 major distinct lineages. The authors propose the creation of several new families (
PhylloscopidaePhylloscopidae is a newly described family of small insectivorous birds formerly placed in the Old World warbler family. Its members occur in Eurasia, ranging into Wallacea and Africa...
,
CettiidaeCettiidae is a newly validated family of small insectivorous songbirds , formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" assemblage. It contains the typical bush-warblers and their relatives. As common name, cettiid warblers is usually used.Its members occur mainly in Asia and Africa, ranging...
,
AcrocephalidaeAcrocephalidae is a family of oscine passerine birds, in the superfamily Sylvioidea....
,
MegaluridaeLocustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds , formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grass-warblers, grassbirds, and the Bradypterus "bush-warblers". These birds occur mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region...
) to better reflect the
evolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
ary history of the sylvioid group.
The Sylviidae, in turn, receive several taxa from other families. Nonetheless, the now-monophyletic family has shrunk by nearly 80% for the time being, now containing 55 species in 10 genera at least. It is entirely likely however that with further research, other taxa from those still
incertae sedis , is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
among its former contents, the Timaliidae, the Cisticolinae, or even the Muscicapidae will be moved into this group.
Family Sylviidae sensu stricto
True warblers (or sylviid warblers) and parrotbills. A fairly diverse group of smallish taxa with longish tails. Mostly in Asia, to a lesser extent in Africa. A few range into Europe; one
monotypicIn biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus on west coast of
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
- Genus Sylvia - typical warblers (c.20 species). Paraphyletic or contains Parisoma
- Temperate Eurasian superspecies ("
atricapilla-borin group")
- Blackcap
The Blackcap is a common and widespread sylviid warbler which breeds throughout temperate Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa, and winters from northwestern Europe south to tropical Africa...
,
Sylvia atricapilla
- Garden Warbler
The Garden Warbler, Sylvia borin, is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe into western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in central and southern Africa...
, Sylvia borin
Parisoma superspecies
- Banded Warbler
The Banded Parisoma, Banded Tit Warbler, or Banded Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania.Its natural habitat is dry savanna.Length:...
,
Parisoma boehmi
Layard's WarblerThe Layard's Warbler or Layard's Tit-Babbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family. It is found in Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland....
, Parisoma layardi
Rufous-vented WarblerThe Chestnut-vented Warbler , Parisoma subcaeruleum, is an Old World warbler...
, Parisoma subcaeruleum
curruca clade
- Brown Warbler
The Brown Parisoma or Brown Warbler is a typical warbler found in Africa....
,
Parisoma lugens
Yemen Warbler, Sylvia buryi - sometimes placed in Parisoma
Red Sea WarblerThe Arabian Warbler or Red Sea Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen....
, Sylvia leucomelaena
(Western) Orphean WarblerThe Orphean Warbler, Sylvia hortensis, is a typical warbler of the genus Sylvia. This species occurs in summer around the Mediterranean, through Turkey and the Caucasus and extending into Central Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa...
, Sylvia hortensis
- Eastern Orphean Warbler
The Eastern Orphean Warbler, Sylvia hortensis crassirostris, is a typical warbler of the genus Sylvia. This species occurs in summer around the Mediterranean, through the Balkans via Turkey, the Caucasus and surrounding regions to Central Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa...
,
Sylvia (hortensis) crassirostris
Lesser WhitethroatThe Lesser Whitethroat is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds in temperate Europe, except the southwest, and in western and central Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, wintering in Africa just south of the Sahara, Arabia and India.Unlike many typical warblers,...
, Sylvia curruca
Hume's WhitethroatHume's Whitethroat Sylvia althaea is a species of typical warbler. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with the Lesser Whitethroat; today these are seen as members of a superspecies which also includes the Desert Whitethroat...
, Sylvia althaea
Small WhitethroatThe Desert Whitethroat is a typical warbler. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with the Lesser Whitethroat; today these are seen as members of a superspecies...
, Sylvia minula
Sylvia (minula) margelanica
communis-melanocephala assemblage
- Barred Warbler
The Barred Warbler is a typical warbler which breeds across temperate regions of central and eastern Europe and western and central Asia. This passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical eastern Africa....
,
Sylvia nisoria - tentatively place here
Asian Desert WarblerThe Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana is a typical warbler which breeds in the deserts of central and western Asia and the extreme east of Europe , and migrating to similar habitats in southwestern Asia and the far northeast of Africa in winter...
, Sylvia nana
African Desert WarblerThe African Desert Warbler Sylvia deserti is a typical warbler which breeds in the deserts of northwestern Africa south of the Atlas Mountains from southern Morocco east to western Libya and south to Mali and Niger. It winters in the same area, and does not migrate other than short distances...
, Sylvia deserti
WhitethroatThe Common Whitethroat, Sylvia communis, is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia and Pakistan.This is one of several Sylvia species...
, Sylvia communis
Spectacled WarblerThe Spectacled Warbler is a species in the typical warbler genus Sylvia. It breeds in north west Africa, southwest Europe from Iberia to Italy, and then further east on the eastern Mediterranean islands and coastal regions. It is mainly resident in Africa, but other populations migrate to winter...
, Sylvia conspicillata
Tristram's WarblerThe Tristram's Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.Its natural habitat is subtropical dry shrubland.-References:...
, Sylvia deserticola
Dartford WarblerThe Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe, and northwestern Africa. Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy...
, Sylvia undata
Marmora's WarblerMarmora's Warbler, Sylvia sarda, is a typical warbler, genus Sylvia. It breeds on Mediterranean islands, typically including Corsica and Sardinia. The smaller Balearic Islands subspecies is increasingly given specific status as Balearic Warbler, Sylvia balearica...
, Sylvia sarda
Sylvia (sarda) balearica
Rüppell's WarblerThe Rüppell's Warbler is a typical warbler of the genus Sylvia. It breeds in Greece, Turkey and neighbouring islands. It is migratory, wintering in north east Africa. This is a rare vagrant to western Europe. The name is occasionally cited as "Rueppell's Warbler".It is a typical "sylvia" warbler,...
, Sylvia rueppelli
Cyprus WarblerThe Cyprus Warbler, Sylvia melanothorax, is a typical warbler which breeds on Cyprus. This small passerine bird is a short-distance migrant, and winters in Israel, Jordan and Egypt....
, Sylvia melanothorax
(Western) Subalpine WarblerThe Subalpine Warbler, Sylvia cantillans, is a small typical warbler which breeds in the southernmost areas of Europe and northwest Africa. This small passerine bird is migratory, and winters along the southern edge of the Sahara...
, Sylvia cantillans
- Eastern Subalpine Warbler,
Sylvia (cantillans) albistriata
Moltoni's Warbler, Sylvia (cantillans) moltonii
Sardinian WarblerThe Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala, is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region.-Description:...
, Sylvia melanocephala
Sylvia (melanocephala) momus
Fayyum Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala/momus norissae - doubtfully distinct, extinct (c.1940)
Menetries' Warbler, Sylvia mystacea
- Genus Pseudoalcippe - African Hillbabbler. Formerly in Illadopsis (Timaliidae)
- Genus Rhopophilus - White-browed Chinese Warbler. Formerly in Cisticolidae
- Genus Lioparus - Golden-breasted Fulvetta. Formerly in Alcippe (Timaliidae)
- Genus Paradoxornis - typical parrotbills (18 species). Formerly in Paradoxornithidae; polyphyletic
- Genus Conostoma - Great Parrotbill. Formerly in Paradoxornithidae; tentatively placed here
- Genus Fulvetta
Fulvetta is a songbird genus. Originally proposed in 1877, it was recently reestablished for the typical fulvettas, which were long included with their presumed relatives in the Timaliidae genus Alcippe...
- typical fulvettas (7 species). Formerly in Alcippe (Timaliidae)
- Genus Chrysomma
Chrysomma is a songbird genus. Long believed to be Timaliidae , they are actually quite closely related to the typical warblers and even closer to the parrotbills, and therefore a member of the family Sylviidae.Species are:...
- 3 species. Formerly in Timaliidae
- Genus Chamaea - Wrentit
Moved to family Timaliidae
- Genus Graminicola
- Rufous-rumped Grassbird
The Rufous-Rumped Grassbird is a species of babbler in a monotypic genus in the Timaliidae family. It was formerly placed in the Old World Warbler family Sylviidae.-Distribution and habitat:...
("-babbler") Graminicola bengalensis
Moved to family CisticolidaeThe Cisticolidae family of small passerine 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....
- Genus Bathmocercus
Bathmocercus is a genus of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It contains the following species:* Black-capped Rufous Warbler * Black-faced Rufous Warbler...
- rufous-warblers
- Black-capped Rufous-warbler
The Black-headed Rufous Warbler , also known as the Black-Capped Rufous Warbler, is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical...
Bathmocercus cerviniventris
- Black-faced Rufous-warbler
The Black-Faced Rufous Warbler is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.Its natural habitats are subtropical or...
Bathmocercus rufus
Genus SceptomycterScepomycter is a genus of threatened birds in the Cisticolidae family. The two species are endemic to highland forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. They are small, mainly grey birds with a reddish-orange head.-Taxonomy:...
- sometimes merged into Bathmocercus. Cisticolidae?
- Mrs Moreau's Warbler
Winifred's Warbler , also known as Mrs Moreau's Warbler, is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. The genus Scepomycter has traditionally been considered monotypic, but in 2009 a closely related new species was described, the Rubeho Warbler. Alternatively, the Winifred’s Warbler is...
Sceptomycter winifredae
Genus Poliolais - Cisticolidae or more basal like bulbulBulbuls are a family, Pycnonotidae, 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...
s?
- White-tailed Warbler
The White-tailed Warbler is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family, the only of its genus Poliolais. It is found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigeria....
Poliolais lopezi
Two to 14 of the 15 tailorbirdTailorbirds are small birds belonging to the genus Orthotomus often placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. However, recent research suggests they more likely belong in the Cisticolidae and they are treated as such in Del Hoyo et al....
s
Moved to family AcrocephalidaeAcrocephalidae is a family of oscine passerine birds, in the superfamily Sylvioidea....
Marsh- and tree warblers or acrocephalid warblers. Usually rather large "warblers", most are olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. Usually in open woodland, reedbeds or tall grass. Mainly southern Asia to western Europe and surroundings ranging far into Pacific, some in Africa. The genus limits are seriously in need of revision; either most species are moved into Acrocephalus
, or the latter is split up though there is presently insufficient knowledge as to how.
AcrocephalusThe Acrocephalus warblers are small, insectivorous passerine birds belonging to the genus Acrocephalus. Formerly in the paraphyletic Old World warbler assemblage, they are now separated as the namesake of the marsh- and tree-warbler family Acrocephalidae...
- marsh-warblers (about 35 species)
Genus Hippolais - tree warblers (8 species)
Genus ChloropetaChloropeta is a genus of Acrocephalidae warblers; formerly, they were placed in the paraphyletic "Old World warblers".It contains the following species:* Papyrus Yellow Warbler...
- yellow warblers (3 species)
Genus NesillasNesillas is a genus of Old World warbler in the Acrocephalidae family.It contains the following species:* Grand Comoro Brush-Warbler * Lantz's Brush-Warbler...
- brush warblers (4 living species, 1 recently extinct)
Moved to Malagasy warblerThe Malagasy warblers are a newly validated clade of songbirds. They were formally named Bernieridae in 2010. The family consists of ten species of small forest birds and is endemic to Madagascar....
s
See Cibois et al.
(2001)
Thamnornis
- Thamnornis Thamnornis chloropetoides
Genus Cryptosylvicola
- Cryptic Warbler
The Cryptic Warbler is a species of Malagasy warbler in the Bernieriidae family. It was formerly placed in the Old world warbler family Sylviidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.-References:...
Cryptosylvicola randriansoloi
Moved to family Locustellidae
Grass warblers and allies . Mid-sized and usually long-tailed species; sometimes strongly patterned but generally very drab in overall coloration. Often forage on the ground. Old World and into Australian region, centred around
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
; possibly also one species in
South AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. A not too robustly supported clade that requires further study.
- Genus Bradypterus
Bradypterus is a genus of small insectivorous songbirds in the newly recognized grass warbler family . They were formerly placed in the Sylviidae, which at that time was a wastebin taxon for the warbler-like Sylvioidea...
- Megalurid bush-warblers (more than 20 species). Paraphyletic with at least one species ("B." victorini) not belonging into this family.
- Genus Locustella - grass warblers (9 species)
- Genus Megalurus
Megalurus is a genus of passerine bird in the family Locustellidae. The genus was once placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family Sylviidae. The genus contains six species also known as the typical grassbirds...
- typical grassbirds. Probably polyphyletic
- Marsh Grassbird
The Marsh Grassbird , also known as the Japanese Swamp Warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family. It is found in China, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, and Russia....
Megalurus pryeri
- Tawny Grassbird
The Tawny Grassbird is a songbird species of the grass- and bush-warbler family . It was formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage....
Megalurus timoriensis
- Little Grassbird
The Little Grassbird is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family. It is found in Australia and in West Papua, Indonesia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
Megalurus gramineus
- Striated Grassbird
The Striated Grassbird is an "Old World warbler" species in the family Locustellidae. It was formerly placed in the Sylviidae....
Megalurus palustris
- Fly River Grassbird
The Fly River Grassbird is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family.It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.Its natural habitats are freshwater lakes and freshwater marshes....
Megalurus albolimbatus
The
Black-capped DonacobiusThe Black-capped Donacobius is a conspicuous, vocal South American bird. It is found in tropical swamps and wetlands in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela; also Panama of Central America.-Taxonomy:The Black-capped...
Donacobius atricapillus, which was long considered an aberrant
wrenThe wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
or
mockingbirdMockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly and in rapid succession. There are about 17 species in three genera...
is apparently quite closely related, and might possibly be considered the only American species of this family.
Moved to family CettiidaeCettiidae is a newly validated family of small insectivorous songbirds , formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" assemblage. It contains the typical bush-warblers and their relatives. As common name, cettiid warblers is usually used.Its members occur mainly in Asia and Africa, ranging...
Typical bush warblers and relatives or cettiid warblers. Another group of generally very drab species, tend to be smaller and shorter-tailed than Megaluridae. Usually frequent shrubland and undergrowth. Continental Asia, and surrounding regions, ranging into Africa and southern Europe.
- Genus Pholidornis - formerly in Remizidae; tentatively placed here
- Tit-hylia
The Tit Hylia is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Pholidornis....
Pholidornis rushiae
Genus Hylia - tentatively placed here
- Green Hylia
The Green Hylia is a songbird species traditionally included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but probably belonging to the bush-warbler family...
Hylia prasina
Genus AbroscopusAbroscopus is a small genus of "warbler" in the family Cettiidae, formerly included in the Sylviidae.It contains the following three species:* Rufous-faced Warbler Abroscopus albogularis* Black-faced Warbler Abroscopus schisticeps...
- Abroscopus warblers
- Rufous-faced Warbler
The Rufous-faced Warbler is a species of bush warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage....
Abroscopus albogularis
Yellow-bellied WarblerThe Yellow-bellied Warbler is a species of bush warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage....
Abroscopus superciliaris
Black-faced WarblerThe Black-faced Warbler is a species of bush warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage....
Abroscopus schisticeps
- Genus Erythrocercus
Erythrocercus is a genus of bird in the Monarchidae family found in Africa.It contains the following species:* Yellow Flycatcher * Livingstone's Flycatcher...
- monarch-warblers. Formerly MonarchinaeThe Monarch Flycatchers comprise a family of passerine birds which includes boatbills, shrikebills, paradise-flycatchers, and magpie-larks....
.
- Chestnut-capped Flycatcher
The Chestnut-capped Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.-Distribution and habitat:It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria,...
Erythrocercus mccallii
- Yellow Flycatcher
The Yellow Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is found in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania....
Erythrocercus holochlorus
- Livingstone's Flycatcher
The Livingstone's Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
Erythrocercus livingstonei
- Genus Urosphena
Urosphena is a genus of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It contains the following species:* Asian Stubtail * Timor Stubtail * Bornean Stubtail...
- stubtails
- Timor Stubtail
The Timor Stubtail is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Indonesia and East Timor.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
Urosphena subulata
Urosphena subulata advena - extinct (mid-20th century)
Bornean StubtailThe Bornean Stubtail is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. The species is reported to be a common bird above 2,000 m.-References:*...
Urosphena whiteheadi
Asian StubtailThe Asian Stubtail is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam....
Urosphena squameiceps
Genus TesiaThe tesias are a genus, Tesia, of Old World warbler. The genus was once included in the large family Sylviidae but recent research placed it within the new family Cettiidae. The genus has a discontinuous distribution in East and South East Asia...
- tesias
- Chestnut-headed Tesia
The Chestnut-headed Tesia is a songbird species formerly in the "Old World warbler" but nowadays placed in the bush warbler family ....
Tesia castaneocoronata
- Javan Tesia
The Javan Tesia is a species of Old World warbler in the Cettiidae family.It is endemic to Java in Indonesia. The Javan Tesia is a small tesia with long legs and almost no tail. It feeds on insects in the undergrowth of broadleaf forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded...
Tesia superciliaris
- Slaty-bellied Tesia
The Slaty-Bellied Tesia is a species of warbler in the Cettiidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:* BirdLife...
Tesia olivea
- Grey-bellied Tesia
The Grey-bellied Tesia is a species of warbler in the Cettiidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
Tesia cyaniventer
- Russet-capped Tesia
The Russet-Capped Tesia is a species of Old World warbler in the Cettiidae family. The scientific name commemorates British colonial administrator and zoological collector Alfred Hart Everett.-References:...
Tesia everetti
Genus CettiaCettia is a genus of small insectivorous songbirds which make up the core of the newly recognized family Cettiidae. They were formerly placed in the Sylviidae, which at that time was a wastebin taxon for the warbler-like Sylvioidea. The range of this genus extends from Europe to the western Pacific...
- typical bush-warblers (some 15 species). Polyphyletic.
Genus Tickellia
- Broad-billed Warbler
The Broad-billed Warbler is a species of bush warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, and belongs to the monotypic genus Tickellia....
Tickellia hodgsoni
Genus Phyllergates
- Mountain Tailorbird
The Mountain Tailorbird is a songbird species formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage with the other tailorbirds, but it actually seems to be one of the "pseudo-tailorbirds" which should be considered a genus Phyllergates in the family Cettiidae.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan,...
Phyllergates cucullatus
Rufous-headed TailorbirdThe Rufous-Headed Tailorbird is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found only in the Philippines....
Phyllergates heterolaemus
Moved to Family Aegithalidae
- Genus Leptopoecile
Leptopoecile is a genus of bird in the long-tailed tit family Aegithalidae. The genus was once placed in the large family Sylviidae, but analysis of mitochondrial DNA placed it with the long-tailed tits.It contains the following species:...
- tit-warblers. Tentatively placed there.
- White-browed Tit-warbler
The White-browed Tit-warbler is a species of bird in the Aegithalidae family. It is found in China, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.Its natural habitat is boreal forests....
Leptopoecile sophiae
- Crested Tit-warbler
The Crested Tit-warbler is a species of bird in the Aegithalidae family.It is found in China and possibly India.Its natural habitat is boreal forests.-References:...
Leptopoecile elegans
Moved to family PhylloscopidaePhylloscopidae is a newly described family of small insectivorous birds formerly placed in the Old World warbler family. Its members occur in Eurasia, ranging into Wallacea and Africa...
Leaf-warblers or phylloscopid warblers. A group very variable in size, often vivid green coloration above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown plumage. Catch food on the wing fairly often. Eurasia, ranging into Wallacea and Africa.
- Genus Phylloscopus - leaf-warblers (c.55 species). Polyphyletic.
- Genus Seicercus
Seicercus is a genus of Old World warbler formerly in the Sylviidae family but now placed in Phylloscopidae. The genus is distributed in eastern and southern Asia from northern China to Timor in the Lesser Sundas...
- polyphyletic
- Golden-spectacled Warbler Seicercus burkii
- Grey-crowned Warbler Seicercus (burkii) tephrocephalus
- Whistler's Warbler Seicercus (burkii) whistleri
- Bianchi's Warbler Seicercus (burkii) valentini
- Emei Shan Warbler Seicercus omeiensis
- Plain-tailed Warbler
The Plain-tailed Warbler, or Alström' Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Phylloscopidae family...
Seicercus soror
- White-spectacled Warbler
The White-spectacled Warbler is a species of leaf warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam...
Seicercus affinis - paraphyletic
- Bar-winged White-spectacled Warbler Seicercus (affinis) intermedius
- Grey-cheeked Warbler
The Grey-cheeked Warbler is a species of leaf warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage....
Seicercus poliogenys
- Grey-hooded Warbler
The Grey-hooded Warbler is a species of leaf warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage....
Seicercus xanthoschistos
- Chestnut-crowned Warbler
The Chestnut-crowned Warbler is a species of leaf warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage....
Seicercus castaniceps
- Yellow-breasted Warbler
The Yellow-breasted Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Phylloscopidae family.It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines....
Seicercus montis
- Sunda Warbler
The Sunda Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Phylloscopidae family.It is found only in Indonesia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
Seicercus grammiceps
Moved to family MacrosphenidaeThe African warblers are a newly erected family, Macrosphenidae, of songbirds. Most of the species were formerly placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, although one species, the Rockrunner, was placed in the babbler family Timaliidae...
African warblers. Also "
Sphenoeacus group". An assemblage of usually species-poor and apparently rather ancient "odd warblers" from Africa.
EcomorphologicallyEcomorphology or Ecological Morphology is studying relationships between morphological and ecological variation. There is modern emphasis on linking the two aspects of variation by measuring the performance of traits associated behaviors, and fitness outcomes of the relationships...
quite variable. Monophyly requires confirmation.
- Genus Sylvietta - crombec
Sylvietta, the crombecs, is a genus of African warblers. Formerly placed in the massively paraphyletic Sylviidae, it is now considered to belong to a newly-recognized family found only in Africa, Macrosphenidae.It contains the following species:...
s
- Green Crombec
The Green Crombec is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae.It is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali,...
Sylvietta virens
- Lemon-bellied Crombec
The Lemon-bellied Crombec is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria,...
Sylvietta denti
- White-browed Crombec
The White-browed Crombec is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. The enigmatic Chapin's Crombec might be a distinct species, or a subspecies Sylvietta leucophrys chapini of the present species.The White-browed Crombec is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of...
Sylvietta leucophrys
Sylvietta (leucophrys) chapini - possibly extinct (late 20th century?)
Northern CrombecThe Northern Crombec is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali,...
Sylvietta brachyura
Short-billed CrombecPhilippa's Crombec , also known as the Short-billed Crombec, is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. It is found in Ethiopia and Somalia. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.-References:...
Sylvietta philippae
Red-capped CrombecThe Red-capped Crombec is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae.It is found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Botswana.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry...
Sylvietta ruficapilla
Red-faced CrombecThe Red-faced Crombec is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae.It is found in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe....
Sylvietta whytii
Somali CrombecThe Somali Crombec is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae.It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-References:...
Sylvietta isabellina
Cape CrombecThe Cape Crombec or Long-billed Crombec, Sylvietta rufescens, is an African warbler.The Cape Crombec breeds in southern Africa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Tanzania southwards to South Africa....
Sylvietta rufescens
Genus Melocichla
- Moustached Grass-warbler
The Moustached Grass-Warbler is a species of African Warbler, formerly placed in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea,...
Melocichla mentalis
Genus Achaetops
- Damara Rock-jumper
The Rockrunner , also known as the Damara Rock-jumper, is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola and Namibia....
Achaetops pycnopygius
Genus SphenoeacusThe Cape Grassbird or Cape Grass Warbler is an African warbler found in southern Africa.-Taxonomy:It was formerly placed in the Sylviidae family and is the only member of the genus Sphenoeacus...
- Cape Grassbird
The Cape Grassbird or Cape Grass Warbler is an African warbler found in southern Africa.-Taxonomy:It was formerly placed in the Sylviidae family and is the only member of the genus Sphenoeacus...
Sphenoeacus afer
Genus Cryptillas. - formerly Bradypterus (now Locustellidae)
- Victorin's Scrub-warbler
The Victorin's Warbler , or Victorin's Scrub-warbler is a species of African Warbler, formerly placed in the Sylviidae family...
Cryptillas victorini
Genus MacrosphenusMacrosphenus is a genus of African warblers, formerly placed in the Sylviidae family. The genus is one of two in that family known as longbills.It contains the following species:* Grey Longbill...
- longbillMacrosphenus is a genus of African warblers, formerly placed in the Sylviidae family. The genus is one of two in that family known as longbills.It contains the following species:* Grey Longbill...
s
- Kemp's Longbill
The Kemp's Longbill is a species of Old World warbler in the Macrosphenidae family.It is found in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone....
Macrosphenus kempi
Yellow LongbillThe Yellow Longbill is a species of Old World warbler in the Macrosphenidae family.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.Its natural habitats are subtropical...
Macrosphenus flavicans
Grey LongbillThe Grey Longbill is a species of Old World warbler in the Macrosphenidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,...
Macrosphenus concolor
Pulitzer's LongbillPulitzer's Longbill is a species of bird. Formerly considered an "Old World warbler" and placed in the family Sylviidae, it is now considered to belong to an group of enigmatic African warblers in the family Macrosphenidae. It is found only in Angola.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical...
Macrosphenus pulitzeri
Kretschmer's LongbillThe Kretschmer's Longbill is a species of Old World warbler in the Macrosphenidae family.It is found in Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania....
Macrosphenus kretschmeri
"Sylviidae" incertae sedis
Taxa that have not been studied. Most are likely to belong to one of
SylvioideaSylvioidea is a superfamily of passerine birds. It is one of at least three major clades within the Passerida along with the Muscicapoidea and Passeroidea. It contains about 1300 species including the Old World warblers, Old World babblers, swallows, larks, bulbuls and perhaps the tits...
families listed above. Those in the Australian-Pacific region are probably
MegaluridaeLocustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds , formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grass-warblers, grassbirds, and the Bradypterus "bush-warblers". These birds occur mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region...
. These taxa are listed in the sequence used in recent years.
- Genus Dromaeocercus - emu-tails. Megaluridae?
- Brown Emu-tail
The Brown Emu-Tail is a species of Old World warbler in the Megaluridae family.It is found only in Madagascar.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
Dromaeocercus brunneus
- Grey Emu-tail
The Grey Emu-Tail , also known as the Madagascan Grassbird or Feather-tailed Warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found only in Madagascar....
Dromaeocercus seebohmi - sometimes separated in Amphilais
- Genus Phyllolais - Cisticolidae?
- Buff-bellied Warbler
The Buff-bellied Warbler is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Phyllolais....
Phyllolais pulchella
- Genus Graueria
- Grauer's Warbler
Grauer's Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
Graueria vittata
- Genus Eremomela
The eremomelas are a genus, Eremomela, of passerines in the cisticola family Cisticolidae. The genus was previously placed with the larger Old World warbler family Sylviidae prior to that genus being broken up into several families. The genus contains ten to eleven species, all of which are found...
- eremomelas. Cettiidae?
- Salvadori's Eremomela Eremomela salvadorii
- Yellow-vented Eremomela
The Yellow-Vented Eremomela, Eremomela flavicrissalis, is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family. It is found in dry savannas in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda....
Eremomela flavicrissalis
- Yellow-bellied Eremomela
The Yellow-bellied Eremomela is an Old World warbler. However, the taxonomy of the "African warblers", an assemblage of usually species-poor and apparently rather ancient "odd warblers" from Africa is currently in a state of flux.The Yellow-bellied Eremomela is a common breeding species in Africa...
Eremomela icteropygialis
- Senegal Eremomela
The Senegal Eremomela, Eremomela pusilla, is a warbler.These 10.5 cm long warblers have olive upperparts and yellow underparts. The throat is white. The sexes are similar in appearance.Like most warblers, the Green-backed Eremomela is insectivorous...
Eremomela canescens
- Green-backed Eremomela
The Green-backed Eremomela, Eremomela canescens, is a small warbler. This bird is a common resident breeder in tropical Africa from Kenya to The Green-backed Eremomela, Eremomela canescens, is a small [[Old World warbler|warbler]]...
Eremomela pusilla
- Greencap Eremomela
The Greencap Eremomela is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its...
Eremomela scotops
- Yellow-rumped Eremomela
The Yellow-rumped Eremomela , also known as the Karoo Eremomela, is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Namibia and South Africa....
Eremomela gregalis
- Rufous-crowned Eremomela
The Rufous-Crowned Eremomela is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,...
Eremomela badiceps
- Turner's Eremomela
The Turner's Eremomela is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Uganda....
Eremomela turneri
- Western Turner's Eremomela Eremomela turneri kalindei - probably extinct (early 1980s?)
- Black-necked Eremomela
The Black-Necked Eremomela is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia....
Eremomela atricollis
- Burnt-neck Eremomela
The Burnt-necked Eremomela is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical...
Eremomela usticollis
- Genus Randia
Randia can refer to:*Rand's Warbler , a bird species*Randia , a genus of plants in the Rubiaceae...
- Malagasy warblers?
- Rand's Warbler
The Rand's Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family. It is found only in Madagascar.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss....
Randia pseudozosterops
- Genus Hemitesia
- Neumann's Warbler
The Neumann's Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
Hemitesia neumanni
- Genus Bowdleria - fernbirds. Sometimes merged into Megalurus. Megaluridae?
- Fernbird
The Fernbird is an insectivorous bird endemic to New Zealand. The Māori names are Kōtātā or Mātātā. It is a rich brown above and white below, with brown spots on both the throat and breast. Early settlers called it the "Swamp Sparrow" no doubt because of its colouration. The tail feathers are...
Bowdleria punctata
- Chatham Islands Fernbird
The Chatham Islands Fernbird is an extinct bird species endemic to Pitt Island and Mangere Island . Its next living relatives are the Snares Fernbird and the New Zealand Fernbird or Matata...
Bowdleria rufescens - extinct (c.1900)
- Genus Chaetornis - Bristled Grassbird. Megaluridae?
- Genus Schoenicola
Schoenicola is a genus of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family. There are two species, one from Africa and one from peninsular India. The genus has been placed in the subfamily Megalurinae.It contains the following species:...
- grassbirds. Basal Megaluridae?
- Broad-tailed Grassbird
The Broad-tailed Grassbird is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of India with the possibility of occurrence in Sri Lanka. A small, mostly brown bird, it has a broad rounded and graduated tail...
Schoenicola platyura
- Fan-tailed Grassbird
The Fan-tailed Grassbird or Broad-tailed Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family....
Schoenicola brevirostris
- Genus Cincloramphus - songlark
The Songlarks are a genus of birds in the Old World Warbler family Megaluridae.There are two species:* Brown Songlark * Rufous Songlark Both are endemic to Australia....
s. Basal Megaluridae?
- Brown Songlark
The Brown Songlark , also Australian Songlark, is a small passerine bird found throughout much of Australia. A member of the Old World Warbler family, the species is notable for sexual size dimorphism, among the most pronounced in any bird...
Cincloramphus cruralis
- Rufous Songlark
The Rufous Songlark is a species of Old World warbler endemic to Australia.-Taxonomy:It is a species of Megaluridae, the Old World Warblers, a successful passerine family. It shares the genus Cincloramphus with the Brown Songlark, another species endemic to Australia.The Rufous Songlark was...
Cincloramphus mathewsi
- Genus Eremiornis - probably Megaluridae
- Spinifex-bird
The Spinifexbird has a rich brown cap, golden brown streaked wings, and a long tail. Both sexes are alike. Its diet comprises a variety of insects and seeds collected in porcupine grass. This species flies weakly, with its tail drooping. It tends to be solitary, and therefore is not migratory...
Eremiornis carteri
- Genus Buettikoferella - probably Megaluridae
- Buff-banded Bushbird
The Buff-banded Thicketbird or Buff-banded Bushbird is a species of Old World warbler in the Megaluridae family.It is found in Indonesia and East Timor.-References:...
Buettikoferella bivittata
- Genus Megalurulus
Megalurulus, the thicketbirds, are a genus of songbirds. Previously placed in the "Old World Warbler" family Sylviidae, they does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers...
- thicketbirds. Probably Megaluridae
Megalurulus mariei
- Bismarck Thicketbird
The Bismarck Thicketbird is a bird species. Previously placed in the "Old World Warbler" family Sylviidae, it does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers; probably it belongs in the newly-recognized grass-warbler family Megaluridae...
Megalurulus grosvenori
- Bougainville Thicketbird
The Bougainville Thicketbird is a bird species. Previously placed in the "Old World Warbler" family Sylviidae, it does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers; probably it belongs in the newly-recognized grass-warbler family Megaluridae. It is found only in Papua New Guinea...
Megalurulus llaneae
- Guadalcanal Thicketbird
The Guadalcanal Thicketbird is a bird species. Previously placed in the "Old World Warbler" family Sylviidae, it does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers; probably it belongs in the newly-recognized grass-warbler family Megaluridae...
Megalurulus whitneyi
- Rusty Thicketbird
The Rusty Thicketbird is a bird species. Previously placed in the "Old World Warbler" family Sylviidae, it does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers; probably it belongs in the newly-recognized grass-warbler family Megaluridae. It is found only in Papua New Guinea.-References:*...
Megalurulus rubiginosus
- Genus Trichocichla - Long-legged Warbler
Not in SylvioideaSylvioidea is a superfamily of passerine birds. It is one of at least three major clades within the Passerida along with the Muscicapoidea and Passeroidea. It contains about 1300 species including the Old World warblers, Old World babblers, swallows, larks, bulbuls and perhaps the tits...
Entirely unrelated songbirds hitherto placed in Sylviidae
- Genus Amaurocichla - Apparently a Passeroidea; very close to, or part of the Motacillidae
The Motacillidae are a family 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...
- Bocage's Longbill
The São Tomé Shorttail , also known as Bocage's Longbill, is a species of passerine bird in the superfamily Passeroidea. It is the only member of the genus Amaurocichla. Formerly placed in the family Sylviidae, appears to be close to the Motacillidae, though its relationships currently are unclear...
or São Tomé Short-tail
Amaurocichla bocagei
Genus Stenostira - Together with some "odd flycatchers", they form the new family StenostiridaeStenostiridae, or the Fairy Flycatchers, is a family of small passerine birds proposed as a result of recent discoveries in molecular systematics . They are commonly referred to as stenostirid warblers....
. They are closely related to Paridae (Beresford et al. 2005)
- Fairy Warbler
The Fairy Warbler or Fairy Flycatcher is a small passerine bird. Formerly placed in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae, it is now separated with some other "odd flycatchers" as the new family Stenostiridae...
Stenostira scita
Genus HyliotaHyliota is a genus of passerine bird. The taxonomic position of the genus has been a long standing mystery. They have been formerly regarded as Old World warblers in the Sylviidae family, or related to the batises and wattle-eyes in the family Platysteiridae, bush-shrikes in the family...
- hyliotas. Basal PasseridaPasserida is under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, one of two "parvorders" contained within the suborder Passeri...
with no known relatives, perhaps somewhat closer to Promeropidae (sugarbirds)
- Yellow-bellied Hyliota
The Yellow-Bellied Hyliota is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,...
Hyliota flavigaster
Southern HyliotaThe Southern Hyliota is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
Hyliota australis
Usambara HyliotaThe Usambara Hyliota is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found only in Tanzania.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, and plantations.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife...
Hyliota usambarae
Violet-backed HyliotaThe Violet-Backed Hyliota is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and...
Hyliota violacea
Genus NewtoniaNewtonia is a genus of passerine birds containing four species. They were formerly classified in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae or Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae but have recently been shown to belong to the vanga family Vangidae....
- newtonias. Now in Vangidae (vangas); possibly polyphyletic (Yamagishi et al. 2001)
- Dark Newtonia
The Dark Newtonia is a species of bird in the Vangidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
Newtonia amphichroa
- Common Newtonia
The Common Newtonia is a species of bird in the Vangidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
Newtonia brunneicauda
- Archbold's Newtonia
The Archbold's Newtonia is a species of bird in the Vangidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-References:...
Newtonia archboldi
- Red-tailed Newtonia
The Red-tailed Newtonia is a species of bird in the Vangidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
Newtonia fanovanae - tentatively placed here
External links
[still use obsolete taxomony. EoL has Panurus picture, which is as wrong as it can be!]