List of passerine families

Taxonomic list of Passeriformes families




This list is in taxonomic order, placing related species/groups next to each other. The Passerida subdivisions are updated as needed from the default sequence of the Handbook of the Birds of the World, based on the most modern and comprehensive studies.

Regarding arrangement of families
The families are sorted into a somewhat unusual sequence. This is because so many reallocations have taken place since about 2005 that a definite arrangement has not been established yet. The present sequence is an attempt to preserve as much of the traditional sequence while giving priority to adequately addressing the relationships between the families.

Suborder Acanthisitti

 * Acanthisittidae: New Zealand "wrens"



Suborder Tyranni
The suborder Tyranni are also called suboscines.

Infraorder Eurylaimides
Old World suboscines (or Broad-billed suboscines). Probably a separate suborder.
 * Calyptomenidae: calytomenid broadbills
 * Sapayoidae: Broad-billed Sapayoa
 * Philepittidae: asities
 * Eurylaimidae: eurylaimid broadbills
 * Pittidae: pittas



Infraorder Tyrannides
New World suboscines

Superfamily Tyrannida

 * Pipridae: manakins
 * Cotingidae: cotingas
 * Oxyruncidae: the Sharpbill
 * Onychorhynchidae: Royal Flycatcher & allies
 * Tityridae: tityras and allies.
 * Pipritidae: piprites
 * Platyrinchidae: spadebills
 * Tyrannidae: tyrant flycatchers


 * Superfamily Furnarioidea – tracheophones
 * Furnariidae: ovenbirds and woodcreepers
 * Thamnophilidae: antbirds
 * Formicariidae: antpittas, antthrushes and typical tapaculos. Possibly polyphyletic.
 * Conopophagidae: gnateaters and gnatpittas
 * N.N.: atypical "tapaculos" (crescent-chests and allies)



Suborder Passeri
Songbirds or oscines
 * Basal Passeri – the most ancient true songbirds, endemic to Australia. Sometimes considered a superfamily "Menuroidea".
 * Menuridae: lyrebirds
 * Atrichornithidae: scrub-birds




 * Superfamily Meliphagoidea – mainly insectivores and nectarivores, distribution centered on Australo-Melanesian region extending into surroundings, notably the Pacific.
 * Maluridae: fairywrens, emu-wrens and grasswrens
 * Dasyornithidae: bristlebirds. Formerly in Acanthizidae.
 * Acanthizidae: scrubwrens, thornbills, and gerygones
 * Meliphagidae: honeyeaters
 * Meliphagoidea incertae sedis
 * Pardalotidae: pardalotes. Formerly in Acanthizidae, might be included in Meliphagidae.
 * Acanthorhynchus: spinebills. Usually included in Meliphagidae; might be considered a monotypic family if Pardalotidae are considered valid too.


 * Superfamily Corvoidea – a highly diverse group of global distribution, but most plentiful in the Australasian region and surroundings. The oldest truly globally successful group of passerines, they include among them what may well be the most intelligent and the most spectacular of the order.Male stitchbird.JPG or hihi (Notiomystis cincta) showing convergence with honeyeaters.]]Laniarius barbarus.jpg (Laniarius barbarus: Malaconotidae)]]Corvus hawaiiensis in grass.jpg or ʻalala (Corvus hawaiiensis) is nearly extinct; only a few dozen birds survive in captivity.]]
 * Melanocharitidae: berrypeckers and longbills. Tentatively placed here.
 * Callaeidae: New Zealand wattlebirds. Tentatively placed here.
 * Family N.N.: Stitchbird. Tentatively placed here.
 * Cnemophilidae: satinbirds. Tentatively placed here.
 * Neosittidae: sittellas
 * Vireonidae: vireos
 * Campephagidae: cuckoo-shrikes and trillers
 * Pachycephalidae: whistlers and allies. Delimitation with regards to several proposed families and subfamilies requires thorough study.
 * Oriolidae: orioles and Figbird
 * Paramythiidae: Tit Berrypecker and Crested Berrypecker. Formerly in Passerida.
 * Artamidae: woodswallows, butcherbirds, currawongs and Australian Magpie
 * Malaconotidae: puffback shrikes, bush shrikes, tchagras and boubous
 * Platysteiridae: wattle-eyes. Formerly in Passerida. Probably paraphyletic.
 * Aegithinidae: ioras
 * Pityriaseidae: Bornean Bristlehead. Tentatively placed here.
 * Prionopidae: helmetshrikes and woodshrikes
 * Vangidae: vangas
 * Dicruridae: drongos
 * Monarchidae: monarch flycatchers
 * Rhipiduridae: fantails
 * Paradisaeidae: birds of paradise
 * Corcoracidae: White-winged Chough and Apostlebird
 * Laniidae: shrikes
 * Corvidae: crows, ravens and jays
 * Corvoidea incertae sedis
 * Vireolanius: shrike-vireos. Usually included in Vireonidae, possibly a monotypic family,
 * Erpornis: White-bellied Erpornis. Formerly in Yuhina (Passerida: Timaliidae); possibly a monotypic family, possibly in Vireonidae
 * Colluricinclidae: shrike-thrushes. Often included in Pachycephalidae but perhaps recognizable as a subfamily at least.
 * Cinclosomatidae: whipbirds and allies. Contains Psophodidae but that might make it paraphyletic. At least some species belong in Pachycephalidae if Falcunculinae are not considered a distinct family.
 * Falcunculidae: Shrike-tit and allies. Usually included in Pachycephalidae; might be distinct family or merged in Cinclosomatidae or Psophodidae.
 * "Pitohuidae": pitohuis. Usually included in Pachycephalidae but seem closer to Oriolidae and best considered a distinct family including Oreoica and possibly other Pachycephalidae sensu lato.
 * Melampitta: melampittas. Two very puzzling birds of unclear systematics; the monophyly of the genus was long disputed. Maybe a basal offshoot of the Monarchidae, maybe a family of their own.




 * Passeri (mainly "Corvida") incertae sedisRegulus regulus -Vendee, France-8.jpg (Regulus regulus) belongs to a minor but highly distinct lineage of Passeri.]]
 * Possible superfamily "Ptilonorhynchoidea" – bowerbirds and Australian treecreepers
 * Climacteridae: Australian treecreepers
 * Turnagridae: Piopio (extinct)
 * Ptilonorhynchidae: bowerbirds
 * Possible superfamily N.N. – logrunners and pseudo-babblers
 * Orthonychidae: logrunners
 * Pomatostomidae: pseudo-babblers
 * Petroicidae: Australian robins
 * Possible superfamily N.N.
 * Picathartidae: rockfowl.
 * Chaetopidae: rock-jumpers. Recently split from Turdidae.
 * Eupetidae: Malaysian Rail-babbler. Recently split from Cinclosomatidae.
 * Possible monotypic superfamily Reguloidea – kinglets
 * Regulidae: kinglets
 * Possible monotypic superfamily N.N.
 * Family N.N.: Hyliotas. Recently split from Sylviidae.
 * Irenidae: fairy-bluebirds. Reguloidea? Basal to/in Passeroidea?
 * Chloropseidae: leafbirds. Reguloidea? Basal to/in Passeroidea?

Infraorder Passerida



 * Superfamily Sylvioidea – mostly insectivores, distribution centered on the Indo-Pacific region. Few occur in the Australian region and fewer still in the Americas. Usually sleek and drab birds, few have pronounced sexual dimorphism.Acrocephalus dumetorum.jpg (Acrocephalus dumetorum) is now in the Acrocephalidae.]]
 * Alaudidae: larks
 * Hirundinidae: swallows and martins
 * Phylloscopidae: leaf-warblers and allies. Recently split from Sylviidae.
 * Aegithalidae: long-tailed tits or bushtits
 * Cettiidae: ground-warblers and allies. Recently split from Sylviidae.
 * Megaluridae: grass-warblers and allies. Recently split from Sylviidae.
 * Bernieridae: Malagasy warblers. A newly assembled family.
 * Acrocephalidae: marsh- and tree-warblers. Recently split from Sylviidae.
 * Pycnonotidae: bulbuls
 * Cisticolidae: cisticolas and allies
 * Sylviidae: "true/sylviid warblers" and parrotbills. Might be merged in Timaliidae. Monophyly needs confirmation.
 * Zosteropidae: white-eyes. Probably belongs in Timaliidae.
 * Timaliidae: (Old World) babblers. Monophyly needs confirmation.
 * Sylvioidea incertae sedis
 * "African warblers": A proposed clade, but monophyly needs confirmation. Formerly in Sylviidae.
 * Donacobius: Black-capped Donacobius. Monotypic family? Tentatively placed here; possibly closest to Megaluridae. Formerly in Troglodytidae and Mimidae.
 * Nicator: Relationships unresolved, monotypic family? Tentatively placed here; formerly in Pycnonotidae.




 * Superfamily Muscicapoidea – mostly insectivores, near-global distribution centered on Old World tropics. One family endemic to Americas. Nearly absent (except introductions) from the Australian region. Usually rather stocky for their size, most are quite dark and dull though Sturnidae are commonly iridescent and/or colorful. Sexual dimorphism often absent, sometimes pronounced.
 * Cinclidae: dippers
 * Muscicapidae: Old World flycatchers and chats. Monophyly needs confirmation.
 * Turdidae: thrushes and allies. Monophyly needs confirmation.
 * Buphagidae: oxpeckers. Formerly usually included in Sturnidae.
 * Sturnidae: starlings and possibly Philippine creepers. Placement of latter in Muscicapoidea seems good, but inclusion in Sturnidae requires confirmation; possibly distinct family Rhabdornithidae.
 * Mimidae: mockingbirds and thrashers




 * Superfamily Certhioidea – wrens and allies. Sometimes included in Muscicapoidea.
 * Sittidae: nuthatches
 * Tichodromadidae: Wallcreeper: Traditionally placed as a subfamily of the nuthatches and more rarely of the treecreepers, no study has been able to verify either placement this far. Thus it is better considered a monotypic family, at least for the time being.
 * Certhiidae: treecreepers
 * Salpornithidae: Spotted Creeper. Tentatively placed here; often considered a subfamily of the Certhidae.
 * Troglodytidae: wrens
 * Polioptilidae: gnatcatchers






 * Superfamily Passeroidea – mostly herbivores including many seed-eaters, near-global distribution centered on Palearctic and Americas. Includes the Nine-primaried oscines (probably a subclade). A very high proportion of colorful and highly sexually dimorphic forms.
 * Passeridae: true sparrows
 * Prunellidae: accentors
 * Motacillidae: wagtails and pipits
 * Urocynchramidae: Przewalski's Finch. Recently split from Fringillidae; tentatively placed here.
 * Estrildidae: estrildid finches (waxbills, munias, etc.)
 * Ploceidae: weavers
 * Viduidae: indigobirds and whydahs
 * Nine-primaried oscines:
 * Peucedramidae: Olive Warbler
 * Fringillidae: true finches and Hawaiian honeycreepers. Possibly polyphyletic.
 * Icteridae: grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles
 * Parulidae: New World warblers
 * Thraupidae: tanagers and allies
 * Cardinalidae: cardinals
 * Emberizidae: buntings and American sparrows
 * Passeroidea incertae sedis
 * Coerebidae: Bananaquit. Family invalid or not monotypic; reallocation pending.


 * Passerida incertae sedis – Rather basal Passerida, most of which seem to constitute several small but distinct lineages that could be considered superfamilies. Most occur in Asia, Africa and North America.
 * Panurus: Bearded Reedling (Bearded "Tit"). Relationships enigmatic. Formerly in "Paradoxornithidae", might be included in Sylvioidea as monotypic family Panuridae or even constitute the smallest passerine superfamily.
 * Possible superfamily Paroidea – titmice and allies. Might be included in Sylvioidea.Parus caeruleus1.jpg (Cyanistes caeruleus) and its relatives stand well apart from rest of the Sylvioidea sensu lato.]]
 * Paridae: tits, chickadees and titmice
 * Remizidae: penduline tits. Sometimes included in Paridae.
 * Stenostiridae: stenostirids ("flycatcher-tits"). A newly assembled family; sometimes included in Paridae.
 * Possible superfamily Bombycilloidea – waxwings and allies. Included in Muscicapoidea if Sittoidea/Certhioidea are not considered a distinct superfamily.
 * Bombycillidae: waxwings
 * Dulidae: Palmchat. Tentatively placed here.
 * Ptilogonatidae: silky flycatchers. Tentatively placed here.
 * Hypocoliidae: Hypocolius. Tentatively placed here.
 * Mohoidae
 * Possible superfamily "Dicaeoidea" – sunbirds and flowerpeckers. Might be included in Passeroidea.
 * Nectariniidae: sunbirds
 * Dicaeidae: flowerpeckers
 * Possible monotypic superfamily N.N.
 * Promeropidae: sugarbirds. Might be included in Passeroidea.