Passerida are one of four parvorders contained within the infraorder Passerides.

Characteristics

Passerida are omnivorous birds found in East Africa and the Palearctic realm. They live in open areas with minimal trees such as Saharas and forest clearings. They are stocky birds between and . The head and neck are a blackish-gray, and they have a very short beak.

Systematics and phylogeny

Mostly smallish herbivores, near-global distribution centered on Palearctic and Americas. Often pronounced sexual dimorphism with males among the most colorful birds alive. Songs tend to be fairly simple warbling and chirping, with many species relying as much or more on visual mating displays. Includes the nine-primaried oscines (probably a subclade). The basal radiation is mostly found in the Old World, with only Motacillidae naturally occurring in the Americas and Estrildidae in Australia.

Passerida contains the following families:

• Modulatricidae: robin-babblers

• Promeropidae: sugarbirds

• Nectariniidae: sunbirds

• Dicaeidae: flowerpeckers

• Chloropseidae: leafbirds

• Irenidae: fairy bluebirds

• Passeridae: true sparrows

• Prunellidae: accentors

• Urocynchramidae: Przewalski's finch. Recently split from Fringillidae; tentatively placed here.

Ploceoidea

• Estrildidae: estrildid finches (waxbills, munias, etc.)

• Ploceidae: weavers. Certain members of Ploceidae, such as the long-tailed widowbird are well known for their elaborate sexual ornaments.

• Viduidae: indigobirds and whydahs

• Motacillidae: wagtails and pipits

• Peucedramidae: olive warbler

• Fringillidae: true finches. Includes the Hawaiian honeycreepers

Emberizoidea: New World nine-primaried oscine radiation

• Icteridae: grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles

• Parulidae: New World warblers

• Icteriidae: yellow-breasted chat

• Phaenicophilidae: Hispaniolan tanagers

• Zeledoniidae: wrenthrush

• Teretistridae: Cuban warblers

• Thraupidae: tanagers and allies

• Mitrospingidae: mitrospingid tanagers and allies

• Rhodinocichlidae: rosy thrush tanager

• Calyptophilidae: chat-tanagers

• Nesospingidae: Puerto Rican tanager

• Spindalidae: spindalises

• Cardinalidae: cardinal-grosbeaks

• Emberizidae: buntings

• Passerellidae: American sparrows

• Calcariidae: snow buntings and longspurs

See also

• List of birds

References

• Harshman, John (2008). Passerida. Version 23 June 2008 (under construction). in The Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved 24 January 2011.

• Sibley, Charles Gald & Ahlquist, Jon Edward (1990): Phylogeny and classification of birds. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.