SPARROW-LIKE BIRDS
Sparrow habitat
Sparrow Behavior
UNITED-TOED PERCHING BIRDS
THE BROAD-BILLS
Broad Bill distribution
Broad Bill Species
FREE-TOED PERCHING BIRDS
THE PITTAS
Pittas Distribution
Pittas Species
THE ASITIES
RIFLEMAN AND WRENS
The Bush Wren
THE SHARP-BILLS
THE TYRANT-BIRDS
Tyrants
Cock-tailed Tyrant
Kingbird, Bee-Martin
Other Kingbirds
Phoebe
Great-crested Flycatcher
American Flycatchers
Vermilion Flycatchers
THE MANAKINS
Manakin description
THE CHATTERERS
Cocks-of-the-Rock
Typical Cotingas
Umbrella-birds
The Bell-birds
Snow-white Bell-bird
THE PLANT CUTTERS
THE WOOD HEWERS
OVEN-BIRDS AND ALLIES
The Oven-birds
Miners
Cachalotes
THE ANT-BIRDS
Bush-birds
The Ant-Wrens
THE ANT-PIPITS
THE TAPACOLAS
THE FALSE SONG BIRDS
THE LYRE-BIRDS
Prince Albert's Lyre-bird
THE SCRUB-BIRDS
THE SONG BIRDS
THE LARKS
Horned Larks
Lark behaviour
Skylarks
Skylark Description
Wood Lark
Crested Larks
Desert Lark
Calandra Larks
The Short-toed Larks
WAGTAILS AND PIPITS
The Typical Wagtails
European Yellow Wagtail
The Forest Wagtail
Pipits
Sprague's Pipit
Old World Pipits
FORK-TAILS
BABBLING THRUSHES
Chinese Nightingale
Coachwhip Bird
True Babblers
Pied Babbler
Scimitar Babblers
Typical Babblers
Red-capped Babbler
Golden-headed Babbler
Tit-Babblers
THE BULBULS
White-throated Bulbuls
Green Bulbuls
FLYCATCHERS
Flycatchers Habits
Spotted Flycatcher
European Pied Flycatcher
Narcissus Flycatcher
Paradise Flycatchers
Fan-tailed Flycatchers
Indian White-browed Fantail
Black-and-white Fantail
THE THRUSHES
Solitaires
Thrushes and Solitaires
American Robin
The song of the American Robin
South American Thrush
Ground Thrushes
Nesting Ground Thrushes
The Ring Ouzel
Wood Thrush
Olive-backed Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Rock Thrushes
Accentors
The Bush Chats
Redstarts
Black Redstart
Bluethroats
Redbreast, or English Robin
Rubythroats
Magpie-Robins
Chats
Whinchat
Stonechat
Wheatears
Bluebirds
Thrush-Robins
WREN-THRUSHES
MOCKINGBIRDS
The True Mockingbirds
Sage Thrasher
The Catbird
Thrashers
Crissal Thrasher
THE DIPPERS
Description of a Dipper
Dipper Species
The American Dipper
The Hudson Dipper
THE WRENS
Cactus Wrens
Rock Wrens
Canyon Wren
The Carolina Wren
Bewick's Wren
The House Wren
American Marsh Wrens
European Wren
THE WREN-TITS
OLD WORLD WARBLERS
Grasshopper Warblers
Reed Warblers
Tailor-birds
Whitethroat, Blackcap, etc
Wren-Warblers
American Gnatcatchers
THE KINGLETS
Nesting Kinglets
THE SWALLOWS
Swallow description
Nesting habits of Swallows
Purple Martins
The Caribbean Martin
The Cliff or Eave Swallow
Australian Tree Martin
Bank Swallow
Typical Swallows; Barn Swallow
European Barn Swallow
African Stripe-breasted Swallow
American Tree Swallow
The Violet-green Swallow
African Saw-winged Swallows
CUCKOO-SHRIKES
Cuckoo-Shrikes
Australian Caterpillar Catcher
African Black Cuckoo-Shrike
The Minivets
THE DRONGOS
Description of Drongos
THE WAXWINGS
Bohemian Waxwing
The Cedar Waxwing,
SILKY FLYCATCHERS
PALM CHATS
WOOD SWALLOWS
Wood Swallow Species
VANGA-SHRIKES
SHRIKES
Cuckoo-Shrikes
Piping Crows
True Crow-Shrikes
True Shrikes
Shrikes Habits and Behavior
American Shrikes
Great Gray Shrike
Masked and Woodchat Shrikes
African Crimson-breasted Shrike
Bacbakiri Shrike
Thick-heads
WOOD SHRIKES
Pied Shrikes and Allies
Jay-Shrikes
Shrike-Thrushes
African Helmet Shrike
HELMET-BIRDS
VIREOS
Red-eyed Vireo and Relatives
Yellow-throated and Solitary Vireos
White-eyed Vireo
THE NUTHATCHES
typical Nuthatches
Nuthatch Habitat
CORAL-BILLED NUTHATCH
TITMICE AND CHICKADEES
Chickadee Description
Typical Titmice
Carolina Chickadee and Allies
Blue Titmice
Coal and Marsh Titmice
Crested Titmice
Himalayan Sultan Bird
Bush Tits
Verdin
THE ORIOLES
Typical Orioles
The Fig-birds
THE BOWER-BIRDS
Satin Bower-bird
Regent Bower-birds
Newton's Bower-bird
The Tooth-billed Bower-bird
BIRDS-OF-PARADISE
Rifle-birds
Victoria Rifle-bird
Albert Rifle-bird
Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise
D'Albertis's Bird-of-Paradise
Long-tailed Bird-of-Paradise
Typical Birds-of-Paradise
The Great Bird-of-Paradise
Red Bird-of-Paradise
King Bird-of-Paradise
Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise
Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise
Six-plumed Bird-of-Paradise
Standard Wing
Superb Bird-of-Paradise
THE CROWS AND JAYS
Crows and Ravens
Raven Behavior
Fish Crow
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Hooded Crows
Ravens
American Ravens
Rook
Nutcrackers; Clarke's Crow
Pifion Jay
Magpies
Magpie-Jays
Jays
Blue Jay
Steller's Jay
Siberian and Canada Jays
Choughs
Australian White-winged Chough
Ground Choughs
THE STARLINGS
The typical Starlings
Purple-winged Starling
Mynas
Common Myna
Ox-peckers
GLOSSY STARLINGS
The Glossy Starling
African Glossy Starlings
Burchell's Glossy Starling
Red-shouldered Glossy Starling
HONEYEATERS
Honeyeaters
Australian Spine-bills
Stitch-bird
Parson-bird; Tui
New Zealand Bell-bird
South Australian Bell-bird
Miner; Soldier-bird
Australian Watch-bird
Australian Friar-birds
THE WHITE-EYES
THE SUN-BIRDS
Indian Sun-birds
African Malachite Sun-bird
Promerops
THE FLOWER-PECKERS
Typical Flower-peckers
The Diamond-birds
THE CREEPERS
Typical Creepers
Wall Creeper
Brown Tree Creepers
HONEY CREEPERS
HAWAIIAN HONEY CREEPERS
Akioloa -
Amakihi
Mamo -
Akepeuie
WOOD WARBLERS
Black-and-white Warbler
Parula Warbler
Dendroica
Oven-bird
Water Thrushes
Redstarts
Yellow-throats
Yellow-breasted Chat
Redstarts
THE TANAGERS
Scarlet and Summer Tanagers
Louisiana Tanager
Velvet Tanagers
Crimson-collared Tanager
White-capped Tanager
WEAVER-BIRDS
Olive-and-yellow Weaver-bird
Red-billed Weaver-bird
Asiatic Weaver-bird
Widow-birds
Bishop-birds
Sociable Weaver-birds
Munias; Java Sparrow
THE TROUPIALS
Bobolink
The Meadow-larks
Blackbirds
Grackles, or Crow Blackbirds
Cow-birds
Argentine Cow-birds
The American Orioles,
Orchard Oriole
Oropendolas
The Caciques
SWALLOW-TANAGERS
PLUSH-CAPPED FINCHES
FINCHES AND SPARROWS
Evening Grosbeak
Hawfinches
Pine Grosbeaks
Bullfinches
Crossbills
American Goldfinches
Canary
Purple or House Finches
House Sparrow
European Tree Sparrow
Longspurs; Song Sparrows
The Song Sparrow,
Other North American Sparrows
White-throated Sparrows
Galapagos or Ground Finches
Buntings
Cirl Bunting
Yellow-throated Bunting
Ortolan Bunting
Reed Bunting
ANATOMY OF BIRDS
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS
CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS
LIZARD-TAILED BIRD
AMERICAN TOOTHED-BIRDS
THE OSTRICHES
THE RHEAS
EMEUS AND CASSOWARIES
THE TINAMOUS
THE KIWIS
THE PENGUINS
LOONS AND GREBES
ALBATROSSES & PETRELS
STORK-LIKE BIRDS
GOOSE-LIKE BIRDS
FALCON-LIKE BIRDS
FOWL-LIKE BIRDS
CRANE-LIKE BIRDS
PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
CUCKOO-LIKE BIRDS
THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS
SPARROW-LIKE BIRDS
Birds and Birding's Guide to:
Watching THE SPARROW-LIKE BIRDS
(Order Paseriformes)
We have now come to the last, but by no means the least, of the twenty-one orders into which birds are here divided, for within its limits are included approximately seven thousand species and subspecies, or nearly half of all known birds. To give these the general designation of Sparrow-like birds implies a more or less close resemblance to a typical Sparrow, but as a matter of fact only a comparatively few would probably be so recognized by the casual observer, and it is to be understood as standing, in the absence of a better popular term, for the general passerine type, the actual resemblance between them being often confined to agreement in minute, though relatively important, anatomical characters.
The difficulties of satisfactorily dividing and arranging this vast assemblage are well set forth by Mr. Robert Ridgway, who says: “Notwithstanding this enormous number of specific forms, the type of structure is remarkably uniform, and the group far more homogeneous than the lower groups of equal rank. Consequently, subdivision of the Passeriformes becomes a matter of extreme difficulty, and no arrangement has thus far been proposed which can be considered entirely satisfactory. Indeed, it seems impossible to subdivide the order, beyond a very limited extent, into lesser groups, which are equivalent in taxonomic rank to the families of other orders, and the extent to which this may be done is a matter concerning which systematists differ widely in their views. ... It may be, and doubtless is, perfectly true that no more than three passeriform groups can be defined which will be equal in taxonomic rank to the families of other orders of birds; but the objection to this meager allowance — and it is a very serious one — is that two of the three groups contain together only about one fifth the total number of the species, so that there are still left about five thousand species in the third. Obviously, these five thousand species (more or less) must be susceptible of segregation into a considerable number of more or less trenchant groups; and there being so few grades of rank between a family and a genus, what to call these groups becomes a very serious question."
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