Sylviidae
Encyclopedia
Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that was part of an assemblage known as the Old World warbler
s. 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. Advances in classification, particularly helped with molecular data, have led to the splitting out of several new families from within this group. Today the smaller family Sylviidae includes the typical warblers in the genus Sylvia
, the parrotbill
s of Asia (formerly a separate family Paradoxornithidae), a number of babblers formerly placed within the family Timaliidae (which is itself currently being split) and the Wrentit
, an unusual North American bird that has been a longstanding taxonomic mystery.
genus on west coast of North America
.
Old World warbler
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...
s. The family was formerly a wastebin taxon
Wastebin taxon
Wastebasket 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...
with over 400 species of bird in over 70 genera. The family was poorly defined with many characteristics shared with other families. Advances in classification, particularly helped with molecular data, have led to the splitting out of several new families from within this group. Today the smaller family Sylviidae includes the typical warblers in the genus Sylvia
Sylvia
Sylvia may refer to:* A feminine given name of Latin origin, also spelled Silvia. The French form is Sylvie.* Sylvia, Kansas, a town in Kansas-Persons:*Saint Silvia*Queen Silvia of Sweden*Sylvia , American country singer born Sylvia Jane Kirby...
, the parrotbill
Parrotbill
The 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 of Asia (formerly a separate family Paradoxornithidae), a number of babblers formerly placed within the family Timaliidae (which is itself currently being split) and the Wrentit
Wrentit
The Wrentit is a small bird that lives in chaparral and bushland. It is the only species in the genus Chamaea....
, an unusual North American bird that has been a longstanding taxonomic mystery.
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 monotypicMonotypic
In 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 America
North America
North 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 Myzornis - Fire-tailed Myzornis
- Genus Sylvia - typical warblers (c.20 species). Paraphyletic or contains Parisoma
- Temperate Eurasian superspecies ("atricapilla-borin group")
- BlackcapBlackcapThe 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 WarblerGarden WarblerThe 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
- Blackcap
- Parisoma superspecies
- Banded WarblerBanded WarblerThe 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 WarblerLayard'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 WarblerRufous-vented WarblerThe Chestnut-vented Warbler , Parisoma subcaeruleum, is an Old World warbler...
, Parisoma subcaeruleum
- Banded Warbler
- curruca clade
- Brown WarblerBrown WarblerThe Brown Parisoma or Brown Warbler is a typical warbler found in Africa....
, Parisoma lugens - Yemen Warbler, Sylvia buryi - sometimes placed in Parisoma
- Red Sea WarblerRed 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 WarblerOrphean 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 WarblerEastern Orphean WarblerThe 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
- Eastern Orphean Warbler
- Lesser WhitethroatLesser 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 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 WhitethroatSmall 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- Margelanic Whitethroat, Sylvia (minula) margelanica
- Brown Warbler
- communis-melanocephala assemblage
- Barred WarblerBarred WarblerThe 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 WarblerAsian 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 WarblerAfrican 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 - WhitethroatWhitethroatThe 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 WarblerSpectacled 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 WarblerTristram'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 WarblerDartford 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 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- Balearic Warbler, Sylvia (sarda) balearica
- Rüppell's WarblerRüppell'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 WarblerCyprus 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 WarblerSubalpine 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 WarblerSardinian 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
- Barred Warbler
- Temperate Eurasian superspecies ("atricapilla-borin group")
- 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 FulvettaFulvettaFulvetta 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 ChrysommaChrysommaChrysomma 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