Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family

Sylviidae Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that includes the typical warblers and a number of babblers formerly placed within the Old World babbler family. They are found in Eurasia and Africa. Taxonomy and systematics The scientific name Sylviid ...

. 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

Cisticolidae The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160 warblers, small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. This family probably originated ...

and the kinglets into

Regulidae A kinglet is a small bird in the family Regulidae. Species in this family were formerly classified with the Old World warblers. "Regulidae" is derived from the Latin word ''regulus'' for "petty king" or prince, and refers to the coloured crowns ...

. In the past ten years they have been the subject of much research and many species are now placed into other families, including the

Acrocephalidae The Acrocephalidae (the reed warblers, marsh- and tree-warblers, or acrocephalid warblers) are a family of oscine passerine birds, in the superfamily Sylvioidea. The species in this family are usually rather large "warblers". Most are rather pla ...

Cettiidae Cettiidae is a newly validated family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" assemblage. It contains the typical bush warblers (''Cettia'') and their relatives. As a common name, cetti ...

Phylloscopidae Leaf warblers are small insectivorous passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Phylloscopus''. Leaf warblers were formerly included in the Old World warbler family but are now considered to belong to the family Phylloscopidae, introduced in 20 ...

, and

Megaluridae Locustellidae is a newly recognized family (biology), family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin taxon, wastebin" family (biology), family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, ...

. 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

parrotbill The parrotbills are a family, Paradoxornithidae, of passerine birds that are primarily native to East and Southeast Asia (with a single species in western North America), though feral populations exist elsewhere. They are generally small, long-t ...

s, are retained in a much smaller family

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

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...

, although some will also eat fruit, nectar, or tiny seeds. The majority of species are

monogamous Monogamy ( ) is a form of Dyad (sociology), dyadic Intimate relationship, relationship in which an individual has only one Significant other, partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (Monogamy#Serial monogamy, ...

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

bird

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in nearly 50

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. They had themselves been split out of the

Muscicapidae The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), with the exception of several vagrants and two species, Bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica)'' and Norther ...

. The latter family had for most of its existence served as perhaps the ultimate

wastebin taxon Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined ...

in the history of

ornithology Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

. By the early 20th century, about every insectivorous

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

"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

was traditionally included in the Sylviidae. The

kinglet A kinglet is a small bird in the family Regulidae. Species in this family were formerly classified with the Old World warblers. "Regulidae" is derived from the Latin word ''regulus'' for "petty king" or prince, and refers to the coloured crowns ...

s, a small genus in a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

family Regulidae, were also frequently placed in this family. The

American Ornithologists' Union The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is an ornithological organization based in the United States. The society was formed in October 2016 by the merger of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Its m ...

includes the

gnatcatcher The Gnatcatchers are a family of small passerine birds called Polioptilidae. The 21 species occur in North America, North and South America (except for the far south and the high Andean regions). Most species of this mainly tropical and subtropic ...

s, as subfamily Polioptilinae, in the Sylviidae. Sibley & Ahlquist (1990) united the "Old World warblers" with the babblers and other

taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

in a

superfamily SUPERFAMILY is a database and search platform of structural and functional annotation for all proteins and genomes. It classifies amino acid sequences into known structural domains, especially into SCOP superfamilies. Domains are functional, str ...

Sylvioidea Sylvioidea is a superfamily of passerine birds, 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, ...

as a result of DNA–DNA hybridisation studies. This demonstrated that the Muscicapidae as initially defined were a

form taxon Form classification is the classification of organisms based on their morphology, which does not necessarily reflect their biological relationships. Form classification, generally restricted to palaeontology, reflects uncertainty; the goal of sc ...

which collected entirely unrelated songbirds. Consequently, the

monophyly In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic grou ...

of the individual "songster" lineages themselves was increasingly being questioned. More recently, analysis of

DNA sequence DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...

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

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

bulbul The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical As ...

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 Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA ...

cytochrome ''b'' and 12S/

16S rRNA 16S rRNA may refer to: * 16S ribosomal RNA 16 S ribosomal RNA (or 16 S rRNA) is the RNA component of the 30S subunit of a prokaryotic ribosome ( SSU rRNA). It binds to the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and provides most of the SSU structure. The g ...

data indicated that the Sylviidae and Old World babblers were not reciprocally monophyletic to each other. Moreover, ''Sylvia'', the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...

of the Sylviidae, turned out to be closer to taxa such as the

yellow-eyed babbler The yellow-eyed babbler (''Chrysomma sinense'') is a passerine bird native to South Asia, South and Southeast Asia. It inhabits shrubland, grassland and wetland habitats. On the IUCN Red List, it is listed as Least Concern because of its wide dis ...

(''Chrysomma sinense'') (traditionally held to be an atypical timaliid) and the

wrentit The wrentit (''Chamaea fasciata'') is a small bird that lives in chaparral, oak woodlands, and bushland on the western coast of North America. It is the only species in the genus ''Chamaea''. Its systematics have been the subject of much debat ...

(''Chamaea fasciata''), an enigmatic species generally held to be the only

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Old World babbler. The parrotbills, formerly considered a family

Paradoxornithidae The parrotbills are a family, Paradoxornithidae, of passerine birds that are primarily native to Eastern Asia, East and Southeast Asia (with a single species in western North America), though feral populations exist elsewhere. They are generally ...

(roughly, "puzzling birds") of unclear affiliations also were part of what apparently was a well distinctive

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

. Cibois suggested that the Sylviidae should officially be suppressed by the

ICZN The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals. It is also informally known as the ICZN Code, for its publisher, the I ...

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 four, but probably as many as seven major distinct lineages. The authors propose the creation of several new families (

) to better reflect the

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

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 ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' among its former contents, the Timaliidae, the Cisticolinae, or even the Muscicapidae will be moved into this group.

Species

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

genus on the west coast of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. * Genus '' Sylvia'' – typical warblers (c. 20 species). Paraphyletic or contains ''Parisoma'' ** Temperate Eurasian superspecies ("''atricapilla-borin'' group") ***

Eurasian blackcap The Eurasian blackcap (''Sylvia atricapilla''), usually known simply as the blackcap, is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences between the five subspecies are sma ...

, ''Sylvia atricapilla'' ***

Garden warbler The garden warbler (''Sylvia borin'') is a common and widespread small bird that breeds in most of Europe and in the Palearctic to western Siberia. It is a plain, long-winged and long-tailed typical warbler with brown upperparts and dull white ...

, ''Sylvia borin'' ** ''Parisoma'' superspecies *** Brown parisoma, ''Sylvia lugens'' *** Banded parisoma, ''Sylvia boehmi'' *** Layard's warbler, ''Sylvia layardi'' *** Chestnut-vented warbler, ''Sylvia subcaeruleum'' ** ''curruca'' clade *** Yemen warbler, ''Sylvia buryi'' – sometimes placed in ''Parisoma'' ***

Arabian warbler The Arabian warbler (''Curruca leucomelaena''), also known as Red Sea warbler or Blandford's warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Sylviidae. It is found in Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia ...

, ''Sylvia leucomelaena'' ***

Western Orphean warbler The western Orphean warbler (''Curruca hortensis'') is a typical warbler of the genus ''Curruca''. This species occurs in summer around the Mediterranean, through western Europe and extending into northwest Africa. It is migratory, wintering in ...

, ''Sylvia hortensis'' ***

Eastern Orphean warbler The eastern Orphean warbler (''Curruca crassirostris'') is a typical warbler of the genus ''Curruca''. This species occurs in summer around the Mediterranean, through the Balkans via Turkey, the Caucasus and surrounding regions to Central Asia. I ...

, ''Sylvia crassirostris'' ***

Lesser whitethroat The lesser whitethroat (''Curruca curruca'') is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds in temperate Europe, except the southwest, and in the western and central Palearctic. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, winteri ...

, ''Sylvia curruca'' *** Hume's whitethroat, ''Sylvia althaea'' *** Desert whitethroat, ''Sylvia minula'' **** Margelanic whitethroat, ''Sylvia (minula) margelanica'' ** ''communis''-''melanocephala'' assemblage ***

Barred warbler The barred warbler (''Curruca nisoria'') 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.Del ...

, ''Sylvia nisoria'' – tentatively place here *** Asian desert warbler, ''Sylvia nana'' *** African desert warbler, ''Sylvia deserti'' ***

Common whitethroat The common whitethroat or greater whitethroat (''Curruca 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 winter ...

, ''Sylvia communis'' ***

Spectacled warbler The spectacled warbler (''Curruca conspicillata'') is a species in the typical warbler genus, ''Curruca''. The specific ''conspicillata'' is from Latin ''conspicillum'', a place to look from, equivalent to "spectacled". It breeds in northwest ...

, ''Sylvia conspicillata'' ***

Tristram's warbler Tristram's warbler (''Curruca deserticola'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Sylviidae. It is found in Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara. Its natural habitat is subtropical dry shrubland. The speci ...

, ''Sylvia deserticola'' ***

Dartford warbler The Dartford warbler (''Curruca undata'') is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is d ...

, ''Sylvia undata'' ***

Marmora's warbler Marmora's warbler (''Curruca sarda'') is a typical warbler in the '' Sylviidae'' family. The specific ''sarda'' is a Latin feminine form for a person from Sardinia. It breeds on Mediterranean islands, typically including Corsica and Sardinia. ...

, ''Sylvia sarda'' ***

Balearic warbler Balearic warbler (''Curruca balearica'') is a typical warbler, genus ''Curruca''. It is endemic to the Balearic Islands, apart from Menorca. It groups with the Marmora's warbler, Tristram's warbler and the Dartford warbler (Helbig 2001, Jønsson ...

, ''Sylvia balearica'' ***

Rüppell's warbler Rüppell's warbler (''Curruca ruppeli'') is a typical warbler of the genus ''Curruca''. It breeds in Greece, Turkey and neighbouring islands. It is migratory, wintering in northeast Africa. This is a rare vagrant to western Europe. The name is ...

, ''Sylvia rueppelli'' ***

Cyprus warbler The Cyprus warbler (''Curruca melanothorax'') is a typical warbler which breeds only on Cyprus. This small passerine bird is a short-distance migrant, and winters in Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Like most ''Curruca'' species, it has distinct male ...

, ''Sylvia melanothorax'' ***

Western subalpine warbler The western subalpine warbler (''Curruca iberiae'') is a small typical warbler which breeds in the southernmost areas of Europe and north-western Africa. Like most ''Curruca'' species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has ...

, ''Sylvia iberiae'' ***

Eastern subalpine warbler The eastern subalpine warbler (''Curruca cantillans'') is a small typical warbler which breeds in the southernmost areas of Europe. It was first described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name ''Motacil ...

, ''Sylvia cantillans'' ***

Moltoni's warbler Moltoni's warbler (''Curruca subalpina'') is a small bird species of the family Sylviidae. It is named after its describer Edgardo Moltoni. It breeds in Corsica, Sardinia, areas around the Ligurian Sea and the Balearic Islands. It is a bird of ...

, ''Sylvia subalpina'' ***

Sardinian warbler The Sardinian warbler (''Curruca melanocephala'') is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region. Like most ''Curruca'' species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has a grey back, whitish underpart ...

, ''Sylvia melanocephala'' **** ''Sylvia (melanocephala) momus'' **** Fayyum warbler, ''Sylvia melanocephala/momus norissae'' – doubtfully distinct,

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

(c. 1940) ***

Menetries's warbler Menetries's warbler or Ménétries's warbler (''Curruca mystacea'') is a small passerine bird of Southwest Asia belonging to the genus ''Curruca''. The name of the species commemorates Édouard Ménétries, the French zoologist who described the ...

, ''Sylvia mystacea'' * Genus '' Pseudoalcippe'' – African hill babbler. Formerly in ''Illadopsis'' (Timaliidae) * Genus ''

Rhopophilus ''Rhopophilus'' is a genus of songbirds in the family Paradoxornithidae. The genus contains two species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A s ...

'' – Chinese hill warbler. Formerly in Cisticolidae * Genus ''

Lioparus The golden-breasted fulvetta (''Lioparus chrysotis'') is a species of songbird found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Taxonomy W ...

'' – golden-breasted fulvetta. Formerly in ''Alcippe'' (Timaliidae) * Genus ''

Paradoxornis ''Paradoxornis'' is a genus of passerine birds in the family Paradoxornithidae The parrotbills are a family, Paradoxornithidae, of passerine birds that are primarily native to East and Southeast Asia (with a single species in western North Am ...

'' – typical parrotbills (18 species). Formerly in Paradoxornithidae; polyphyletic * Genus ''

Conostoma The great parrotbill (''Conostoma aemodium'') is a bird species the Paradoxornithidae family. Its genus, ''Conostoma'', is monotypic. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. References *Robson, C. (2007). Family Paradoxornithid ...

'' – great parrotbill. Formerly in Paradoxornithidae; tentatively placed here * Genus ''

Fulvetta ''Fulvetta'' is a genus of passerine birds. Originally proposed in 1877, it was recently reestablished for the typical fulvettas, which were long included with their presumed relatives in the Timaliidae (Old World babbler) genus '' Alcippe''.Co ...

'' – typical fulvettas (7 species). Formerly in ''Alcippe'' (Timaliidae) * Genus ''

Chrysomma ''Chrysomma'' is a songbird genus. ''Chrysomma'' is quite closely related to the parrotbills, and is therefore a member of the family Paradoxornithidae. Species The genus contains two species: The rufous-tailed babbler was formerly placed in t ...

'' – 3 species. Formerly in Timaliidae * Genus ''

Chamaea The wrentit (''Chamaea fasciata'') is a small bird that lives in chaparral, oak woodlands, and bushland on the western coast of North America. It is the only species in the genus ''Chamaea''. Its systematics have been the subject of much debat ...

'' – wrentit

Moved to family
Pellorneidae The jungle babblers are a family, Pellorneidae, of mostly Old World passerine birds belonging to the superfamily Sylvioidea. They are quite diverse in size and coloration, and usually characterised by soft, fluffy plumage and a tail on average th ...

* Genus '' Graminicola'' ** Rufous-rumped grassbird ("-babbler") ''Graminicola bengalensis''

Moved to family
Cisticolidae The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160 warblers, small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. This family probably originated ...

* Genus '' Bathmocercus'' –

rufous-warbler ''Bathmocercus'' is a genus of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It contains the following species: * Black-headed rufous warbler (''Bathmocercus cerviniventris'') * Black-faced rufous warbler (''Bathmocercus rufus'') Species from the genus '' ...

s ** Black-capped rufous-warbler, ''Bathmocercus cerviniventris'' ** Black-faced rufous-warbler, ''Bathmocercus rufus'' * Genus '' Sceptomycter'' – sometimes merged into ''Bathmocercus''. Cisticolidae? ** Mrs Moreau's warbler, ''Sceptomycter winifredae'' * Genus '' Poliolais'' – Cisticolidae or more basal like

s? ** White-tailed warbler, ''Poliolais lopezi'' * Two to 14 of the 15 tailorbirds

Moved to family
Acrocephalidae The Acrocephalidae (the reed warblers, marsh- and tree-warblers, or acrocephalid warblers) are a family of oscine passerine birds, in the superfamily Sylvioidea. The species in this family are usually rather large "warblers". Most are rather pla ...

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, reed beds or tall grass. Mainly southern Asia to western Europe and surroundings ranging far into

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, 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. * Genus '' Acrocephalus'' – marsh warblers (about 35 species) * Genus ''

Hippolais ''Hippolais'' is a genus of tree warbler in the family Acrocephalidae. It is sometimes associated with the genus '' Iduna''. The genus name ''Hippolais'' is from Ancient Greek ''hupolais'', as misspelt by Linnaeus. It referred to a small bird men ...

'' – tree warblers (8 species) * Genus '' Chloropeta'' – yellow warblers (3 species) * Genus ''

Nesillas ''Nesillas'' is a genus of Old World warbler in the family Acrocephalidae. Established by Harry Church Oberholser in 1899, it contains the following species: * Grand Comoro brush warbler (''Nesillas brevicaudata'') * Subdesert brush warbler (' ...

'' – brush warblers (4 living species, 1 recently

)

Moved to
Malagasy warbler The Tetrakas and allies are a newly validated family of songbirds. They were formally named Bernieridae in 2010. The family currently consists of eleven species (in eight genera) of small forest birds. These birds are all endemic to Madagascar. ...
s

See Cibois ''et al.'' (2001) * Genus '' Thamnornis'' ** Thamnornis, ''Thamnornis chloropetoides'' * Genus ''

Cryptosylvicola The cryptic warbler (''Cryptosylvicola randrianasoloi'') is a species of Malagasy warbler in the family Bernieriidae. It was formerly placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. It is endemic to Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madaga ...

'' ** Cryptic warbler, ''Cryptosylvicola randriansoloi''

Moved to family
Locustellidae Locustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, and the ''Bradypterus'' "bush warblers". These bird ...

Grass warblers and allies. Mid-sized and usually long-tailed species; sometimes strongly patterned but generally very drab in overall colouration. Often forage on the ground. Old World and into Australian region, centred on the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

; possibly also one species in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. A not too robustly supported clade that requires further study. * Genus ''

Bradypterus ''Bradypterus'' is a genus of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers") in the newly recognized grass warbler family (Locustellidae). They were formerly placed in the Sylviidae, which at that time was a wastebin taxon for the warbler-like Syl ...

'' – megalurid bush-warblers (11 species) * Genus '' Locustella'' – grass warblers (more than 20 species) * Genus '' Megalurus'' – typical grassbirds (10 species) * Genus '' Amphilais'' – grey emutail * Genus '' Elaphrornis'' – Sri Lanka bush warbler * Genus '' Schoenicola'' – (2 species) * Genus '' Buettikoferella'' – buff-banded thicketbird * Genus '' Chaetornis'' – bristled grassbird The

black-capped donacobius The black-capped donacobius (''Donacobius atricapilla'') 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, a ...

, ''Donacobius atricapillus'', which was long considered an aberrant

wren Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonly ...

mockingbird Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the family Mimidae. 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. ...

is apparently quite closely related, and might possibly be considered the only American species of this family.

Moved to family
Cettiidae Cettiidae is a newly validated family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" assemblage. It contains the typical bush warblers (''Cettia'') and their relatives. As a common name, cetti ...

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 (''Pholidornis rushiae'') is a species of bird, monotypic within the genus ''Pholidornis''. It is found in rainforests in West and Central Africa. It had been placed in the family Cettiidae, but in 2019 its assignment to a new famil ...

, ''Pholidornis rushiae'' * Genus ''Hylia'' – tentatively placed here **

Green hylia The green hylia (''Hylia prasina'') is a monotypic genus widespread in tropical Africa, where it mostly inhabits the understory and mid-stratum of moist forest. It is a canopy insectivore which had been tentatively placed within the family of Ce ...

, ''Hylia prasina'' * Genus ''

Abroscopus ''Abroscopus'' is a small genus of "warbler" in the family Cettiidae, formerly included in the Sylviidae Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that includes the typical warblers and a number of babblers formerly placed within the Old World ...

'' – Abroscopus warblers **

Rufous-faced warbler The rufous-faced warbler (''Abroscopus albogularis'') is a species of the bush warbler family, Cettiidae. It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Ta ...

, ''Abroscopus albogularis'' **

Yellow-bellied warbler The yellow-bellied warbler (''Abroscopus superciliaris'') is a species of bush warbler (family (biology), family Cettiidae). It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Chi ...

, ''Abroscopus superciliaris'' **

Black-faced warbler The black-faced warbler (''Abroscopus schisticeps'') is a species of bush warbler (family Cettiidae). It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its natural ...

, ''Abroscopus schisticeps'' * Genus ''

Erythrocercus ''Erythrocercus'' is a genus of birds containing three flycatchers that are found in Africa. The genus is placed in its own family (biology), family Erythrocercidae that was introduced by Silke Fregin and collaborators in 2012. Species The ge ...

'' – monarch-warblers. Formerly Monarchinae. **

Chestnut-capped flycatcher The chestnut-capped flycatcher (''Erythrocercus mccallii'') is a species of bird in the family Erythrocercidae. Distribution and habitat It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the ...

, ''Erythrocercus mccallii'' **

Little yellow flycatcher The little yellow flycatcher (''Erythrocercus holochlorus'') is a species of bird in the family Erythrocercidae. It is found in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or ...

, ''Erythrocercus holochlorus'' **

Livingstone's flycatcher Livingstone's flycatcher (''Erythrocercus livingstonei'') is a species of bird in the family Erythrocercidae. It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subt ...

, ''Erythrocercus livingstonei'' * Genus ''

Urosphena ''Urosphena'' is a genus of Old World warblers in the family Cettiidae, formerly classified in the family Sylviidae. The genus was erected by Robert Swinhoe in 1877. These warblers are generally brown on the upper parts and lighter in color belo ...

'' – stubtails **

Timor stubtail The Timor stubtail (''Urosphena subulata'') is a species of bird in the family Cettiidae. It is found on Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between ...

, ''Urosphena subulata'' *** Babar stubtail, ''Urosphena subulata advena'' –

(mid-20th century) ** Bornean stubtail, ''Urosphena whiteheadi'' **

Asian stubtail The Asian stubtail (''Urosphena squameiceps'') is a bird in the family Cettiidae. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1863. It breeds in Korea, Manchuria and Japan and winters to southern China and northern Southeast Asia. ...

, ''Urosphena squameiceps'' **

Pale-footed bush warbler The pale-footed bush warbler (''Hemitesia pallidipes'') is a species of oriental warbler in the family (biology), family Cettiidae that is found in southern Asia. It occurs in the Himalayan region west from Dehradun through the foothills of Nepal ...

, ''Urosphena pallidipes'' **

Neumann's warbler Neumann's warbler (''Hemitesia neumanni'') or Neumann's short-tailed warbler, is a species of bird in the family Cettiidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mois ...

, ''Urosphena neumanni'' * Genus ''

Tesia The tesias are a genus, ''Tesia'', of Old World warbler. Though once included in the large family (biology), family Sylviidae, more recent research placed it within a new family, Cettiidae. The four species inhabit undergrowth of montane forest i ...

'' – tesias **

Javan tesia The Javan tesia (''Tesia superciliaris'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Cettiidae. 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 ...

, ''tesia superciliaris'' **

Slaty-bellied tesia The slaty-bellied tesia (''Tesia olivea'') is a species of warbler in the family Cettiidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowl ...

, ''Tesia olivea'' **

Grey-bellied tesia The grey-bellied tesia (''Tesia cyaniventer'') is a species of warbler in the family Cettiidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat In ecology, the ...

, ''Tesia cyaniventer'' **

Russet-capped tesia The russet-capped tesia (''Tesia everetti'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Cettiidae. The scientific name commemorates British colonial administrator and zoological collector Alfred Hart Everett. Distribution and habitat It i ...

, ''Tesia everetti'' * Genus ''

Horornis ''Horornis'' is a genus of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers") 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 Sylvi ...

'' – bush warblers (some 13 species). * Genus ''

Cettia ''Cettia'' is a genus of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers") 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 Sylvioid ...

'' – bush warblers (4 species). * Genus ''

Tickellia The broad-billed warbler (''Tickellia hodgsoni'') is a species of bush warbler (family Cettiidae). It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, and belongs to the monotypic genus ''Tickellia''. It is found in Bhutan, China, I ...

'' ** Broad-billed warbler, ''Tickellia hodgsoni'' * Genus ''

Phyllergates The species of tailorbirds listed below are small birds of the genus '' Phyllergates ''. They were previously placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. However, recent research suggests they more likely belong in the Cettiidae. They occ ...

'' **

Mountain tailorbird The mountain tailorbird (''Phyllergates cucullatus'') is a songbird species formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but is now placed in the genus ''Phyllergates'' of the family Cettiidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Camb ...

, ''Phyllergates cucullatus'' **

Rufous-headed tailorbird The rufous-headed tailorbird (''Phyllergates heterolaemus'') is a species of bird in the family Cettiidae. It is found only in the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moi ...

, ''Phyllergates heterolaemus''

Moved to family
Aegithalidae The bushtits or long-tailed tits, are a family, Aegithalidae, of small passerine birds with long tails, compared to their size. The family contains 13 species in three genera, all but one of which are found in Eurasia. Bushtits are active birds, ...

* Genus ''

Leptopoecile ''Leptopoecile'' is a genus of birds in the long-tailed tit family Aegithalidae. The genus was once placed in the large family Sylviidae, but analysis of mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochon ...

'' – tit-warblers. Tentatively placed there. **

White-browed tit-warbler The white-browed tit-warbler (''Leptopoecile sophiae'') is a species of bird in the family Aegithalidae. The species was Species description, first described by Nikolai Severtzov in 1873. It is resident in the Tian Shan and central China as well ...

, ''Leptopoecile sophiae'' ** Crested tit-warbler, ''Leptopoecile elegans''

Moved to family
Phylloscopidae Leaf warblers are small insectivorous passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Phylloscopus''. Leaf warblers were formerly included in the Old World warbler family but are now considered to belong to the family Phylloscopidae, introduced in 20 ...

Leaf warblers or phylloscopid warblers. A group very variable in size, often vivid green colouration 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). (includes former genus ''

Seicercus ''Seicercus'' is a genus of Old World warbler formerly in the family Sylviidae but now placed in Phylloscopidae. Recent scientific studies have recommended synonymizing this genus with '' Phylloscopus,'' and are placed there. The genus is distr ...

'') ** Green-crowned warbler, ''Phylloscopus burkii'' ** Grey-crowned warbler, ''Phylloscopus tephrocephalus'' **

Whistler's warbler Whistler's warbler (''Phylloscopus whistleri'') is a species of leaf warbler (family Phylloscopidae). It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in the Indian subcontinent, from the Himalayas to Myanmar. Its natu ...

, ''Phylloscopus whistleri'' **

Bianchi's warbler Bianchi's warbler (''Phylloscopus valentini'') is a species of leaf warbler (family Phylloscopidae). It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in China, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are tempe ...

, ''Phylloscopus valentini'' ** Martens's warbler, ''Phylloscopus omeiensis'' **

Alström's warbler Alström's warbler (''Phylloscopus soror''), or the plain-tailed warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Phylloscopidae. It was first described in 1999. It breeds only in China and winters as far as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and ...

, ''Seicercus soror'' ** White-spectacled warbler, ''Phylloscopus affinis'' –

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

*** Bar-winged white-spectacled warbler, ''Seicercus (affinis) intermedius'' ** Grey-cheeked warbler, ''Phylloscopus poliogenys'' ** Chestnut-crowned warbler, ''Phylloscopus castaniceps'' **

Yellow-breasted warbler The yellow-breasted warbler (''Phylloscopus montis'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Phylloscopidae. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Palawan Island in the Philippines. The species is most common on the islands of Sumatra ...

, ''Phylloscopus montis'' ** Sunda warbler, ''Phylloscopus grammiceps''

Moved to family
Macrosphenidae The 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. Ecomorphologically quite variable. Monophyly requires confirmation. * Genus ''

Sylvietta ''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 spe ...

'' –

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 The African warblers are a ...

s **

Green crombec The green crombec (''Sylvietta virens'') is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. It is widespread across the African tropical rainforest. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests a ...

, ''Sylvietta virens'' **

Lemon-bellied crombec The lemon-bellied crombec (''Sylvietta denti'') is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. It is sparsely present throughout the African tropical rainforest. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist ...

, ''Sylvietta denti'' **

White-browed crombec The white-browed crombec (''Sylvietta leucophrys'') 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 p ...

, ''Sylvietta leucophrys'' *** Chapin's crombec, ''Sylvietta (leucophrys) chapini'' – possibly

(late 20th century?) **

Northern crombec The northern crombec (''Sylvietta brachyura'') 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, ...

, ''Sylvietta brachyura'' **

Philippa's crombec Philippa's crombec (''Sylvietta philippae''), 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 A sav ...

, ''Sylvietta philippae'' **

Red-capped crombec The red-capped crombec (''Sylvietta ruficapilla'') is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. Range It is found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, the DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possi ...

, ''Sylvietta ruficapilla'' **

Red-faced crombec The red-faced crombec (''Sylvietta whytii'') is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. It is found in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. ...

, ''Sylvietta whytii'' **

Somali crombec The Somali crombec (''Sylvietta isabellina'') 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. A subspe ...

, ''Sylvietta isabellina'' **

Long-billed crombec The long-billed crombec or Cape crombec (''Sylvietta rufescens'') is an African warbler. The long-billed crombec breeds in southern Africa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Tanzania southwards to South Africa. This is a com ...

, ''Sylvietta rufescens'' * Genus '' Melocichla'' ** Moustached grass warbler, ''Melocichla mentalis'' * Genus '' Achaetops'' **

Rockrunner The rockrunner (''Achaetops pycnopygius''), also known as the Damara rock-jumper, is a species of Macrosphenidae, African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Achaetops''. It is found i ...

, ''Achaetops pycnopygius'' * Genus '' Sphenoeacus'' ** Cape grassbird, ''Sphenoeacus afer'' * Genus ''Cryptillas''. ** Victorin's warbler, ''Cryptillas victorini'' * Genus '' Macrosphenus'' – longbills ** Kemp's longbill, ''Macrosphenus kempi'' ** Yellow longbill, ''Macrosphenus flavicans'' ** Grey longbill, ''Macrosphenus concolor'' ** Pulitzer's longbill, ''Macrosphenus pulitzeri'' ** Kretschmer's longbill, ''Macrosphenus kretschmeri''

"Sylviidae" ''incertae sedis''

Taxa that have not been studied. Most are likely to belong to one of

families listed above. Those in the Australian-Pacific region are probably

. These taxa are listed in the sequence used in recent years. * Genus '' Dromaeocercus'' –

emutail The emutails are a pair of birds formerly assigned to the genus ''Dromaeocercus''. They are both placed in the family Locustellidae. * Brown emutail, ''Bradypterus brunneus'' * Grey emutail The grey emutail (''Bradypterus seebohmi''), also know ...

s. Locustelidae? ** Brown emutail, ''Dromaeocercus brunneus'' **

Grey emutail The grey emutail (''Bradypterus seebohmi''), also known as the Madagascan grassbird or feather-tailed warbler, is an emutail in the family Locustellidae. It is found only in Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shru ...

, ''Dromaeocercus seebohmi'' – sometimes separated in ''Amphilais'' * Genus '' Phyllolais'' – Cisticolidae? ** Buff-bellied warbler, ''Phyllolais pulchella'' * Genus '' Graueria'' ** Grauer's warbler, ''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 ...

'' – eremomelas. Cettiidae? **

Salvadori's eremomela Salvadori's eremomela (''Eremomela salvadorii'') is a species of bird formerly placed in the Old World warbler assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Zaire, Gabon, Angola and Zambia. Its name commemorates Italian ...

, ''Eremomela salvadorii'' **

Yellow-vented eremomela The yellow-vented eremomela (''Eremomela flavicrissalis'') is a species of bird formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in dry savannas in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, a ...

, ''Eremomela flavicrissalis'' **

Yellow-bellied eremomela The yellow-bellied eremomela (''Eremomela icteropygialis'') 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 ...

, ''Eremomela icteropygialis'' **

Senegal eremomela The Senegal eremomela (''Eremomela pusilla'') is a member of the African warbler family, the Cisticolidae. It occurs in the savannas of western Sub-Saharan Africa. Taxonomy The Senegal eremomela was described by the German ornithologist Gusta ...

, ''Eremomela canescens'' **

Green-backed eremomela The green-backed eremomela (''Eremomela canescens'') is a member of the Cisticolidae. This bird is a common resident breeder in tropical Africa from Kenya and Ethiopia to Cameroon. This tiny passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order ...

, ''Eremomela pusilla'' **

Green-capped eremomela The green-capped eremomela or greencap eremomela (''Eremomela scotops'') is a species of bird formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. Range and habitat It is found in Angola, Botswana, B ...

, ''Eremomela scotops'' ** Yellow-rumped eremomela, ''Eremomela gregalis'' **

Rufous-crowned eremomela The rufous-crowned eremomela (''Eremomela badiceps'') is a species of bird formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. It is found throughout the African tropical rainforest. References ...

, ''Eremomela badiceps'' **

Turner's eremomela Turner's eremomela (''Eremomela turneri'') is a species of bird formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Uganda. Its natural habit ...

, ''Eremomela turneri'' *** Western Turner's eremomela, ''Eremomela turneri kalindei'' – probably

(early 1980s?) **

Black-necked eremomela The black-necked eremomela (''Eremomela atricollis'') is a species of bird formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia. Its ...

, ''Eremomela atricollis'' ** Burnt-neck eremomela, ''Eremomela usticollis'' * Genus '' Randia'' – Malagasy warblers? ** Rand's warbler, ''Randia pseudozosterops'' * Genus '' Bowdleria'' – fernbirds. Sometimes merged into ''Megalurus''. Locustellidae? **

Fernbird The New Zealand fernbird or simply fernbird (''Poodytes punctatus'') is an insectivorous bird endemic to New Zealand. In the Māori language, it is named or . Taxonomy The New Zealand fernbird was described by the French zoologists Jean Quo ...

, ''Bowdleria punctata'' **

Chatham fernbird The Chatham fernbird (''Poodytes rufescens'') is an extinct bird species that was endemic to the Chatham Islands. It was historically known only from Mangere Island, but fossils have been found on Pitt Island and Chatham Island as well. Its close ...

, ''Bowdleria rufescens'' –

(c. 1900) * Genus '' Chaetornis'' – bristled grassbird. Locustellidae? * Genus '' Schoenicola'' – grassbirds. Basal Locustellidae? **

Broad-tailed grassbird The broad-tailed grassbird (''Schoenicola platyurus'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of India with a possibility of occurrence in Sri Lanka. A small, mostly brown bird, it has ...

, ''Schoenicola platyura'' ** Fan-tailed grassbird, ''Schoenicola brevirostris'' * Genus '' Cincloramphus'' –

songlark The songlarks are a pair of species of birds in the family Locustellidae. Most taxonomists place them together with the thicketbirds in the genus ''Cincloramphus''. They are alternatively placed in the genus ''Megalurus''. There are two specie ...

s. Basal Locustellidae? ** Brown songlark, ''Cincloramphus cruralis'' ** Rufous songlark, ''Cincloramphus mathewsi'' * Genus '' Buettikoferella'' – probably Locustellidae ** Buff-banded bushbird, ''Buettikoferella bivittata'' * Genus '' Megalurulus'' – thicketbirds. Probably Locustellidae **

New Caledonian grassbird The New Caledonia thicketbird or New Caledonia grassbird (''Cincloramphus mariae''), 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 be ...

, ''Megalurulus mariei'' **

Bismarck thicketbird The New Britain thicketbird or Bismarck thicketbird (''Cincloramphus grosvenori'') is a bird species. It used to be placed in the "Old World warbler" family Sylviidae, but it does not seem to be a close relative of the typical warblers; probably ...

, ''Megalurulus grosvenori'' ** Bougainville thicketbird, ''Megalurulus llaneae'' ** Santo thicketbird, ''Megalurulus whitneyi'' ** Rusty thicketbird, ''Megalurulus rubiginosus'' * Genus '' Trichocichla'' – long-legged warbler

Not in
Sylvioidea Sylvioidea is a superfamily of passerine birds, 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, ...

Entirely unrelated songbirds hitherto placed in Sylviidae * Genus '' Amaurocichla'' – Apparently a

Passeroidea Passerida is, under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, one of two parvorders contained within the suborder Passeri (standard taxonomic practice would place them at the rank of infraorder). While more recent research suggests that its sister parvorde ...

; very close to, or part of the

Motacillidae The wagtails, longclaws, and pipits are a family, Motacillidae, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Around 70 species occur in five genera. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominan ...

** Bocage's longbill or São Tomé short-tail, ''Amaurocichla bocagei'' * Genus '' Stenostira'' – Together with some "odd flycatchers", they form the new family Stenostiridae. They are closely related to

Paridae The tits, chickadees, and Titmouse, titmice constitute the Paridae, a large family of small passerine birds which occur mainly in the Northern Hemisphere and Africa. Most were formerly classified in the genus ''Parus''. Members of this family a ...

(Beresford ''et al.'' 2005) **

Fairy flycatcher The fairy flycatcher or fairy warbler (''Stenostira scita'') 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 (Bere ...

, ''Stenostira scita'' * Genus '' Hyliota'' – hyliotas. Basal

Passerida Passerida is, under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, one of two parvorders contained within the suborder Passeri (standard taxonomic practice would place them at the rank of infraorder). While more recent research suggests that its sister parvorder ...

with no known relatives, perhaps somewhat closer to Promeropidae (sugarbirds) **

Yellow-bellied hyliota The yellow-bellied hyliota (''Hyliota flavigaster'') is a species of Hyliota. 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, ...

, ''Hyliota flavigaster'' ** Southern hyliota, ''Hyliota australis'' ** Usambara hyliota, ''Hyliota usambarae'' **

Violet-backed hyliota The violet-backed hyliota (''Hyliota violacea'') is a species of Hyliota. 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, Lib ...

, ''Hyliota violacea'' * Genus '' Newtonia'' – newtonias. Now in Vangidae (vangas); possibly polyphyletic (Yamagishi ''et al.'' 2001) ** Dark newtonia, ''Newtonia amphichroa'' ** Common newtonia, ''Newtonia brunneicauda'' ** Archbold's newtonia, ''Newtonia archboldi'' **

Red-tailed newtonia The red-tailed newtonia (''Newtonia fanovanae'') is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat dest ...

, ''Newtonia fanovanae'' – tentatively placed here

Notes

References

* *Baker, K. (1997). ''Warblers of Europe, Asia, and North Africa''. Helm .
Supporting information

Electronic appendix
* * * *del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2006). ''

Handbook of the Birds of the World The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. T ...

''. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions. . * * *Shirihai, H., Gargallo, G., & Helbig, A. J. (2001). ''Sylvia Warblers''. Helm . * Sibley, C. G. & Ahlquist, J. E. (1990). ''Phylogeny and classification of birds''. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn. *Simms, E. (1985). ''British warblers''. Collins, London. . *

External links

Old World warblers videos
on the Internet Bird Collection * {{Interwiki extra, qid=Q187014 * Bird common names

Characteristics

Systematics

Species

Family Sylviidae ''sensu stricto''

Moved to family Pellorneidae The jungle babblers are a family, Pellorneidae, of mostly Old World passerine birds belonging to the superfamily Sylvioidea. They are quite diverse in size and coloration, and usually characterised by soft, fluffy plumage and a tail on average th ...

Moved to family Cisticolidae The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160 warblers, small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. This family probably originated ...

Moved to family Acrocephalidae The Acrocephalidae (the reed warblers, marsh- and tree-warblers, or acrocephalid warblers) are a family of oscine passerine birds, in the superfamily Sylvioidea. The species in this family are usually rather large "warblers". Most are rather pla ...

Moved to Malagasy warbler The Tetrakas and allies are a newly validated family of songbirds. They were formally named Bernieridae in 2010. The family currently consists of eleven species (in eight genera) of small forest birds. These birds are all endemic to Madagascar. ...s

Moved to family Locustellidae Locustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, and the ''Bradypterus'' "bush warblers". These bird ...

Moved to family Cettiidae Cettiidae is a newly validated family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" assemblage. It contains the typical bush warblers (''Cettia'') and their relatives. As a common name, cetti ...

Moved to family Aegithalidae The bushtits or long-tailed tits, are a family, Aegithalidae, of small passerine birds with long tails, compared to their size. The family contains 13 species in three genera, all but one of which are found in Eurasia. Bushtits are active birds, ...

Moved to family Phylloscopidae Leaf warblers are small insectivorous passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Phylloscopus''. Leaf warblers were formerly included in the Old World warbler family but are now considered to belong to the family Phylloscopidae, introduced in 20 ...

Moved to family Macrosphenidae The 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. ...