''Sericornis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of small, mainly insectivorous birds, the scrubwrens in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Acanthizidae The Acanthizidae—known as Australian warblers—are a family of passerine birds which includes gerygones, the thornbills '' Acanthiza'', and the scrubwrens of '' Sericornis''. The Acanthizidae family consists of small to medium passerine birds, ...

. Despite the similarity in shape and habits, the true wrens (Troglodytidae) are a quite unrelated group of

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

s. The genus previously contained additional species but following the publication of a

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study of the scrubwrens in 2018, several species were moved to the resurrected genus ''

Aethomyias ''Aethomyias'' is a genus of passerine birds in the family Acanthizidae that are endemic to New Guinea. A molecular phylogenetic study of the scrubwrens and mouse-warblers published in 2018 led to a substantial revision of the taxonomic classifi ...

'' and the

yellow-throated scrubwren The yellow-throated scrubwren (''Neosericornis citreogularis'') is a passerine in the family Acanthizidae that is found in parts of eastern coastal Australia. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Sericornis'', but is now the only species in the ...

was placed in its own

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 ...

genus ''Neosericornis''. The genus contains eight species: *

Large-billed scrubwren The large-billed scrubwren (''Sericornis magnirostra'') is a passerine bird in the family Acanthizidae, endemic to eastern Australia. It is found in denser undergrowth in temperate forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and subtrop ...

, ''Sericornis magnirostris'' *

Tropical scrubwren The tropical scrubwren or Beccari's scrubwren (''Sericornis beccarii'') is a bird species. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong ...

or Beccari's scrubwren, ''Sericornis beccarii'' - sometimes included in ''S. magnirostris'' *

Large scrubwren The large scrubwren (''Sericornis nouhuysi'') is a bird species. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family A ...

, ''Sericornis nouhuysi'' *

Spotted scrubwren The spotted scrubwren (''Sericornis maculatus'') is a bird species native to coastal southern Australia, from Adelaide westwards to Shark Bay in Western Australia. It was formerly considered conspecific with the white-browed scrubwren, and is kn ...

, ''Sericornis maculatus'' - previously included in ''S. frontalis'' *

Tasmanian scrubwren The Tasmanian scrubwren or brown scrubwren (''Sericornis humilis'') is a bird species endemic to the temperate forests of Tasmania and nearby King Island. It lives in the understory of rainforest, woodland, dry forest, swamps and coastal scrubla ...

or brown scrubwren, ''Sericornis humilis'' - previously included in ''S. frontalis'' *

Atherton scrubwren The Atherton scrubwren (''Sericornis keri'') is a bird species. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Ac ...

, ''Sericornis keri'' *

White-browed scrubwren The white-browed scrubwren (''Sericornis frontalis'') is a passerine bird found on the New England Tablelands and coastal areas of Australia. Placed in the family (biology), family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with o ...

, ''Sericornis frontalis'' *

Perplexing scrubwren The perplexing scrubwren (''Sericornis virgatus'') is a bird species. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent fam ...

, ''Sericornis virgatus''

References

* Del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2006). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions. Bird genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Acanthizidae-stub