Corvida

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Corvida
Corvus corax laurencei.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Parvorder: Corvida
Families

See text

The "Corvida" were one of two "parvorders" contained within the suborder Passeri, as proposed in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, the other being Passerida. Standard taxonomic practice would place them at the rank of infraorder.

Contents

More recent research suggests that this is not a distinct clade—a group of closest relatives and nothing else—but an evolutionary grade instead. As such, it is abandoned in modern treatments, being replaced by a number of superfamilies that are considered rather basal among the Passeri.

It was presumed that cooperative breeding—present in many or most members of the Maluridae, Meliphagidae, Artamidae and Corvidae, among others—is a common apomorphy of this group. [1] But as evidenced by the updated phylogeny, this trait is rather the result of parallel evolution, perhaps because the early Passeri had to compete against many ecologically similar birds (see near passerine). [2]

Placement of "Corvida" families

This table lists, in taxonomic order, the families placed in "Corvida" by the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy in the left column. The right column contains details of their placement in modern systematics.

Corvoidea and Meliphagoidea are placed basally among the Passeri too. They are, however, groups large enough to be considered superfamilies in their own right.

FamilyModern placement
Menuridae: lyrebirdsBasalmost Passeri, close to Atrichornithidae
Atrichornithidae: scrub-birdsBasalmost Passeri, close to Menuridae
Climacteridae: Australian treecreepersBasal Passeri, close to Ptilonorhynchidae
Ptilonorhynchidae: bowerbirdsBasal Passeri, close to Climacteridae
Maluridae: fairy-wrens, emu-wrens and grasswrens Meliphagoidea. Nowadays several families.
Meliphagidae: honeyeaters and alliesMeliphagoidea
Pardalotidae: pardalotes, scrubwrens, thornbills, and gerygones Meliphagoidea. Nowadays several families; Pardalotidae proper might belong in Meliphagidae
Petroicidae: Australasian robinsPasseri incertae sedis , close to Picathartidae
Orthonychidae: logrunnersPasseri incertae sedis, close to Pomatostomidae
Pomatostomidae: Australasian babblersPasseri incertae sedis, close to Orthonychidae
Cinclosomatidae: whipbirds and alliesCorvoidea incertae sedis, relationships with Pachycephalidae unresolved
Neosittidae: sittellasCorvoidea
Pachycephalidae: whistlers, shrike-thrushes, pitohuis and alliesCorvoidea incertae sedis, highly paraphyletic and relationships with Cinclosomatidae unresolved
Dicruridae: monarch flycatchers and alliesCorvoidea. Possibly paraphyletic
Oriolidae: orioles and figbirdsCorvoidea
Icteridae: American blackbirds/orioles, grackles and cowbirds Passerida: Passeroidea (the most "modern" main lineage of songbirds)
Artamidae: woodswallows, butcherbirds, currawongs and Australian magpie Corvoidea
Paradisaeidae: birds of paradiseCorvoidea
Cnemophilidae: satinbirds (included in Paradisaeidae)Passeri incertae sedis, possibly close to Callaeidae
Corvidae: crows, ravens, jays, etc.Corvoidea
Corcoracidae: white-winged chough and apostlebird Corvoidea
Irenidae: fairy-bluebirdsPasseri incertae sedis; close to Passeroidea or Regulidae (kinglets)
Laniidae: shrikesCorvoidea
Prionopidae: helmetshrikes (initially included in Laniidae)Corvoidea
Malaconotidae: bush-shrikes and allies (initially included in Laniidae)Corvoidea
Vireonidae: vireosCorvoidea
Vangidae: vangasCorvoidea
Turnagridae: piopiosCorvoidea (included in Oriolidae)
Callaeidae: New Zealand wattlebirdsPasseri incertae sedis, possibly close to Cnemophilidae

In addition, the following families were not included in the "Corvida" although their closest relationships are with taxa included therein:

FamilySibley-Ahlquist placementModern placement
Platysteiridae: wattle-eyesPasserida (included in Muscicapidae)Corvoidea
Picathartidae: rockfowlPasseridaPasseri incertae sedis, close to Petroicidae
Chaetopidae: rockjumpersPasserida (Turdidae)Passeri incertae sedis, close to Petroicidae
Melanocharitidae: berrypeckers and longbillsPasseridaPasseri incertae sedis, possibly close to Cnemophilidae
Paramythiidae: tit berrypecker and crested berrypeckerPasserida (included in Melanocharitidae)Passeri incertae sedis, possibly close to Cnemophilidae

Footnotes

  1. Cockburn (1996)
  2. "DNA and Passerine Classification". web.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-08.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink robin</span> Species of songbird native to southeastern Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-sided robin</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed robin</span> Species of bird

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References