Family: Timaliidae. Old World babblers
Description
The Old World babblers are a large, highly variable family of Old World passerine birds. Typical features of this family are:1
- Similar sexes
- Short, rounded wings
- Juveniles generally lacking the spotting characteristic of thrushes and chats
- Tendency to longer, rounded tail
- Generally stout bill and legs
- Often soft, fluffy plumage.
Babblers are found in Africa and Asia, with the highest diversity in South-east Asia and the Himalayas.
Taxonomy
Timaliidae is a family in the Order Passeriformes.
This family has long been said to be a dustbin for taxonomists, where they would place any bird with uncertain affinities. However, recent work, particulary by A. Cibois, has revealed more information about this complex family. A major revision is expected to take place in the next few years. In addition to the Babblers, the Sylvia Warblers, the Parrotbills, the White-eyes and some other species (like the American Wrentit which was recently moved here) should probably be placed in the Timaliidae. In the other hand, most of the Babblers from Madagascar seem not to belong to this family (like White-throated Oxylabes and Yellow-browed Oxylabes or the Jeries); nor do the Rockjumpers from South Africa, which some authorities have elevated to their own family. The White-bellied Yuhina should probably also be placed in other families.1
Genera with uncertain affinities are:
- Modulatrix (also placed in Pycnonotidae or Turdidae)
- Arcanator (also placed in Pycnonotidae, Turdidae or Promeropidae)
- Chaetops (most possibly belonging to its own family Chaetopidae)
- Kakamega (probably belonging to the Promeropidae or the Turdidae)
- Neomixis (probably belonging to the Cisticolidae or Sylviidae)
- Hartertula (probably belonging to the Cisticolidae or Sylviidae)
- Pteruthius (probably belonging to the Vireonidae)
- Lioptilus (probably belonging to the Sylviidae, also placed in Pycnonotidae)
- Horizorhinus (also placed in Turdidae, Sylviidae or Muscicapidae)
- Parophasma (probably belonging to the Sylviidae)
- Oxylabes (probably belonging to the Sylviidae)
- Crossleyia (probably belonging to the Sylviidae, also placed in Pycnonotidae)
- Mystacornis (probably belonging to the Vangidae)
However, as Opus is not a taxonomic authority we still follow the traditional systematic.2
References
- del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Christie, D.A. eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 84-96553-42-6
- Clements James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
Subcategories
This category has the following 13 subcategories, out of 13 total.
