Australia has about 800 species of bird, ranging from the tiny 8 cm Weebill to the huge, flightless Emu. Orders Many - see section below. ... Species Dromaius novaehollandiae Dromaius baudinianus (extinct) Dromaius ater (extinct) Note that the acronym EMU has several meanings. ...

To the visitor from the northern hemisphere, many will immediately seem familiar - Australian wrens look and act very like northern hemisphere wrens, Australian robins seem to be close relatives of the northern hemisphere robins - but in fact the majority of Australian passerine birds are descended from the ancestors of the crow family, and the close resemblance is misleading: the cause is not genetic relatedness but convergent evolution. Northern Hemisphere highlighted in yellow. ... Genera Donacobius Campylorhynchus Odontorchilus Salpinctes Catherpes Hylorchilus Cinnycerthia Thryomanes Ferminia Troglodytes Cistothorus Uropsila Thryorchilus Henicorhina Microcerculus Cyphorhinus The true wrens are members of a New World passerine bird family Troglodytidae containing 55 species. ... Binomial name Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. ... Families Many, see text A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. ... Species See text The true crows are in the genus Corvus; they are large Passerine birds. ... In evolutionary biology, convergent evolution describes the process whereby organisms not closely related independently acquire similar characteristics while evolving in separate and sometimes varying ecosystems. ...

For example, almost any land habitat offers a niche for a small bird that specialises in finding small insects: the form best fitted to that task is one with long legs for agility and obstacle clearance, moderate-sized wings optimised for quick, short flight, and a large, upright tail for rapid changes of direction. In consequence, the unrelated birds that fill that niche in the Americas and in Australia look and act as though they were close relatives. Map of America by Jonghe, c. ...

Very broadly speaking, Australian birds can be classified into four categories:

• Long-established non-passerines of ultimately Gondwanan origin, notably emus, cassowaries and the huge parrot group.
• Passerines peculiar to Australasia, descended from the corvid family, and now occupying a vast range of roles and sizes. Examples include wrens, robins, Magpies, thornbills, pardalotes, the huge honeyeater family, treecreepers, lyrebirds, birds of paradise and bowerbirds.
• Somewhat recent colonists from Eurasia, including swallows, larks, thrushes, cisticolas, sunbirds, and some raptors.
• Birds recently introduced by humans: some, like the European Goldfinch and greenfinch coexist happily, others such as European Common Starlings, Blackbirds and sparrows and the Indian Mynah are destructive vermin.

For a comprehensive listing, see the list of Australasian birds, which includes the birds of Australia, New Zealand, and the Southern Ocean. Families Many, see text A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. ... This article is about the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. ... Species Dromaius novaehollandiae Dromaius baudinianus (extinct) Dromaius ater (extinct) Note that the acronym EMU has several meanings. ... Species Casuarius casuarius Casuarius unappendiculatus Casuarius bennetti Cassowaries (genus Casuarius) are very large flightless birds native to the tropical forests of New Guinea and northeastern Australia. ... Families Cacatuidae Psittacidae Loriidae The order Psittaciformes includes about 342 species of bird which are generally grouped into two families: the Cacatuidae or cockatoos, and the Psittacidae, the parrots. ... Families Many, see text A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Oceania. ... Species See text The true crows are in the genus Corvus; they are large Passerine birds. ... Genera Malurus Sipodotus Clytomyias Stipiturus Amytornis The Maluridae are a family of small, insectivouous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. ... Genera Poecilodryas Heteromyias Plesiodryas Gennaeodryas Peneothello Tregellasia Eopsaltria Melanodyas Monachella Microeca Eugerygone Petroica Pachycephalopsis Drymodes The bird family Petroicidae includes roughly 45 species in about 15 genera. ... Binomial name Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) The Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a medium-sized black and white bird, closely related to the butcherbirds and currawongs. ... Species punnctatus quadragintus rubricatus striatus Pardalotes are very small, brightly coloured birds native to Australia, with short tails, strong legs, and stubby blunt beaks. ... Genera Anthochaera Acanthagenys Plectorhyncha Philemon Xanthornyzma Entomyzon Manorina Xanthotis Meliphaga Lichenostomus Melithreptus Notiomystis Glycichaera Lichmera Trichodere Grantiella Phylidonyris Ramsayornis Conopophila Acanthorhynchus Certhionyx Myzomela Anthornis Prosthemadera Epthianura Ashbyia The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also... Species Menura novaehollandiae Menura alberti A Lyrebird is either of two large ground-dwelling Australian birds, most notable for their extraordinary ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. ... For the flowering plant of this name, see Strelitzia Genera Cicinnurus Diphyllodes Epimachus Lophorina Manucodia Paradisaea Parotia Ptiloris Seleucidis Lesser Bird of Paradise Paradisaea minor (c)Roderick Eime The birds of paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes, found in Oceania. ... African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the landmass composed of the continents of Europe and Asia. ... Genera Many, see text. ... Genera Mirafra Pinarocorys Heteromirafra Certhilauda Chersomanes Eremopterix Ammomanes Alaemon Ramphocoris Melanocorypha Calandrella Spizocorys Eremalauda Chersophilus Galerida Pseudalaemon Lullula Alauda Eremophila Larks are passerine birds of the predominantly Old World family Alaudidae. ... Genera 22 genera, see text The Thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. ... Cisticolas are very small insectivorous birds formerly classified in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, but now usually considered to be in the family Cisticolidae, along with other southern warbler genera. ... Orders Accipitriformes     Cathartidae     Pandionidae     Accipitridae     Sagittariidae Falconiformes     Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ... Binomial name Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Goldfinch or European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis, is a small passerine bird of the finch family. ... Binomial name Carduelis chloris Linnaeus, 1758 The European Greenfinch, or just Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. ... Binomial name Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Starling or European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae. ... Binomial name Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 The Blackbird or Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a European member of the thrush family Turdidae. ... Genera Passer Petronia Carpospiza Montifringilla This article is about the Old World sparrows in the family Passeridae. ... Binomial name Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766) The Common Myna, Acridotheres tristis, is a myna, a member of the starling family. ... The birds of Australasia include the following orders and families: (^ denotes flightless birds) Struthioniiformes Casuariidae: Three species of emu (two recently extinct), three species of cassowary. ...

See also

• Australian fauna
• List of European birds
• List of British birds: passerines
• List of British birds: non-passerines

Australia is unusual because the animal population evolved largely out of contact with the other continents. ... In this article, Europe refers to the geographical continent, not the somewhat larger Western Palearctic, which includes parts of the Middle East and north Africa. ... European Robin The list of British birds comprises all those bird species which have occurred in a wild state in Great Britain. ... Mallard Larger image Introduction The list of British birds comprises all those bird species which have occurred in a wild state in Great Britain. ...

External links

• Australian raptors