The name Passeriformes comes from the Latin words passer, meaning small bird or sparrow, and forma, meaning form or shape. Thus, the Passeriformes or passerine birds are sparrow-like. This does not mean, however, that they all look like sparrows: the main physical trait that makes them sparrow-like is the structure of their feet, which are built for perching. The first toe points backward, while three others, attached at the same level, point forward. When the bird perches, the toes wrap around to grip the branch.
Many popular cage birds are passerines: finches, canaries, mynas, nightingales, and starlings all belong in this group. Other familiar passerines include crows, mockingbirds, chickadees, swallows, warblers, larks, cardinals and goldfinches. In contrast, familiar nonpasserine birds include, among others, penguins, pelicans, raptors, hummingbirds, parrots, kingfishers, woodpeckers, pheasants and ostriches.
Other Names for Passeriformes
The passerine birds are familiar, accounting for about 60% of all bird species (nearly 6000 species). They are often referred to as “perching birds,” again, because of the anatomy of the foot. Passerines may also be referred to as “songbirds,” or “small land birds.” All of these general terms are useful as vague descriptors; however, none is specific or strictly correct. Lots of other birds perch, sing, are small, or live on land, while some passerines don’t perch, and some frequent fresh or saltwater shorelines.
The order Passerformes is divided into two suborders: the oscines and suboscines, largely based on the anatomy of the syrinx, the structure that allows the bird to sing. Suboscine species include, among others, flycatchers, kingbirds, and broadbills. The oscines account for the majority of passerines and these are the true perching birds or songbirds. A highly developed syrinx gives them the ability to sing beautifully, an ability that achieves its greatest perfection in fabled singers such as the canary, nightingale, and mockingbird.
Origin of Passerine Birds
A lack of fossil evidence makes the origin of this large group of birds uncertain; however, ornithologists believe that passerines may have evolved from an unknown common ancestor about 71 million years ago on the prehistoric continent of Gondwanaland. That land mass subsequently divided to form what are now South America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica, and passerine species spread to inhabit every land mass on Earth except Antarctica and a few islands.
Features of Passerines
As well as a specific foot structure and a highly developed syrinx, the passerines share some other general features. They are all relatively small birds, the largest being members of the crow group. Most are solitary nesters, constructing thier own nests, some of which are quite elaborate. Some, like swallows, nest in colonies. Young typically hatch naked and completely dependant on their parents. Diets are varied and include grains, fruit, insects, and other small animals including fish. Many birds in this group are known to engage in anting.
Sources:
Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds. Perrins, Christopher ed. Buffalo: Firefly Books, 2003
Latin Names Explained. Gotch, A. F. New York: Facts on File, 1995.
“Passeriform.” Britannica Online Encyclopedia
Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North AmericaFloyd, Ted. New York: HarperCollins; 2008.
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