Sylviidae:
The Old World Warblers, family Sylviidae, are a group of more than 280 small insectivorous passerine bird species. The largely southern warbler family Cisticolidae is traditionally often included in the Sylviidae. The Kinglets, genus Regulus, family Regulidae, are also frequently placed in this family. The American Ornithologists' Union includes the gnatcatchers, family Polioptilidae, in the Sylviidae. The American Wood warblers, Parulidae, and the Australian warblers, Acanthizidae, are unrelated to the Sylviidae. The Sylviidae mainly occur as breeding species, as the name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent Africa. However, most birds of temperate regions are strongly migratory, and winter in the latter continent or tropical Asia. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. |