Birds of the World: Pick the Passerines! Quiz

Answer:

The order Passeriformes (Latin for "sparrow-shaped") includes over 140 families and 6,500 identified species, representing about 60% of all birds. They are also referred to as perching birds because of the arrangement of their toes - one pointing back and three forward - which allows them to perch upright on branches. The term songbirds is generally applied to the members of the most numerous of the three suborders in which the order is divided, the Passeri (the other two being the Tyranni and the Acanthisitti). Found in most regions of the world, passerines are mostly omnivorous, and tend to be smaller than members of other bird orders.

The order is named after the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), a small, brown bird native to Eurasia, but later introduced to other parts of the world - where it is found both in urban and rural environments. New World sparrows, though also passerines, are more closely related to buntings than true sparrows. Associated with the Christmas season, the European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is also native to the Old World, where it is found in woods, parks and gardens, actively hunting for earthworms and insects. The American robin, distinctly larger than the European one, is a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), to which the common blackbird (Turdus merula) also belongs. With its black plumage and yellow bill, the common blackbird is widespread in the woods and gardens of the European continent, where the males' melodious songs and calls can be heard for most of the year.

No other songbird is as renowned as the nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), celebrated in myth, art, literature, and music for the beauty of its song. The males of this small, unassuming bird species sing during the day as well as at night. Nightingales inhabit the warmer regions of Europe, as well as Western Asia and North Africa, and winter in sub-Saharan Africa. One of the longest-lived of all passerine species, the Atlantic canary (Serinus canaria) is endemic to the Macaronesian islands (Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira) in the North Atlantic Ocean. The domestic variety of this small, yellow-green bird - named after the Canary Islands - was first bred in the 17th century, when wild canaries were brought to Europe by Spanish sailors. The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) - so named because of the bright red colour of the males of the species - is a native of North and Central America. A frequent sight in parks and gardens, this mid-sized bird is protected in the US, and has been adopted as state bird by seven US states.

A number of passerine species are renowned for their ability to imitate a wide range of sounds, including human speech. The aptly-named mockingbird (Mimus sp.) can mimic the song of other birds, as well as the sounds of insects and amphibians. Most of these birds live in Central and South America; the only North American species is the northern mockingbird. Distinguished by its long tail, this medium-sized, grey bird has been adopted as state bird by five US states. Endemic to Australia, the lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) is even more proficient at imitating all kinds of sounds, including the human voice. This bird, among the largest passerine species, owes its common name to the spectacular tail feathers of the males, whose shape was thought to resemble a lyre.

The crow family (Corvidae) includes the two largest and heaviest passerine species, one of which is the common raven (Corvus corax). Found across the Northern Hemisphere, this bird is characterized by its glossy black plumage and keen intelligence. It also has iconic status in many cultures, symbolizing knowledge, wisdom and power as well as death and evil. Members of the crow family - which includes magpies, jays and jackdaws as well as crows and ravens - are also known for producing a great variety of sounds, and for their attraction to shiny things. The noisy, colourful blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a native of North America, where it is found in a wide range of habitats - including parks and residential areas, which provide food and nesting locations.

Each of the birds listed as incorrect answers represents a different, non-passerine bird order: Falconiformes (crested caracara), Strigiformes (barn owl), Accipitriformes (California condor), Charadriiformes (ivory gull, the only pure white gull species), Galliformes (Indian peafowl), Anseriformes (Canada goose), Gruiformes (sarus crane), Psittaciformes (budgerigar), Columbiformes (rock pigeon, one of the most common urban birds), Coraciiformes (kookaburra, a "laughing" Australian bird), Apodiformes (ruby-throated hummingbird), Phoenicopteriformes (greater flamingo), Sphenisciformes (fairy penguin, the smallest penguin species), Cuculiformes (roadrunner, a ground-dwelling cuckoo), Apterygiformes (southern brown kiwi), Piciformes (giant toucan).