origin of passerine

["calyptorhynchus via Canberrabirds " <>]

Mariko,

I don't know if anyone has replied to you privately, but I thought that I'd write and tell you what my understanding is, so that people can then correct my understanding!

My understanding is that the passerines in the widest sense originated in the archipelago of islands that was Antarctica, still at that point very near to all the southern continents. The Sub-oscines ('primitive' passerines) then spread to South America (Tyrant Flycatchers, Antbirds &c), and Africa (Pittas, Broadbills, Asities) (thence to Madagascar, Asia). Of the Oscines proper the NZ Wrens are the basal clade, but whether they originated in Antarctica and spread only to NZ, or spread more widely, but only survived in NZ, I don't know and perhaps no-one does?

But the Oscines from Lyrebirds and Scrubbirds 'upwards' certainly radiated in Australia first for many millions of years until something like an Australian Robin ancestor spread to se Asia and then the passerines took over the world!

JL

On Thu, 18 Jun 2026 at 17:29, mariko buszynski via Canberrabirds <> wrote:

After reading the book "Where song began " I thought the passerine originated from Australia.  Recently I heard the result of a genome study indicates it is New Zealand.  Is it true?

Mariko

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