South Island Wren
Xenicus gilviventris
New Zealand Wrens (Acanthisittidae) · Passeriformes · New Zealand Wrens
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How to identify South Island Wren
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Often mixed up with
In quizzes, players most often confuse South Island Wren with these birds—either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.
| Species | Mix-ups |
|---|---|
| Bush Wren Xenicus longipes | 3 |
| Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris | 2 |
| Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae | 1 |
| New Zealand Bellbird Anthornis melanura | 1 |
| Black Robin Petroica traversi | 1 |
Family
The New Zealand wrens are a family (Acanthisittidae) of tiny passerines endemic to New Zealand. They were represented by seven Holocene species in four or five genera, although only two species in two genera survive today. They are understood to form a distinct lineage within the passerines, but authorities differ on their assignment to the oscines or suboscines (the two suborders that between them make up the Passeriformes).
Order
A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin passer 'sparrow' and formis '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their toes (three pointing forward and one back), which facilitates perching. With more than 140 families and some 6,500 identified species, Passeriformes is the largest order of birds and one of the most diverse clades of terrestrial vertebrates, representing 60% of …