Tyranni

Tyranni is a suborder of passerine birds. They are also known as the suboscines. There are about 1,000 species in this suborder. Most of them live in South America.

Tyranni
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Suborder:	Tyranni
Infraorders
Eurylaimides Tyrannides

These birds are different to the passeri (songbirds) because they have a different syrinx. This is part of the bird's voice box which makes bird song. Scientists have also done studies on DNA and fossils to show that the tyranni suborder is different to the passeri suborder.

Taxonomy

The tyranni suborder can be split into three infraorders: Acanthisittides, Eurylaimides, and Tyrannide.

The first group, the Acanthisittidae, are also known as the New Zealand "wrens". At the moment, scientists are unsure whether they should belong to the tyranni or not. Some scientists think they are too different and they should be in their own suborder.

The Eurylaimides contains two superfamilies: the Eurylaimoidea and the Pittoidea. The Euryaimoidea contains three families. They are also known as the Old World suboscines. Most of them live in tropical places around the Indian Ocean. One species, the Broad-billed Sapayoa, lives in the Americas. The three families are:

Rainbow Pitta (Pitta iris), a dark bird with bright color patches. Most Pittidae have similar colors.

• Superfamily: Eurylaimoidea
  • Eurylaimidae: broadbills
  • Philepittidae: asities
  • Sapayoidae: Broad-billed Sapayoa
• Superfamily: Pittoidea
  • Pittidae: pittas

The Tyrannides contain all sub-oscine birds from the Americas, except the Broad-billed Sapayoa:

• Furnariidae: ovenbirds and woodcreepers
• Thamnophilidae: antbirds
• Formicariidae: antpittas and antthrushes
• Rhinocryptidae: tapaculos
• Conopophagidae: gnateaters and gnatpittas
• Tyrannidae: tyrant-flycatchers
• Tityridae: tityras and allies
• Cotingidae: cotingas
• Pipridae: manakins