Near passerine
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Near passerine or higher land-bird assemblage are terms often given to arboreal birds or those most often believed to be related to the true passerines (order Passeriformes) due to ecological similarities; the group corresponds to some extent with the Anomalogonatae of Garrod (1874)[citation needed]. All near passerines are land birds. Whether all of these orders represent relatives of the Passeriformes is uncertain, but not well-supported by more recent data; however the bulk of evidence supports the hypothesis that most do indeed form a clade that also includes the Passeriformes. In addition, is is now becoming increasingly clear that "near passerines" and "higher landbirds" are not synonymous, but that the former is more probably a subclade of the latter, and also includes groups like Falconiformes[citation needed]
The near passerines traditionally comprise the following orders[citation needed]:
- Pterocliformes
- Columbiformes
- Psittaciformes
- Cuculiformes
- Strigiformes
- Caprimulgiformes
- Apodiformes
- Coliiformes
- Trogoniformes
- Coraciiformes
- Piciformes
Of these, the relationship of the Strigiformes is uncertain[citation needed], whereas the first three groups almost certainly do not belong here[citation needed]; sandgrouse (Pterocliformes) may not even be higher landbirds[citation needed]. The Cuculiformes, Piciformes and possibly Coraciiformes seem to be very close to the Passeriformes on the other hand[citation needed], and one of these almost certainly is the sister taxon of the Passeriformes.
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