The bearded reedling is a small, long-tailed passerine bird found in reed beds near water in the temperate zone of Eurasia. It is frequently known as the bearded tit or the bearded parrotbill, as it historically was believed to be closely related to tits or parrotbills. Today it is known to lack close relatives and it is the only species in the family Panuridae.
Bearded reedling
Flock in the species' typical reed bed habitat during winter in Finland, the northernmost part of its distribution
Eggs at Muséum de Toulouse, France
After a hard winter, a bearded reedling population can be greatly reduced
A passerine is any bird of the order Passeriformes which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their toes, which facilitates perching.
Passerine
Pterylosis or the feather tracts in a typical passerine
Male superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae): This unique songbird shows strong sexual dimorphism, with a peculiarly apomorphic display of plumage in males.
Wieslochia fossil