Oriental magpie robin (Copsychus saularis) is found from Pakistan east to India and southern China and south through SE Asia to Indonesia and the Philippines. The magpie robin is about 9 inches in length. The head and upper breast is dark, and the lower breast and belly is white.

There are about 15 recognized subspecies. The nominate subspecies is found from north eastern Pakistan south into northern and central India.

The subspecies ceylonensis is found in southern India and south into Sri Lanka (Ceylon). The subspecies erimelas is found in north east India and east into SE Asia. The subspecies andamensis is found in the Andaman Islands. The subspecies prosthopellus is found in southern China. The subspecies musicus is found in southern Thailand, Malaysia, and Sumatra.

The subspecies nesiotes is found in southern Sumatra and adjacent islands. The subspecies zaenecus is found on Simeulue Island near Sumatra, and the subspecies nesiarchus is found on Nias an island to the west of Sumatra. The subspecies masculus is found in the Batu Islands. The subspecies pagiensis is found in the Mentawi Islands and other islands near Sumatra.

The subspecies javensis is found on Java. The subspecies amoenus is found from eastern Java onto Bali.

The subspecies problematicus is found in southern Borneo, and the subspecies adamsi is found in northern Borneo and adjacent islands. The subspecies pluto is found in eastern Borneo and adjacent islands.

The subspecies deuteronymus is found in the northern Philippines, and the subspecies mindanensis is found in the southern Philippines and south into adjacent Indonesia.

The shama genus and magpie-robin genus (Copsychus) is found in Madagascar and the Seychelles east to India, south eastern Asia, Borneo, and the Philippines. There are 8 species in this genus. Most male members of this genus are dark blue-black with white patches. The females can be brown to black and white. The white rumped shama of southern Asia is about 11 inches in length. Other species are 6.5 inches to 8 inches in length. Several species are known for their singing abilities.

The Howard and Moore checklist of 2003 shows only 7 species. (The change is that Copsychus stricklandii of northern Borneo is now placed as a subspecies of Copsychus malabaricus. )

The Saxicolini tribe has about 156 species divided among about 30 genera. Most of the species are from Africa with the balance from Eurasia and the Indo-Australian region.

In most modern bird taxonomies, the perching birds (Passeriformes) is treated as a single order. This large order has about 5739 different species. Recently, Monroe and Sibley in 1993 have divided this large order into six main divisions. To help our users navigate this gigantic number of species, we have arbitrarily placed these 6 different divisions at the order level in our taxonomy tree.

This Muscicapoidea division can be referred to as:
Order Passeriformes (5739 species)
Suborder Passeri (4580 species)
Parvorder Passerida (3473 species)
Superfamily Muscicapoidea (613 species)

This superfamily of Muscicapoides is divided into families without a common agreement as to the precise division. Thrushes, robins, rock thrushes, starlings, chats, wheatears, and others belong here.

In most modern bird taxonomies, the perching birds (Passeriformes) is treated as a single order. This large order has about 5739 different species. A common characteristic of this order is three forward toes and one reverse pointing toe. Most of species are also characterized by a tendon locking mechanism that permits their feet to lock onto branches when they relax. Recently, Monroe and Sibley in 1993 have divided this large order into six main divisions. To help our users navigate this gigantic number of species, we have arbitrarily placed these 6 different divisions at the order level.

This division can be referred to as:
Order Passeriformes (5739 species)
Suborder Passeri (4580 species)
Parvorder Passerida (3473 species)

This large Passerida group can be divided into 3 additional groups as follows:
Superfamily Muscicapoidea (613)
Superfamily Sylvioidea (1204)
Superfamily Passeroidea (1656) 613 + 1204 + 1656 =3473

Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000. Birdlife recognizes 10,027 species as of 2011.

However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.

Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.

The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.

For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago. However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.

When this project was begun in 1978, we used Austin & Singer for bird taxonomy. Since then, we have adopted many changes, but have kept some older concepts that are still found widely in the literature. Recently, we have used Clements and Howard & Moore. Very recently, we have used Monroe and Sibley for the higher taxonomy of the perching birds.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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