Irenidae

▪ bird family

      songbird family, order Passeriformes, consisting of the leafbirds, ioras, and fairy bluebirds, about 14 species of small brightly coloured birds of the forests and farms of southeastern Asia.

      Members range in size from 13 to 25 centimetres (5 to 10 inches) long. They appear to be closely related to the bulbuls (family Pycnonotidae), even to the hairy patch on the nape. They have slightly downcurved bills, short legs, and rounded wings. Leafbirds proper are in the genus Choropsis, ioras are in the genus Aegithina, and fairy bluebirds in the genus Irena. They eat fruit, buds, and some insects. Many are noted for their striking aerial displays during courtship and for their musical whistles and flutelike calls.

      The family, called Chloropseidae by some authors, belongs to the songbird suborder (Passeres).

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