Acanthisittidae ◎ [TRUSTED]

New Zealand's smallest bird; still relatively common in forested areas .

The family , commonly known as New Zealand wrens, represents one of the most evolutionarily significant lineages in the avian world . These birds are the sister group to all other passerines (songbirds), making them a "living fossil" lineage that provides a unique window into the early evolution of half of all living bird species . Taxonomy and Diversity acanthisittidae

A specialist of high-altitude alpine zones; currently listed as Endangered . New Zealand's smallest bird; still relatively common in

rock wrens have become increasingly rare, largely due to unsustainable predation by invasive mammalian predators [12,16]. PubMed Central (PMC) (.gov) Taxonomy and Diversity A specialist of high-altitude alpine

Evaluation of counting methods for monitoring populations of ... - PMC

The family is currently comprised of only two surviving species, though it was historically much more diverse .