More than half of all bird species are Passeriformes - more than 6500 known species in 140 families. Australia has about 340 passerines, Sri Lanka about 120. Curiously only one passerine, the Zitting Cisticola, is native to both countries. Also shared are the House Sparrow (feral in both countries), Nutmeg Mannikin or Scaly-breasted Munia (native to most of tropical Asia, feral in Australia) and the Common Mynah (native to India and several nearby countries, feral in Australia but descended from ancestors introduced from northern India and quite different to the Sri Lankan form). There are also rarities like the wagtails (reasonably common in Sri Lanka and very rare or vagrant in Australia), and several very similar recently split species, for example the Australasian Pippit which was only recently split from Richard’s Pippit.