Covering about half the national bird fauna, the Directory provides science and the community with baseline information about what bird it is and where it lives in an Australia-wide context. Identity is taken down to the level of distinct regional population. No other compendium on Australian birds does this.

• lists all regionally recognisable forms of Australian birds
• diagnoses each of these forms for ready identification
• maps the distribution and summarises the habitat of each form
• assesses the conservation status of each form
• pinpoints centres of diversity and endemism

1. Introduction
   
   Rationale – the Ultrataxon Concept
   
   Taxonomic Definitions and Concepts
   
   Materials
   
   English Names
   
   Format of Text
   
   Vagrants and Introductions
   
   Closing Date
   
   General Abbreviations
   
   References

   The Families of Australian Perching Birds
   

   The Major Groups
   

   Circumscription and Criteria
   

   Sequences
   

   References

   Conspectus of Species and Ultrataxa
   (with official numbers and conservation status)

   Checklist of New and Re-circumscribed Taxa
   

   Newly Described Subfamilies
   

   Newly Described Subgenera
   

   Newly Described Ultrataxa
   

   Re-combined Species
   

   Re- or Newly-split Species
   

   Newly Added Species

   The Taxa
   

   Family PITTIDAE, Pittas
   

   Family MENURIDAE, Lyrebirds
   

   Family ATRICHORNITHIDAE, Scrub-birds
   

   Family CLIMACTERIDAE, Treecreepers
   

   Family MALURIDAE, Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens
   

   Family PARDALOTIDAE, Pardalotes
   

   Family ACANTHIZIDAE, Scrubwrens, Thornbills
   

   and allies

   Family MELIPHAGIDAE, Honeyeaters and
   

   Australian Chats
   

   Family PETROICIDAE, Australasian Robins
   

   Family ORTHONYCHIDAE, Logrunners
   

   Family POMATOSTOMIDAE, Australasian Babblers
   

   Family EUPETIDAE, Whipbirds, Quail-thrushes and

   Jewel-babblers
   

   Family NEOSITTIDAE, Sittellas
   

   Family PACHYCEPHALIDAE, Whistlers, Shrike-thrushes

   and allies
   

   Family DICRURIDAE, Fantails, Drongos and Monarchs
   

   Family PARADISAEIDAE, Birds-of-Paradise
   

   Family ARTAMIDAE, Butcherbirds, Currawongs

   and Woodswallows
   

   Family CAMPEPHAGIDAE, Cuckoo-shrikes, Trillers

   and Minivets
   

   Family ORIOLIDAE, Old World Orioles and Figbirds
   

   Family CORVIDAE, Crows and Jays
   

   Family CORCORACIDAE, Australian Mudnesters
   

   Family PTILONORHYNCHIDAE, Bowerbirds
   

   Family MUSCICAPIDAE, Old World Flycatchers

   and Thrushes
   

   Family STURNIDAE, Starlings and Mynas
   

   Family HIRUNDINIDAE, Swallows and Martins
   

   Family PYCNONOTIDAE, Bulbuls
   

   Family ZOSTEROPIDAE, White-eyes
   

   Family SYLVIIDAE, Old World Warblers
   

   Family ALAUDIDAE, Larks
   

   Family DICAEIDAE, Flowerpeckers
   

   Family NECTARINIIDAE, Sunbirds and Spiderhunters
   

   Family PASSERIDAE, Old World Sparrows
   

   Family MOTACILLIDAE, Pipits and Wagtails
   

   Family ESTRILDIDAE, Grass Finches
   

   Family FRINGILLIDAE, Old World Finches

   Supplementary List – VAGRANTS

"It should be held in every university, museum, bird club and public library. It is a landmark reference book, the first to cover all variation in Australian songbirds since Gregory Mathews' pioneer work (Mathews 1910-1927). . .It is therefore an essential tool for ornithologists. . . I congratulate the authors on the huge amount of research they have undertaken, and for addressing a desperate need for information on regional differentiation in Australian songbirds."
Philippa Horton (South Australian Ornithologist Vol. 33)

“Although an outstanding reference work for anyone with slightest interest in the Australian avifauna, I can recommend it to everyone from bird watchers and conservation specialists to scientific ornithologists in all fields as the baseline for the systematics and distribution of Australian passerines. Richard Schodde and Ian Mason are to be congratulated for their several decades of hard work collecting the data needed to write this volume and for producing such as outstanding work.”
Walter J. Bock, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University (Auk 117(3) July 2000)

“The Directory is quite simply the most detailed work describing the morphology of Australian bird species and sup-species that has yet emerged. All students of the Australian avifauna will need to consult it.”
John Leonard (British Birds 93:407 August 2000)

‘… the authors have presented a solid and extensive foundation for future work in these aspects of Australian ornithology and an invaluable basis for considerations about bird conservation in this country.’
Walter E. Boles, Australian Museum (Nature Australia Summer 2000-2001)

“It is essential reading for ornithologists and those concerned with the conservation of Australian birds.”
Stephen Debus (Australian Bird Watcher, v.18(8) December 2000)

"“This comprehensive and beautifully produced checklist catalogs all the Australian passerine bird species, providing large-scale maps, designation of main habitat categories, and major geographic forms. The layout and descriptions are a delight to see and the contents are highly accessible. … CSIRO and the authors are to be congratulated on this outstanding work."
Allen Keast, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada (The Quarterly Review of Biology, v.76 no.1 Mar 2001)

“This Directory will be a must for any library or individual seriously interested in the birds of Australia and their conservation.”
Tim Crowe, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch (Ostrich, 71(3&4) Sep 2000)

“As usual with CSIRO publications, content is detailed, comprehensive and accurate and presentation excellent. Without doubt, this large and comprehensive handbook will be referred to for many years to come.”
Andrew Bennett (Ibis 144, 2002)

"… a detailed reference work of lasting importance, this volume should be on the shelf of every personal and institutional library. Avian systematists and bioresource managers, especially Australian professionals, will find it indispensable for decades.
Ned K. Johnson, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, USA
(The Condor 103: 200-202, 2001)