rail-babbler
eupetes macrocerus latin

Opinions on the correct taxonomic placement for the rail-babbler have differed.

The genus was once considered to contain the Rail-babbler, but that species is now considered to belong to its own family.

If the Malaysian Rail-babbler is also included, the name Eupetidae has priority.

The Malaysian Rail-babbler has now been shown to be unrelated to the others, probably being an early offshoot of the Passerida.

Eupetidae: Malaysian Rail-babbler.

The Malaysian Rail-babbler (Eupetes macrocerus) was formerly sometimes placed in this family which would then be called Eupetidae.

Sometimes the Malaysian Rail-babbler and Blue-capped Ifrit (Ifrita kowaldi) were also included in the family.

Recent DNA analysis has shown that Picathartidae and its closest relatives, southern Africa's rockjumpers and southeast Asia's Rail-babbler, form a clade.

Based on molecular studies, Jønsson et al. (2007) argues that this is closer to the correct position for this species; the rail-babbler is most closely related to the rockjumpers, another early branch of the oscine passerines.

The name "Eupetidae" had been used for this grouping; however, because of the distant relationship of the Rail-babbler to the other members of this group uncovered in research by Jønsson et al. (2007) that name is more appropriately used for the monotypic family which contains this species.