The Philippine creepers or rhabdornises are small passerinebirds and form the genusRhabdornis. They are endemic to the Philippines. They do not migrate, other than to make local movements.
The relationship of the Philippine creepers to other bird species was formerly uncertain and the genus Rhabdornis was placed in its own family Rhabdornithinae.[3][4]Molecular phylogenetic studies have revealed that the Philippine creepers are aberrant members of the starling family Sturnidae.[5][6][7]
The Philippine creepers are similar in appearance to treecreepers (Certhiidae). They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they can use to extricate insects from bark, but they have brush-like tongues, which enable them to also feed on nectar.
^Lovette, Irby J.; Rubenstein, Dustin R. (2007). "A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the starlings (Aves: Sturnidae) and mockingbirds (Aves: Mimidae): Congruent mtDNA and nuclear trees for a cosmopolitan avian radiation". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 44 (3): 1031–1056. Bibcode:2007MolPE..44.1031L. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.03.017. PMID17502157.
^Zuccon, D.; Cibois, A.; Pasquet, E.; Ericson, P.G.P. (2006). "Nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data reveal the major lineages of starlings, mynas and related taxa". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 41 (2): 333–344. Bibcode:2006MolPE..41..333Z. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.007. PMID16806992.
