Salpornis is a genus of
bird which is usually included in the
Certhiidae family. The genus has in the past been included with the nuthatches in the family
Sittidae or placed in a family of its own, the Salpornithidae.
Molecular phylogenetic analyses show them to be definitely within the Certhioidea but still leaves some uncertainty about their placement in relation to the genera
Sitta,
Tichodroma and
Certhia. While they appear similar to the treecreepers (
Certhia), they do not use their tails to support them while climbing and some molecular evidence shows them to be closer to the nuthatches (
Sitta) while another study suggests a closer relation to the wallcreeper
Tichodroma muraria. The generic name is derived from the Greek
salpinktes for wren and
ornis for bird.
