Several studies support monophyly of a group formed by thrushes, chats and flycatchers (Sibley & Ahlquist 1990, Cibois & Cracraft 2004, Beresford et al. 2005, Treplin et al. 2008, but see Voelker & Spellman 2004, Fuchs et al. 2006b). Recent evidence indicates that the thrushes (Turdinae, sensu Sibley & Monroe 1990) are not monophyletic, because some taxa (e.g. Monticola) are part of a clade formed by chats and flycatchers (Voelker & Spellman 2004, Pan et al. 2006). Relationships among the ‘true’ thrushes have recently been clarified (Klicka et al. 2005, Voelker et al. 2006, Pan et al. 2007, Nylander et al. 2008, Voelker & Klicka 2008). Numerous studies have shown that the chats (Saxicolini) are more closely related to the flycatchers (Muscicapini) than to the thrushes (Turdinae) (Sibley & Ahlquist 1990, Chikuni et al. 1996, Pasquet et al. 1999, Barker et al. 2002, 2004, Cibois & Cracraft 2004, Voelker & Spellman 2004, Fuchs et al. 2006b, Treplin et al. 2008). In fact, some of these studies indicate that Saxicolini (sensu Sibley & Ahlquist 1990) and Muscicapini (sensu Sibley & Ahlquist 1990) are not reciprocally monophyletic (Cibois & Cracraft 2004, Voelker & Spellman 2004, Treplin et al. 2008). As a result of these studies, Turdinae includes Zoothera, Ixoreus, Hylocichla, Catharus and Turdus (Klicka et al. 2005), Muscicapini includes two British genera (Muscicapa and Cercotrichas), and Saxicolini includes Erithacus, Luscinia, Tarsiger, Phoenicurus, Saxicola, Oenanthe, Monticola and Ficedula (Cibois & Cracraft 2004, Voelker & Spellman 2004). The position of Irania has not yet been assessed with phylogenetic methods; we retain this taxon in Saxicolini.