▁of ▁Europe ans , ▁with ▁the ▁bush w ren ▁surv iving ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁Of ▁the ▁two ▁remaining ▁species , ▁the ▁rif le man ▁is ▁still ▁common ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁Islands , ▁while ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁rock ▁w ren ▁is ▁restricted ▁to ▁the ▁al pine ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁Island ▁and ▁is ▁considered ▁vulner able . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁and ▁system at ics ▁The ▁tax onomy ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁wr ens ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁considerable ▁debate ▁since ▁their ▁discovery , ▁although ▁they ▁have ▁long ▁been ▁known ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁unusual ▁family . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁For bes ▁assigned ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁wr ens ▁to ▁the ▁sub osc ines ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁c oting as ▁and ▁the ▁pitt as ▁( and ▁gave ▁the ▁family ▁the ▁name ▁X en ic idae ). ▁Later , ▁they ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁o ven bird s ▁and ▁ant bird s . ▁S ible y ' s ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁study ▁comparing ▁egg - white ▁prote ins ▁moved ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁osc ines , ▁but ▁later ▁studies , ▁including ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁DNA - D NA ▁hy brid ization ▁study , ▁suggested ▁the ▁family ▁was ▁a ▁sister ▁tax on ▁to ▁the ▁sub osc ines ▁and ▁the ▁osc ines . ▁This ▁theory ▁has ▁proven ▁most ▁robust ▁since ▁then ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁wr ens ▁might ▁be ▁the ▁surv iv ors ▁of ▁a ▁line age ▁of ▁passer