Icteridae
- noun
- /ɪkˈtɛrɪdeɪ/
- Specialized
- In the United States, members of the family Icteridae (blackbirds) cause nearly all of the damage to sunflowers (figure 1).
Examples
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An intensive research program was conducted in that area because of the regionalized concentration of sunflower production and the severe incidences of blackbird (Icteridae) depredation.
Academic text (2011) -
The vibrant songs of the Icteridae family can often be heard in the meadows during springtime.
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Icteridae is a family of brightly colored birds that includes the Icteridae like the American oriole and milkweed specialist.
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In many regions, people enjoy watching the Icteridae family as they gather around feeders.
Synonyms
A bird from the Americas whose male is mostly black
Surface Forms
Morphology
Icteridae = Icterus (opaque) = icter + idae
Formed by adding the specialized taxonomic suffix '-idae' to the genus name; this formation is regular in scientific nomenclature but not transparently meaningful to a general B1 learner.
Etymology
Icteridae comes from the old Greek word ikteros, which meant 'jaundice' and was also used for a 'yellow bird' because people once thought that seeing a yellow bird could cure the illness. Naturalists later used the name Icterus for bright yellow and orange American birds like orioles, and the ending -idae marks a 'family', so Icteridae is the family name for these colorful birds.
