Passeriformes
- noun
- /ˌpæsəˈrɪfɔrmiːz/
- Specialized
- Many common birds, such as sparrows and robins, belong to the order Passeriformes.
Examples
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In my backyard, I have seen a variety of Passeriformes species, including finches and swallows.
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Birdwatchers often enjoy identifying different Passeriformes as they visit parks and gardens.
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I am a professor of ornithology by trade—with a specialty in North American seedeaters (Passeriformes Fringillidae)—but an amateur lutanist at heart.
Fiction book (1999)
Synonyms
A large group of songbirds that includes sparrows and robins
Surface Forms
Etymology
Passeriformes comes from the Latin passer meaning 'sparrow' and the ending -iformes meaning 'in the form of' or 'like'. So the name literally means 'sparrow-like' birds, which fits because this order includes sparrows and many other perching birds such as finches and robins.