family Burhinidae
- noun
- Specialized
- The family Burhinidae includes several species of stone curlew found in Europe, Africa, and Australia.
Examples
-
Members of the family Burhinidae are known for their nocturnal habits and large yellow eyes.
-
The family Burhinidae includes several species of stone curlews.
-
Ornithologists have identified unique behaviors among birds in the family Burhinidae.
-
Many birds in the family Burhinidae are known for their large size.
-
Many birds in the family Burhinidae are known for their large size and distinctive features.
-
The family Burhinidae includes various species of stone curlews that thrive in warm climates.
-
Ornithologists have studied the behaviors of avians belonging to the family Burhinidae in depth.
Synonyms
A group of large birds like stone-curlews that walk in shallow water in warm open places
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward taxonomic construction: 'family' denotes a grouping and 'Burhinidae' is the name of the specific taxon. A learner who knows both constituents can directly infer it refers to the family named Burhinidae (i.e., the group of stone curlews), and the 'family + taxon name' pattern is a common, cross-linguistic composition.
Etymology
Family Burhinidae comes from the bird genus Burhinus plus the scientific ending -idae that biologists add to name a 'family' of related species. So family Burhinidae simply means the group of stone curlews and their close relatives.