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family Burhinidae

family Burhinidae

9.9
A group of large birds called stone curlews with large yellow eyes that are active at night
  • noun
  • Specialized
: familia Burhinidae
  • 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

Burhinidae
vsfamily Burhinidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of large birds like stone-curlews that walk in shallow water in warm open places

means the same but is written as a phrase specifying taxonomic rank

Surface Forms

Morphology

family + Burhinidae

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.