family Ptilonorhynchidae
- noun
- Specialized
- The male birds of the family Ptilonorhynchidae build elaborate bowers to attract females.
Examples
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The family Ptilonorhynchidae includes all species of bowerbirds found in Australia and New Guinea.
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Researchers have long been fascinated by the elaborate courtship displays within the family Ptilonorhynchidae.
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Members of the family Ptilonorhynchidae are renowned for constructing intricate structures to attract mates.
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The family Ptilonorhynchidae includes some of the most fascinating birds.
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Many species in the family Ptilonorhynchidae are known for their unique mating displays.
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Birdwatchers often travel to Australia to observe the unique behaviors of the family Ptilonorhynchidae.
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Members of the family Ptilonorhynchidae demonstrate remarkable creativity in their courtship rituals.
Synonyms
A family of birds in Australia and New Guinea whose males build decorated structures called bowers to attract females
Surface Forms
Morphology
This phrase is fully compositional: 'family' (a scientific grouping) combined with the taxonomic name 'Ptilonorhynchidae' literally denotes that taxonomic family. Even though the name is technical, a learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it as the bird family called Ptilonorhynchidae; the pattern is cross-linguistically regular for scientific names.
Etymology
Family Ptilonorhynchidae may come from Greek parts ptilo- (meaning 'feather') and -rhynchus (meaning 'beak'), so the name literally points to a kind of bird. That's why family Ptilonorhynchidae is used for the bowerbirds, the group of birds whose males build colourful bowers to attract mates.