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Glite Dictionary
genus Agapornis

genus Agapornis

8.8
A group of small African parrots called lovebirds
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Agapornis
  • The genus Agapornis includes nine species, all commonly referred to as lovebirds.

Examples

  • Scientists have studied the social behavior of birds in the genus Agapornis for decades.

  • African rainforests are the natural habitat of much of the genus Agapornis.

  • The genus Agapornis includes several species of lovebirds.

  • Many people love the genus Agapornis for their vibrant colors.

  • The genus Agapornis consists of small parrots known for their affectionate behavior.

  • Bird watchers often seek to observe the colorful members of the genus Agapornis in the wild.

  • Many pet owners enjoy keeping birds from the genus Agapornis due to their playful nature.

Synonyms

Agapornis
vsgenus Agapornis
  • Specialized
9.9

A small short-tailed parrot from Africa or Madagascar known as a lovebird

is limited to Africa only rather than including Madagascar

Surface Forms

genus Agapornis singular
genera Agapornis plural

Morphology

genus + Agapornis

The phrase is a literal composition of the taxonomic headword 'genus' and the proper name 'Agapornis', so a learner who knows 'genus' and the name can infer it denotes the biological genus of those parrots. This pattern (genus + taxon name) is a regular, cross-linguistic noun-noun naming convention and therefore immediately comprehensible to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Genus Agapornis comes from the Greek words agape and ornis, which mean 'love' and 'bird'. These small African parrots often sit very close together in pairs and are called 'lovebirds', so the scientific name refers to that close pairing.