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granivorous

granivorous

9.6
Feeding mainly on seeds or grain
  • adjective
  • /ˌɡrænɪˈvɔrəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : granívoro
  • Many granivorous birds, such as sparrows, can often be seen foraging for seeds in parks.
  • granivorous bird
  • granivorous species

Examples

  • Damage to sunflowers caused by foraging flocks of granivorous birds occurs in every major sunflower-growing region of the world, including Australia, China, Europe, India, North America, Pakistan, Russia, South America, and Ukraine (Linz and Hanzel 1997).

    Academic text (2011)
  • Sunflower fields are an attractive habitat for many migrating granivorous bird species that use the fields for food and cover (Hagy et al. 2010).

    Academic text (2011)
  • The most arid parts of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts receive, on average, about 100 millimeters (mm) of precipitation per year, and typical habitats support low populations of only one or two granivorous rodent species.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Farmers often plant sunflowers to attract granivorous birds that help control pests.

  • The diet of these granivorous rodents consists primarily of seeds and grains found in the wild.

Synonyms

herbivorous
vsgranivorous
  • Specialized
1 6.7

An animal that eats only plants

focuses on seeds specifically rather than all plant parts
phytophagic
vsgranivorous
  • Specialized
9.9

Eating plants like leaves, stems, or roots

focuses specifically on feeding mainly on seeds rather than all plants

Surface Forms

granivorous positive

Morphology

granivorous = grain (semi-transparent) = grani + vorous + ous

The adjective is transparently built from the root for 'grain' plus the combining suffix '-vorous' meaning 'feeding on', but '-vorous' is a technical combining form that many learners may not know.

Etymology

The word granivorous comes from gran- meaning 'grain' and -vorous meaning 'eating', like in carnivorous or herbivorous. So a granivorous animal eats mainly seeds or grain.