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Glite Dictionary
Haematopodidae

Haematopodidae

9.9
A group of sea birds with strong beaks that open shellfish
  • noun
  • /ˌhiːmətəˈpɒdəˌdiː/
  • Specialized
: Haematopodidae
  • Many species in the Haematopodidae family have adapted to life in coastal habitats, using their strong bills to open shellfish.

Examples

  • During low tide, the Haematopodidae can be seen foraging along the beach for marine invertebrates.

  • In some shorebirds, such as oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) and thick-knees (Burhinidae), the young are fed by the parents, whereas in many others the young require less care; the parents only brood them and defend them from predators.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The Haematopodidae family includes birds like the Eurasian oystercatcher, known for their striking black and white plumage.

Synonyms

family Haematopodidae
vsHaematopodidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of birds that live by the sea called oystercatchers with long strong bills

is the taxonomic label highlighting coastal habitats rather than body details

Surface Forms

Haematopodidae singular
Haematopodidae plural

Etymology

Haematopodidae comes from the parts haemato- meaning 'blood', pod- meaning 'foot', and -idae meaning 'family'. A helpful way to remember it is 'blood-foot family' because these oystercatchers are shorebirds with strong bills and bright red or orange legs along the coast, so the name points to this group of coastal birds.