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Glite Dictionary
Sterninae

Sterninae

9.9
A group of sea birds called terns with slim bodies and long wings
  • noun
  • /ˈstɜrnɪˌneɪ/
  • Specialized
: esterninas
  • The slender bodies and long wings of Sterninae make them easily recognizable in flight.

Examples

  • The Sterninae are well known for their aerial agility and long migratory journeys.

  • Several species within the Sterninae can be observed nesting along coastal regions worldwide.

  • Ornithologists have debated the proper classification of birds in the Sterninae.

  • The Sterninae family includes many species of terns.

  • Have you ever seen a Sterninae in the wild?

  • Several species within the Sterninae are often seen diving for fish near the shore.

  • Birdwatchers flock to coastal areas to observe various types of Sterninae during migration.

Synonyms

tern
vsSterninae
7 5.7

A small bird like a gull with narrow wings and a forked tail that lives by the sea

is a taxonomic subfamily term used in scientific classification of those seabirds

Surface Forms

Sterninae singular
Sterninaes plural

Etymology

Sterninae comes from the scientific name Sterna, the name for the birds called 'terns', plus the ending -inae that shows a 'subfamily' or 'group' of related birds. So Sterninae simply means the group of long-winged seabirds we call terns.