Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
family Muscicapidae

family Muscicapidae

9.9
A group of small birds from Europe, Asia, and Africa that catch insects in the air
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia Muscicapidae
  • The family Muscicapidae includes many species of flycatchers.

Examples

  • Several species in the family Muscicapidae are renowned for their aerial hunting skills.

  • The garden is visited by migratory birds from the family Muscicapidae every spring.

  • Recent taxonomic studies have clarified which birds rightly belong to the family Muscicapidae.

  • Several birds from the family Muscicapidae are found in Europe.

  • Recent taxonomic studies have clarified which birds rightly belong to the family Muscicapidae.

  • Several species in the family Muscicapidae are renowned for their aerial hunting skills.

  • The family Muscicapidae includes many species of flycatchers.

Synonyms

Muscicapidae
vsfamily Muscicapidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of small insect-eating birds mainly in Europe, Asia and Africa

is the same group but phrased to include the word family

Surface Forms

family Muscicapidae singular
families Muscicapidae plural

Morphology

family + Muscicapidae

The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'family' as a scientific grouping combined with the taxonomic name 'Muscicapidae' directly yields 'the taxonomic family called Muscicapidae'. This noun + name labeling is a standard, cross-linguistic pattern in scientific nomenclature, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the meaning.

Etymology

Family Muscicapidae comes from Latin words musca ('fly') and capere ('to catch'), so it literally means 'fly-catchers'. So imagine small birds sitting on a branch and flying out to grab insects in the air; that image explains why the name refers to this group of birds found in Europe, Asia, and Africa.