Other

passerine

Ornithology

Definition of passerine

adjective

relating to or denoting birds of a large order distinguished by having feet that are adapted for perching, including all songbirds.

noun

a passerine bird; a perching bird.

The order Passeriformes comprises more than half of all bird species, the remainder being known informally as the non-passerines. All passerines in Europe belong to the suborder Oscines (the oscine passerines), so that the term is effectively synonymous with ‘songbird’ there (see songbird). Those of the suborder Deutero-Oscines (the suboscine passerines) are found mainly in America

Origin:

late 18th century: from Latin passer 'sparrow' + -ine¹

passerine in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of passerine in the US English dictionary

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