Anthus

/ˈænθəs/ noun

Definition

A genus of small songbirds known as pipits, found worldwide and often seen running on the ground in open areas.

Etymology

From Greek 'anthos' (flower), possibly because these birds were poetically associated with flowering meadows where they forage, named scientifically in the 18th century.

Kelly Says

Pipits in the genus Anthus are long-distance migrants that somehow navigate thousands of miles using only Earth's magnetic field and their ancestors' memory—their brains are smaller than your pinky nail but contain a built-in GPS.

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