An order of aquatic diving birds that includes loons, grebes, and similar water birds with legs positioned far back on their bodies for swimming.
From Latin 'colymbus' (diver) plus '-formes,' the taxonomic suffix for orders. This scientific classification became standard in ornithological taxonomy during the 19th century. The order name reflects the birds' characteristic diving behavior and anatomy.
Despite their awkward appearance on land, birds in Colymbriformes are such powerful divers that some species can reach depths over 200 feet—they've essentially traded being good at walking for being impossibly good at diving.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.