Drepanid

/ˈdrepənɪd/ noun

Definition

A member of the family Drepanididae, referring to Hawaiian honeycreeper birds with sickle-shaped bills.

Etymology

From Drepanididae, the scientific family name derived from Greek 'drepane' meaning sickle.

Kelly Says

Drepanids are textbook examples of adaptive radiation—where one or two ancestral bird species evolved into dozens of different species with completely different bill shapes and feeding habits, all on the Hawaiian islands.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.