Vangidae
/vænˈdʒɪdiː/noun
A family of mostly insect-eating passerine birds endemic to Madagascar and nearby islands.
Did you know?Vangidae is one of the classic examples of Madagascar’s extraordinary evolutionary isolation, containing birds that diversified into remarkably different bill shapes and ecological roles.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-19th Century
Malagasy
vanga
“A Malagasy name for a bird; the precise original meaning is not securely established.”
1816
French zoology
Vanga
“Vieillot established Vanga as a zoological genus name for a Madagascar bird.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Vangidae
“A family-name formation based on the genus Vanga, using the zoological suffix -idae.”
Modern English
English
Vangidae
“The recognized family of vangas and related Madagascar passerines.”
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