Phasianoidea

Phasianoidea is a superfamily of birds of the order of the Galliformes.

Phasianoidea
Male common pheasant in Scotland
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Superfamily:	Phasianoidea Vigors, 1825
Families
Numididae Odontophoridae Phasianidae

Taxonomy

Description

The superfamily was described in 1825 by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors.^[1]

Etymology

The name Phasianoidea is formed by the union of the elements of scientific Latin Phasian- and -oidea. The first is the genitive root of the name of its type genus, Phasianus; and the second is the ending -oidea, neutral plural of -oideus, derived from ancient Greek εἴδος eidos, 'aspect', 'appearance', 'form', with the union vowel -o-, used in the formation of numerous names of orders and superfamilies of animals. Literally: 'those who look like pheasants'.