adj. about birds or things connected with birds
[note: Avian flu
bug
n. 1. an everyday word for any insect, especially one that people do not like
See: beetlen. 2. an everyday word for a virus or bacterium that causes disease
(eg. She has a stomach bug.)
creature
n. any living thing that can walk, swim, fly or move part of itself
[note: Creature is an idea used in everyday language, not scientific language. Birds, animals, fish and insects are creatures, but plants and bacteria are not.]
fauna
n. all the animals, birds, insects and fish that live in a particular area or at a particular time
(eg. They made a list of the fauna in the national park.)
See: creature, flora, organism, wildlife
feral
adj. about an animal that used to live with people but is now living wild in Nature and is not controlled or looked after by anyone; opposite of domestic.
[note: Buffaloes, cats, dogs, goats, pigs, rabbits and horses have all become feral in different parts of the world. Feral animals are not the same as wild animals. This is because they are introduced species. They can become problems for the environment because they may prey on native species or at least compete with them for available food and space. They can pollute the genetics of native animals, introducing unwanted characteristics and changing species. Some cause a lot of damage to crops.
On the other hand, some feral animals can be caught and used to pull equipment or as food. In some cases, feral animals provide a much needed source of genetic diversity.]
See: goat, horse
flock
n. a group of birds or of grass-eating animals such as deer or sheep
(eg. There is a flock of ducks living near the pond. The farmer has a flock of 300 sheep.)
See: herd, pack, swarm
poultry
n. a name for any kinds of bird that people keep for their eggs or for meat; also called domestic fowl
[note: Chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese are all kept as poultry.]
See: avain flu, factory farming, free-range, livestock
game
n. wild animals, birds and fish that are hunted and killed for sport, for food, or for their fur or other parts of the body
[note: Elephants, bears, tigers are called game, but small wild animals and insects are not called game . Game fishing is a popular sport in both rivers (eg. for salmon and trout) and on the ocean (eg. for sail fish and marlin. Many game animals and fish are now threatened because they have been over-hunted.]
See: CITES, prey, wildlife
herd
n. 1. a large group of animals of one kind that lives and feeds together
[note: Goats, cattle, buffaloes, elephants and deer all live in herds.]
See: flock, shoal, tribev. 2. to move cattle from one place to another
(eg. The farmers herd their cows to new grazing areas when the rains stop.)
indigenous
adj. about plants, animals or people that have lived in one place for a very long time and that naturally belong there; also called local or native
[note: Indigenous was first used for plants and animals and only later applied to people.]
juvenile
n. 1. a person, animal, insect, bird, fish or plant that is not yet fully grown
[note: Juveniles are important for the well-being of any species even though they are not yet ready to breed. If too many juveniles are taken by fishing boats, a fishery can be destroyed.]
adj. 2. juvenile water is water formed deep in the Earth, which has never been in the atmosphere or part of the water cycle
pack
n. 1. a group of dogs or other hunting animals
(eg. The pack of wolves moved through the forest.)
v. 2. to put something into a box or other container
(eg. The factory packs eggs from the local farms.)
n. 3. a pack animal is used for carrying things
[note: Horses and donkeys are used as pack animals.]
passerine
adj. about birds that perch
[note: The feet of passerine birds are specially adapted so that they can hold on to a branch. They have three toes forward and one toe pointing backward. More than half the species of bird are passerine. Parrots, birds of prey and any birds that live in trees are all passerine . Waders and waterfowl are non-passerine.]
See: aerial, wader
pest
n. any small animal, insect or plant that people think is harmful
[note: Some insects, especially cockroaches and mosquitoes, small animals, eg. rats, weeds and some fungi are usually called pests. However, people have different ideas about what is a pest. Any living thing can be called a pest if people do not want it where it is. For example, the rabbit is considered a pest in Australia, yet people from Europe took it there as food. In agriculture, a pest is anything that harms production.]
See: infestation, introduced species, invasive species, vermin, weed
primate
n. one of a group of intelligent animals which have hands that are able to hold things
[note: Primates include monkeys, gibbons, orangutans, apes and humans. Most primates live in tropical rainforests. They are threatened because their habitats are being destroyed. Also, because all primates are closely related to people, some species are used to test if new medicines are safe for people. Many primates have been trapped and killed for this reason, so some species are now endangered.]
See: animal rights, CITES, homosapiens, rhesus monkey, vivisection
vermin
n. a name used for any small animals or insects that people think are a problem
[note: Rats, cockroaches, lice and other animals that harm food, plants or health and are difficult to control are called vermin.]
See: pest, pesticide, vermicide
young
adj. 1. A person who is young has been alive for only a short time; opposite of old
[note: The time between being a baby and an adult is called youth, and young people are also called youth when we are talking about them as a group,]
See: maturen. 2. the children of an animal; also called offspring
(eg. The female elephant will fight to protect her young.)
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