oscine

adjective

os·cine ˈä-ˌsīn

: of or relating to a large suborder (Passeri) of passerine birds (such as larks, shrikes, finches, orioles, and crows) characterized by a vocal apparatus highly specialized for singing

oscine songbirds

tropical oscine species

oscine noun

plural oscines

an American oscine

Most oscines … learn their own species' song from when they are hatchlings to young adults. —

Wildlife Center of Virginia

Word History

Etymology

taken as singular of New Latin Oscines, earlier order or suborder name, plural of Latin oscin-, oscen "bird whose cry (rather than its flight) is taken to be an omen, songbird," from os-, assimilated variant of obs-, variant of ob-, prefix denoting opposition + -cin-, -cen, root noun from the base of canere "to sing, celebrate in song, (of birds) give a cry" — more at ob-, chant entry 1