PhasianoideaPhasianoidea is a superfamily of birds of the order of the Galliformes.TaxonomyDescriptionThe superfamily was described in 1825 by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors.EtymologyThe 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'.