Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Accipiter nisus

Accipiter nisus

9.9
A small hawk from Europe and northern Africa that hunts birds in trees
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : gavilán de Eurasia
  • The Accipiter nisus is a skilled hunter, known for its agility in wooded areas.

Examples

  • Female Accipiter nisus are usually larger than their male counterparts.

  • Many birdwatchers seek to spot the Accipiter nisus in the wild.

  • Birdwatchers in Europe often spot the Accipiter nisus gliding through urban gardens.

  • The Accipiter nisus is known for its agility in flight.

  • Birdwatchers in Europe often spot the Accipiter nisus gliding gracefully through urban gardens.

  • The Accipiter nisus is known for its remarkable hunting skills, allowing it to catch small birds in flight.

  • During migrations, many birdwatchers aim to observe the Accipiter nisus in various habitats across Europe.

Synonyms

sparrow hawk
vsAccipiter nisus
  • UK
5.9

A small bird that hunts other small birds and insects

is the specific species found naturally in Eurasia and northern Africa

Surface Forms

Accipiter nisus singular
Accipiter nisus plural

Morphology

Accipiter + nisus

This is a Latin binomial (scientific) name: while 'Accipiter' signals a bird genus, 'nisus' is not an English lexical item and provides no transparent semantic clue. Scientific species names act as labels rather than compositional English phrases, so the specific meaning 'Eurasian sparrowhawk' cannot be derived by a B1 learner from the parts.

Etymology

Accipiter nisus comes from Latin words: accipiter meaning 'hawk' and nisus meaning 'effort' or 'attempt'. So imagine a small hawk making quick efforts to hunt through trees — that image fits the lively Eurasian sparrowhawk.