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Glite Dictionary
Buteo jamaicensis

Buteo jamaicensis

9.9
A large North American hawk with a reddish-brown tail and broad wings
  • noun
  • /buːˈteɪ.oʊ dʒəˌmeɪ.kən.sɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Buteo jamaicensis
  • The Buteo jamaicensis is easily recognized by its broad wings and rust-colored tail.

Examples

  • Conservationists monitor Buteo jamaicensis populations to assess ecosystem health.

  • Many birdwatchers are excited to spot a Buteo jamaicensis.

  • Birdwatchers often spot Buteo jamaicensis soaring over open fields in search of prey.

  • The Buteo jamaicensis is often seen soaring in the sky.

  • Birdwatchers often spot Buteo jamaicensis soaring over open fields in search of prey.

  • The Buteo jamaicensis is easily recognized by its broad wings and rust-colored tail.

  • Many birdwatchers are excited to spot a Buteo jamaicensis in its natural habitat.

Synonyms

red-tailed hawk
vsButeo jamaicensis
  • US
2 5.5

A large North American bird that hunts small animals with a red-brown tail

is the scientific name used without habitat detail
redtail
vsButeo jamaicensis
  • US
8.1

A large North American hawk with dark brown feathers and a reddish tail that hunts small animals

is the scientific name rather than the short common form

Surface Forms

Buteo jamaicensis singular
Buteo jamaicenses plural

Morphology

Buteo + jamaicensis

This is a Linnaean binomial (genus + species) so a learner who knows 'Buteo' (a genus of hawks) can infer it names a hawk species, but the Latin species epithet 'jamaicensis' does not transparently convey the common name 'red-tailed hawk' and may only suggest a geographic link (Jamaica). Because the term is compositional at the taxonomic level but requires domain-specific/Latin knowledge to reach the full common-language meaning, it is only partially predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Buteo jamaicensis may come from old Latin naming for animals. Buteo is a Latin word for a kind of 'hawk' and jamaicensis means 'from Jamaica', so the name paints the simple picture of a hawk from Jamaica and is now used for the red-tailed hawk.