Columba palumbus
- noun
- Specialized
:
tórtola común
- Birdwatchers noted the distinctive white neck patch of the Columba palumbus.
Examples
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The Columba palumbus is commonly found in European woodlands and parks.
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During migration season, flocks of Columba palumbus can be seen across the countryside.
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The Columba palumbus is often seen in parks.
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Have you ever spotted a Columba palumbus in the wild?
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Birdwatchers noted the distinctive white neck patch of the Columba palumbus.
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During migration season, flocks of Columba palumbus can be seen across the countryside.
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The Columba palumbus is commonly found in European woodlands and parks.
Synonyms
1
5.6
A large grey bird with white patches on its wings and neck
A large grey pigeon with white patches on its neck and wings
A large dove often found in woodlands with a dark ring or white patches on its neck
Surface Forms
Morphology
Columba + palumbus
This is a Latin taxonomic binomial and the species epithet 'palumbus' is not a familiar English word, so the meaning 'common wood pigeon' cannot be derived from ordinary English constituent meanings. Even if a learner recognised 'Columba' as a pigeon genus, scientific Latin names function as arbitrary labels across languages, so a B1 learner who only knows the listed constituents would not reliably infer the common-name meaning.
Etymology
Columba palumbus comes from Latin words. Columba means 'dove' or 'pigeon' and palumbus was an old word for the 'wood pigeon', so the name points to the bird we call the common wood pigeon.