Eurasian kingfisher

8.1

A small bright bird with blue and orange feathers that lives by rivers in Europe and Asia and eats fish

noun

: martinete euroasiático

With its vivid blue and orange feathers, the Eurasian kingfisher is easy to identify.

Examples

The Eurasian kingfisher is often seen perched above rivers waiting to catch fish.
Birdwatchers travel to wetlands to catch a glimpse of the elusive Eurasian kingfisher.
The Eurasian kingfisher is known for its vibrant colors.
Look at that beautiful Eurasian kingfisher!
The Eurasian kingfisher is often seen perched above rivers waiting to catch fish.
With its vivid blue and orange feathers, the Eurasian kingfisher is easy to identify.
Birdwatchers travel to wetlands to catch a glimpse of the elusive Eurasian kingfisher.

Synonyms

Alcedo atthis

vsEurasian kingfisher

Specialized

9.9

A small kingfisher with a green-blue back and a bright orange belly

is the common English name used widely in everyday contexts

Surface Forms

Eurasian kingfisher singular

Eurasian kingfishers plural

Morphology

Eurasian + kingfisher

The phrase is fully compositional: 'Eurasian' denotes belonging to Europe and Asia and 'kingfisher' names the bird, so together they refer to the kingfisher species found across Europe and Asia. This adjective + noun pattern is a transparent, cross-linguistic composition that a B1 learner who knows both constituents can understand.

Etymology

The compound Eurasian kingfisher combines Eurasian (meaning 'from Europe and Asia') and kingfisher. One popular story says people called it a kingfisher because its bright blue and orange feathers look like a king's rich clothes and because it dives quickly to catch fish, so the name now points to this small, colourful bird.