Gallinula chloropus
- noun
- Specialized
:
Gallinula chloropus
- The Gallinula chloropus is commonly seen darting among the reeds of freshwater lakes.
Examples
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Unlike the coot, the Gallinula chloropus has a bright red facial shield above its bill.
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The Gallinula chloropus is often seen near the water's edge.
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Scientists observed several Gallinula chloropus nesting along the riverbank during the spring survey.
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Have you spotted a Gallinula chloropus in the park?
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Scientists observed several Gallinula chloropus nesting along the riverbank during the spring survey.
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The Gallinula chloropus is commonly seen darting among the reeds of freshwater lakes.
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The Gallinula chloropus is often seen near the water's edge.
Synonyms
A small black water bird with a red bill and long legs that lives on ponds and lakes
A dark bluish-grey water bird like a moorhen that lives in North American marshes
Surface Forms
Morphology
Gallinula + chloropus
This is a Latin binomial: knowing 'Gallinula' as a genus of birds allows a learner to infer that the phrase refers to a bird species, so there is partial clueing. However, 'chloropus' has no ordinary English meaning listed here and the specific sense 'common moorhen / water bird found at ponds and lakes' cannot be derived from the constituents without specialist or etymological knowledge, so the expression is not fully transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Gallinula chloropus comes from old words that mean 'little hen', Gallinula, and 'green foot', chloropus. The bird looks like a small water chicken with dark feathers and slightly green legs, so the name helps you picture the species today.
