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Pagophila eburnea

Pagophila eburnea

9.9
A white Arctic gull that moves south as far as England and New Brunswick
  • proper noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Pagophila eburnea
  • The pristine white plumage makes Pagophila eburnea easily identifiable among Arctic gulls.

Examples

  • Birdwatchers in Newfoundland were excited to spot a Pagophila eburnea during the winter migration.

  • The Pagophila eburnea is increasingly rare due to climate change affecting its Arctic habitat.

  • The Pagophila eburnea is often seen in icy waters.

  • Did you know that the Pagophila eburnea migrates to England?

  • Birdwatchers in Newfoundland were excited to spot a Pagophila eburnea during the winter migration.

  • The Pagophila eburnea is increasingly rare due to climate change affecting its Arctic habitat.

  • The pristine white plumage makes Pagophila eburnea easily identifiable among Arctic gulls.

Synonyms

ivory gull
vsPagophila eburnea
9.9

A white sea bird that lives in the Arctic and sometimes moves south to places like England or New Brunswick

is the scientific species name for the same bird

Surface Forms

Morphology

Pagophila + eburnea

This is a Latin binomial: Pagophila names the gull genus (so the referent as a gull is clear), while eburnea is an epithet meaning ‘ivory’ in Latin. The overall meaning (the ivory gull) is compositional in principle, but it depends on knowledge of taxonomic naming and a non‑English Latin adjective that B1 learners typically lack, so the relation is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Pagophila eburnea comes from old words: pago and phila, meaning 'ice-loving', and eburnea, meaning 'ivory'. So the name fits a white gull that lives on Arctic ice.