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Platalea leucorodia

Platalea leucorodia

9.9
A large white bird with a long flat bill shaped like a spoon that feeds in shallow water
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Platalea leucorodia
  • Researchers observed a flock of Platalea leucorodia feeding in the shallow lagoon.

Examples

  • The wetlands are an important habitat for the endangered Platalea leucorodia.

  • Conservation efforts have helped increase the population of Platalea leucorodia in the region.

  • The Platalea leucorodia is a stunning bird.

  • Look at that beautiful Platalea leucorodia over there!

  • Conservation efforts have helped increase the population of Platalea leucorodia in the region.

  • Researchers observed a flock of Platalea leucorodia feeding in the shallow lagoon.

  • The wetlands are an important habitat for the endangered Platalea leucorodia.

Synonyms

common spoonbill
vsPlatalea leucorodia
  • UK
5.1

A large white wading bird with a spoon-shaped bill found in parts of Europe, Asia, and northeastern Africa

is the scientific name for the same bird species

Surface Forms

Morphology

Platalea + leucorodia

This is a Latin binomial (taxonomic name) rather than a compositional English phrase: while 'Platalea' (spoonbill) may hint at the bird type, 'leucorodia' is not an English lexical item and its roots are not transparent to a B1 learner. Understanding the precise species meaning requires specialized biological/Latin knowledge, so the overall expression is not derivable from its surface parts for typical learners.

Etymology

Platalea leucorodia may come from old words for 'spoon' and 'white bird'. Platalea refers to the bird's flat, spoon-shaped beak and leucorodia points to its white color, so the name helps you picture a white bird with a spoon-like beak.