Porphyrio porphyrio
- noun
- Specialized
:
Porphyrio porphyrio
- The Porphyrio porphyrio is recognized for its vivid plumage and striking red bill.
Examples
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Conservation efforts have helped the population of Porphyrio porphyrio recover in some areas.
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Birdwatchers in Spain often seek out the elusive Porphyrio porphyrio in wetland habitats.
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Look! A Porphyrio porphyrio!
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What a beautiful Porphyrio porphyrio!
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Birdwatchers in Spain often seek out the elusive Porphyrio porphyrio in wetland habitats.
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Conservation efforts have helped the population of Porphyrio porphyrio recover in some areas.
-
The Porphyrio porphyrio is recognized for its vivid plumage and striking red bill.
Synonyms
A colourful water bird with purple feathers and long toes that lives in wetlands in Europe
A bright purple-blue marsh bird with a red bill that lives in marshes
Surface Forms
Morphology
If a learner knows 'Porphyrio' as a genus of colorful wetland birds, seeing it doubled makes it plausible to infer this is a specific species within that genus (i.e. a bird). However, the exact species identity and common name ('purple gallinule') depend on knowledge of binomial Latin naming conventions, which are specialized and not guaranteed for a B1 learner, so the relation is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Porphyrio porphyrio comes from an old Greek word 'porphyrios' meaning 'purple', because the bird has bright purple-blue feathers and a red bill. The repeated word porphyrio, the same name twice, is a way scientists use to show the main species, so the name today points to this 'purple gallinule'.
