Strix nebulosa
- noun
- /strɪks nɛbjuˈloʊsə/
- Specialized
- The Strix nebulosa is renowned for its large facial disk and silent flight.
Examples
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Wildlife photographers travel north to catch a glimpse of the elusive Strix nebulosa.
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The Strix nebulosa is known for its impressive size.
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Unlike many other owls, the Strix nebulosa hunts mainly during the day.
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Have you ever seen a Strix nebulosa in the wild?
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The Strix nebulosa is a majestic owl known for its large, round facial disk.
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In the forests of Canada, the Strix nebulosa can often be spotted perched silently on tree branches.
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Birdwatchers are excited to see the Strix nebulosa due to its impressive size and unique appearance.
Synonyms
A very large grey owl with a round face that lives in northern forests
Surface Forms
Morphology
Strix + nebulosa
This is a Latin scientific name (a binomial) rather than a compositional English phrase; its meaning (the species 'great grey owl') is lexicalized and not derived by combining everyday English words. Even if a learner recognised 'nebulosa' as related to 'nebulous' (cloudy), most B1 learners will not know Latin taxonomy or map those parts to the common species meaning, so the overall sense is not predictable from the constituents.
Etymology
Strix nebulosa comes from Latin words: Strix meaning 'owl' and nebulosa meaning 'cloudy' or 'foggy'. The name paints a picture of a large, grey bird with a soft, cloud-like face and feathers, so it fits the 'great grey owl' we know today.