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Glite Dictionary
Gyps fulvus

Gyps fulvus

9.9
A large bird with pale body and dark wings that eats dead animals
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Gyps fulvus
  • The Gyps fulvus plays an important role in the ecosystem by cleaning up animal carcasses.

Examples

  • We spotted a Gyps fulvus soaring above the cliffs during our trip to Spain.

  • The Gyps fulvus is often seen soaring high in the sky.

  • Wildlife reserves have implemented policies to protect the habitat of the endangered Gyps fulvus.

  • Look at that Gyps fulvus!

  • The Gyps fulvus plays an important role in the ecosystem by cleaning up animal carcasses.

  • We spotted a Gyps fulvus soaring above the cliffs during our trip to Spain.

  • Wildlife reserves have implemented policies to protect the habitat of the endangered Gyps fulvus.

Synonyms

griffon vulture
vsGyps fulvus
8.8

A large bird with pale body and black wings that eats dead animals

is the scientific Latin name for the same species
griffon
vsGyps fulvus
9.2

A large vulture with pale body and dark wings that lives in southern Europe and North Africa

is the scientific Latin name rather than the shorter common name

Surface Forms

Gyps fulvus singular
Gyps fulvi plural

Morphology

Gyps + fulvus

This is a taxonomic binomial: 'Gyps' denotes a genus of vultures and the species epithet 'fulvus' (Latin) is descriptive rather than lexical English. A learner who knows the constituents could infer it names a type of vulture (roughly a 'tawny' or griffon vulture), but identifying the exact common name requires extra domain knowledge, so the relation is only partially predictable.

Etymology

The name Gyps fulvus comes from old words that describe the bird: Gyps is from a Greek word for 'vulture' and fulvus is a Latin word meaning 'tawny' or 'yellow-brown'. So the name literally says 'tawny vulture' and fits the pale body and dark wings of this species.