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Glite Dictionary
Lofortyx californicus

Lofortyx californicus

9.9
A plump ground bird with a feather on its head that lives on the California and Oregon coast
  • noun
translation icon : Lofortyx californicus
  • The distinctive plume on the head makes the Lofortyx californicus easy to recognize in the wild.

Examples

  • Hikers often spot flocks of Lofortyx californicus searching for seeds in California grasslands.

  • I spotted a Lofortyx californicus in the garden.

  • Conservation efforts have helped increase the population of the Lofortyx californicus in its natural habitat.

  • Look at that Lofortyx californicus!

  • Hikers often spot flocks of Lofortyx californicus searching for seeds in California grasslands.

  • Conservation efforts have helped increase the population of the Lofortyx californicus in its natural habitat.

  • The distinctive plume on the head makes the Lofortyx californicus easy to recognize in the wild.

Synonyms

California quail
vsLofortyx californicus
  • Specialized
5.6

A plump, short-tailed bird with a feather that bends forward on its head

is the formal scientific label used instead of the common name
Lofortyx
vsLofortyx californicus
  • Archaic
9.9

A former scientific name for the California quail, a bird that lives in western North America

uses the current common or scientific naming rather than the older genus

Surface Forms

Lofortyx californicus singular
Lofortyx californicuses plural

Morphology

Lofortyx + californicus

The meaning can be partially derived from the parts: 'Lofortyx' is given as a genus name for the quail and 'californicus' signals ‘of California’, so a learner who knows both could infer this is the California quail. However, the expression is a scientific Latin binomial rather than a regular English compositional phrase, and understanding the exact referent (common name) depends on familiarity with taxonomic naming conventions, so it is not fully transparent to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Lofortyx californicus may come from the genus name Lofortyx, which sounds like 'lofty', and the species name californicus, which means 'from California'. Picture a plump, chunky bird with a small feather on its head standing proudly on a coastal rock; that image helps explain why the name refers to this chubby California quail.