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Glite Dictionary
black kite

black kite

7.7
A medium-sized bird of prey with dark feathers that often eats dead animals
  • noun
  • /blæk kaɪt/
translation icon : milano negro
  • It is to see these birds, along with the flocks of black kites that gather at dusk, that Leshem and I have come here.

Examples

  • While watching the sunset, we spotted a black kite soaring gracefully over the open field.

  • High-flying black kites and ground-skimming marsh harriers searched for dead or dying fish.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Many black kites can be seen circling above the landfill, searching for scraps to eat.

  • The black kite is known for its distinctive dark plumage and keen hunting skills.

Synonyms

Milvus migrans
vsblack kite
  • Specialized
9.9

A dark bird of prey that eats dead animals

is the common English name for that bird

Surface Forms

black kite singular
black kites plural

Morphology

black + kite

The meaning is directly built from 'black' (color) + 'kite' (a raptor), so a learner who knows both words will infer a kite that is black or a black-colored species of kite. This color+animal composition is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner can understand the MWE without prior exposure.

Etymology

Black kite is named just like it looks: black for its dark feathers and kite for a bird that soars like a toy kite. It often circles and eats food from 'dead animals', so the name helps you picture the bird and what it does.