griffon vulture
- noun
- /ˈɡrɪfən ˈvʌltʃər/
:
buitre leonado
- The conservation area provides a habitat for the endangered griffon vulture.
Examples
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We spotted several griffon vultures circling in the warm afternoon air.
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The griffon vulture soared high above the mountains.
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A flock of griffon vultures soared over the rocky cliffs in search of carrion.
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Many griffon vultures can be seen in Spain.
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The griffon vulture soared gracefully over the mountains, its black wings contrasting with its pale body.
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In the national park, we spotted a griffon vulture perched on a rocky ledge, waiting for a meal.
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The documentary featured the griffon vulture, highlighting its impressive wingspan and keen eyesight.
Synonyms
A large bird with pale body and dark wings that eats dead animals
A large vulture with pale body and dark wings that lives in southern Europe and North Africa
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is taxonomic and fully compositional: 'griffon' specifies a type (pale-plumaged) and 'vulture' names the scavenging raptor, so the phrase simply refers to that specific species. This kind of noun + noun species name is cross-linguistically common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would understand it.
Etymology
The name griffon vulture may come from an old word for the 'griffin', a mythical creature with a bird's hooked beak. People saw the pale body and strong hooked beak of the vulture and thought it looked like a griffon, so the name came to mean this large vulture.
