hen harrier
- noun
- /hɛn ˈhɛrɪər/
- UK
:
aguilucho pálido
- During the autumn, hen harriers are often seen hunting in open fields.
Examples
-
The hen harrier glided effortlessly over the marsh, searching for prey.
-
Many hen harriers migrate south for the winter.
-
During migration season, several hen harriers were observed hunting over the marshes.
-
The hen harrier population is declining due to habitat loss and persecution.
-
We spotted a hen harrier gliding low over the moorland.
-
The hen harrier glided gracefully over the marsh.
-
A hen harrier was spotted diving low over the heather to catch its meal.
Synonyms
A medium-sized hunting bird that lives in marshes and open fields
A medium-sized bird of prey that hunts low over fields and marshes
A bird that nests in marshes and flies low to hunt small animals
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound follows a transparent noun–noun pattern: 'harrier' names a raptor and 'hen' serves as a modifier, so a learner who knows both words can infer this is a particular kind of harrier (i.e., a bird). Species names formed this way are cross-linguistically common, so while finer biological details (size, habitat) require exposure, the basic meaning 'a type of harrier/bird' is directly derivable.
Etymology
The name hen harrier may come from farmers who saw this bird chasing or taking hens: hen for the usual prey and harrier from the old sense 'to harry', meaning 'to chase'. That's why hen harrier today refers to a long-winged hunting bird that flies low over fields.
