white-tailed kite
- noun
- /ˈwaɪtˌteɪld kaɪt/
- US
:
gavilán de cola blanca
- The white-tailed kite hunts small mammals by hovering above open fields.
Examples
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Look at that white-tailed kite!
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We watched a white-tailed kite soaring gracefully over the grasslands at sunset.
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In California, the population of white-tailed kites has increased due to conservation efforts.
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The white-tailed kite soared gracefully above the fields.
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The white-tailed kite soared gracefully above the open fields, searching for small rodents.
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Biologists are studying the nesting habits of the white-tailed kite in the warm wetlands.
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While driving through the countryside, we spotted a white-tailed kite perched on a tree branch.
Synonyms
A medium-sized grey and white kite that hovers over open fields
Surface Forms
Morphology
white-tailed + kite
The meaning 'a kite with a white tail' is directly derivable from combining 'white-tailed' (white + tailed) with 'kite' (a raptor), so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer it refers to a bird with a white tail. This noun–modifier compound follows standard English composition and is cross-linguistically common, making it transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
White-tailed kite gets its name from how the bird looks and flies: it has a white tail, and the word kite was used for small birds of prey that hover over fields to hunt. So the name points to its white tail and its hunting flight.
