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Quiz about Bird of Prey Names Explained 2
Quiz about Bird of Prey Names Explained 2

Bird of Prey Names Explained #2 Quiz


I seemed to find an interesting quiz theme for the last one of these, so by request, here's another quiz where I'll explain the scientific name of a raptor, and you get to work out what the common name is.

A multiple-choice quiz by Yarrmate. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
Yarrmate
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
320,233
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
533
Last 3 plays: Ean28 (7/10), Guest 72 (5/10), jonathanw55 (3/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. This raptor is the largest of the true hawks. The Latin name Accipiter gentilis translates directly as the pagan hawk. It is found all over North America and Europe. What is it called in English? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Slightly morbid, this bird is a vulture. The Latin name (Cathartes aura) is an apt name for a bird that cleans carcasses and keeps disease from spreading. Cathartes is Greek for "purifier" and aura comes from Greek for "breath" or "air". Which vulture is this? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. This owl has the largest facial disc of any owl. The Latin name is Strix nebulosa. Strix comes from the Greek for screecher, which says that they are from the screech owl family. Nebulosa is Latin term, meaning foggy, misty or cloudy. This is very apt - the size of the bird is similar to an Eagle owl, but under all those fluffy feathers is a body that is half the weight. What is it called? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. This falcon, Falco columbarius, has several possible translations for its name. Falco obviously means falcon, but columbarius has several possible roots. One of these is from the Latin "columba", meaning dove. In fact, one of the nicknames for this bird is the pigeon hawk. However, its common name is most often associated with a magician of Arthurian legend. Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. This eagle has a very mythical name. The name Pandion haliaetus comes from Greek, rather than Latin. The genus name Pandion is from the Greek king of Athens (also called Pandion) and the grandfather of Theseus, who was transformed into an eagle. The word haliaetus is derived from the Greek for sea eagle. What is this regal eagle known as? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. This vulture has a scientific name derived from Greek. It is listed as Coragyps atratus. Coragyps is a combined word, from korax (raven) and gyps (vulture). The raven part comes from the all over, black plumage. The species name atratus reinforces this, and means clothed in black, particularly when in mourning. It should be easy to guess what this one is called in English! Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. This falcon, Falco biarmicus, like all other falcons has the genus derived from the Latin "falx", or sickle shaped. Biarmicus is Latin for being twice armed, which is a reference to the additional sharp points midway along the beak. It is very maneuverable, and as a result, this falcon tends to be the bird of prey that you will see flown to the lure in falconry demonstrations. Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. One of the smallest owls, Athene cunicularia, is found in the same genus as the little owl, as they look very similar. Athene comes from the Greek godess Athena, cunicularis means "pertaining to the rabbit". Taking rabbits as a clue to the English name, what is this owl? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. This Latin name is very descriptive of the vulture in question. Gypaetus barbatus translates as the bearded vulture-eagle. It is a scavenger, but passes on the rotting meat, and prefers the marrow inside the bones. It will drop large bones from a height to crack them into smaller pieces. The obvious English name for this bird is what? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. This bird's names, both Latin and English, suggest that the person that named it wasn't quite sure what to call it. Geranoaetus melanoleucus has the genus that comes from the Greek meaning crane-eagle. Melanoleucus, the species name comes from Greek again - melano meaning black, and leukos meaning white. The typical habitat of the "Black-white crane-eagle" is South American hills, which gives a clue to its common name. Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 09 2024 : Ean28: 7/10
Mar 03 2024 : Guest 72: 5/10
Feb 16 2024 : jonathanw55: 3/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This raptor is the largest of the true hawks. The Latin name Accipiter gentilis translates directly as the pagan hawk. It is found all over North America and Europe. What is it called in English?

Answer: Northern goshawk

The gos has several legends associated with it. Firstly, Atilla the Hun wore an image of a Northern goshawk on his helmet. In Portuguese, goshawk is "açor". When explorers found a group of islands, they thought they saw a large number of goshawks, and named the islands the Azores. The birds they saw were actually common buzzards (Buteo buteo).
2. Slightly morbid, this bird is a vulture. The Latin name (Cathartes aura) is an apt name for a bird that cleans carcasses and keeps disease from spreading. Cathartes is Greek for "purifier" and aura comes from Greek for "breath" or "air". Which vulture is this?

Answer: Turkey vulture

The turkey vulture has the most widespread range of all vultures across the Americas. The range is from southern Canada all the way down to the southern South America. It uses thermals to move through the air, and very rarely flaps its wings. New World vultures do not have a set of vocal cords so the only noises it makes are grunts and hisses.
3. This owl has the largest facial disc of any owl. The Latin name is Strix nebulosa. Strix comes from the Greek for screecher, which says that they are from the screech owl family. Nebulosa is Latin term, meaning foggy, misty or cloudy. This is very apt - the size of the bird is similar to an Eagle owl, but under all those fluffy feathers is a body that is half the weight. What is it called?

Answer: Great grey owl

The great grey owl is found in Alaska, northern North America, and across polar Finland and northern Asia. It has excellent hearing, and this means that they can hear prey moving beneath 2 feet of snow. Amazingly, it can clear through this snow effortlessly, despite the fact that this same depth can support a 180 pound person.
4. This falcon, Falco columbarius, has several possible translations for its name. Falco obviously means falcon, but columbarius has several possible roots. One of these is from the Latin "columba", meaning dove. In fact, one of the nicknames for this bird is the pigeon hawk. However, its common name is most often associated with a magician of Arthurian legend.

Answer: Merlin

Merlins hunt fast and low, and rely on the element of surprise. They hunt in pairs, with one bird flushing the prey towards their mate. They also take prey that has been flushed by other raptors. They are bold, and will attack anything that moves, including eagles, cars and trains!
5. This eagle has a very mythical name. The name Pandion haliaetus comes from Greek, rather than Latin. The genus name Pandion is from the Greek king of Athens (also called Pandion) and the grandfather of Theseus, who was transformed into an eagle. The word haliaetus is derived from the Greek for sea eagle. What is this regal eagle known as?

Answer: Osprey

The osprey is the only species in the Pandion genus. Like all other raptors, it has three tows at the front and one at the back, but unlike other raptors, the outer toe is reversible to allow it to grip fish better. This two-and-two arrangement is called zygodactylous, which is a great word to score in Scrabble!
6. This vulture has a scientific name derived from Greek. It is listed as Coragyps atratus. Coragyps is a combined word, from korax (raven) and gyps (vulture). The raven part comes from the all over, black plumage. The species name atratus reinforces this, and means clothed in black, particularly when in mourning. It should be easy to guess what this one is called in English!

Answer: Black vulture

The black vulture, like most vultures, is a scavenger. It is also known to eat eggs and even kill newborn animals. In built up areas, it also feeds at garbage dumps. Regardless of where it gets its food from, it finds food by using the keen eyesight or by a keen sense of smell. This vulture also lacks vocal chords, and can only emit grunts and hisses.
7. This falcon, Falco biarmicus, like all other falcons has the genus derived from the Latin "falx", or sickle shaped. Biarmicus is Latin for being twice armed, which is a reference to the additional sharp points midway along the beak. It is very maneuverable, and as a result, this falcon tends to be the bird of prey that you will see flown to the lure in falconry demonstrations.

Answer: Lanner

The extra beak points are normally found on all falcons, not just this species, so it is a mystery why the Latin name uses these as an identifier. The lanner differs in hunting style to the peregrine. The lanner hunts in horizontal flight, rather than stooping (diving).
8. One of the smallest owls, Athene cunicularia, is found in the same genus as the little owl, as they look very similar. Athene comes from the Greek godess Athena, cunicularis means "pertaining to the rabbit". Taking rabbits as a clue to the English name, what is this owl?

Answer: Burrowing owl

DNA analysis suggests that the burrowing owl is actually just a little owl (Athene noctua) that has just evolved in to a terrestrial niche, so there is some debate as to whether they should be classed as different species. Typically they live in prarie dog burrows, and when alarmed, young birds will give a hissing call that sounds like a rattlesnake.
9. This Latin name is very descriptive of the vulture in question. Gypaetus barbatus translates as the bearded vulture-eagle. It is a scavenger, but passes on the rotting meat, and prefers the marrow inside the bones. It will drop large bones from a height to crack them into smaller pieces. The obvious English name for this bird is what?

Answer: Bearded vulture

Also known as a lammergeier, the bearded vulture used to be known as "ossifrage" (bone breaker) relating to the dropping of bones. It is one of the few tool using raptors. It has also been known to drop live tortoises in the same way to crack them open. The lammergeier is one of the rarest raptors in Europe.
10. This bird's names, both Latin and English, suggest that the person that named it wasn't quite sure what to call it. Geranoaetus melanoleucus has the genus that comes from the Greek meaning crane-eagle. Melanoleucus, the species name comes from Greek again - melano meaning black, and leukos meaning white. The typical habitat of the "Black-white crane-eagle" is South American hills, which gives a clue to its common name.

Answer: Chilean eagle

This has got to be my favourite common name. The official name is the Chilean black-chested blue-grey eagle-buzzard, more commonly the black-chested buzzard-eagle, or even the Chilean blue eagle from its denim blue plumage.Whatever it is called, it is a very powerful eagle, even known to prey on sheep.

As a result, shepherds in Argentina have baited carcasses with poison. However, the eagle is still rated "of least concern" on the Red List.
Source: Author Yarrmate

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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