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French to English translations [PRO] Science - Environment & Ecology
French term or phrase:cortège d'oiseaux
I've a text that speaks about a "cortège d'oiseaux", which is, or may be, a heterogeneous assembly of several species or species groups. I don't think I can use "flock" can I? I thought procession could be a contender but.... Or am I just looking for a another general word for a collection of individuals (group is my current temporary translation but I've also got group for a species group).
A population only refers to one single species, in purely ecological terms. A community of species is a set of species which interact and has emergent properties unique to it.
ian ward (X)
ASKER
and thanks to flute... and Hilary
16:57 Sep 6, 2010
looks like I have some serious study to do ... particularly as they seem to agree on "suite" ... which, glancing at the list, I hadn't taken seriously at all !!
ian ward (X)
ASKER
thanks to Liz for her "community"
16:49 Sep 6, 2010
very thorough response.... but it does imply to me a largish stable "set", rather than something that may or may not be transient... I dunno... can't population refer to several (groups of) species ? but then why don't the French use "population"? many thanks to those hanging on in there, I think I need to sleep on it.....maybe I'll try to get some indications from the author !!
The problem could be tackled by translating the subsequent "groupes" as "sub-groups" (multi-species rather than "several species groups". I must admit that I find the term "cortège" more poetic than "group" but in spite of the huge variety of synonyms for "group" given by Roget's, I cannot find one that will do for "cortège".
ian ward (X)
ASKER
BD...
13:52 Sep 6, 2010
yes, but the text goes on to say (apologies) Au sein de ces cortèges, les résultats sont présentés par groupes de plusieurs espèces ayant des affinités écologiques proches (par exemple, au sein du cortège des oiseaux pélagiques, le groupe des anatidés rassemble les eiders, les macreuses noires et brunes etc.) ... so the cortège may comprise several species groups, my understanding.. it can be heterogeneous
I don't know if there's a more technical term, sorry. I've never translated anything about birds beyond a children's colouring-in book.
ian ward (X)
ASKER
population....
13:28 Sep 6, 2010
would seem to be the obvious (!) and simplest term to use, for now, provided I make sure that it is clear what the habitat is, how it is defined... "population" also has the advantage that I don't think I've used it yet, or hardly, I can probably fix that... the French obviously prefer something poetic (see Catherine's link) !
ian ward (X)
ASKER
thanks Catherine.... smile
13:24 Sep 6, 2010
in fact, that reminds me there is a jazz tune called "conference of the birds" !
ian ward (X)
ASKER
Alain....
13:17 Sep 6, 2010
local bird population is much too clumsy... is that the best possible?
From the extra context, it seems that these birds would not be physically found together. So, the grouping is perhaps in a book, exhibition, presentation, computer programme?
Thanks - that makes a lot more sense. You didn't make any mention of "ayant la même utilisation de l'espace"
ian ward (X)
ASKER
context
13:00 Sep 6, 2010
well, I didn't bother because I thought my description was quite explicit... here is an example, the best, as it explains what a cortège is, which I believe is pretty much what I've explained (except that this quote seems to allow for the possibility that these various species and species groups are not all in the same space at the same time... so it could be more technical) " Les cortèges regroupent un ensemble d'espèces ayant la même utilisation de l'espace. Nous distinguons les oiseaux pélagiques, les oiseaux marins côtiers, les oiseaux littoraux et les oiseaux terrestres (cf. IV.2.2 pour une description détaillée). "
Explanation: A set of birds yes, but not grouped, just found within the same area (in this case).
En écologie, on utilise fréquemment le terme « cortège » pour désigner un ensemble d'espèces ayant des caractéristiques écologiques ou biologiques communes. Ce terme n'est jamais employé seul, mais assorti de précisions qualitatives diverses.
Dans son sens le plus général et le plus vague, il est pratiquement synonyme d'« ensemble ». On parlera par exemple du « cortège d'espèces » de telle zone géographique ou de tel habitat, c'est-à-dire de l'ensemble — ou de la liste — des espèces vivant ordinairement dans cette zone ou ce milieu. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortège_(écologie)
Alain Pommet Local time: 10:29 Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 24
28 mins confidence:
a congregation (of birds)
Explanation: is the expression that came to my mind.
Explanation: This term gave me over 10,000 hits, but nearly all of them are related to hunting, racing, or buying birds. So maybe not what your context requires - just another idea.
Explanation: As Alain's Wikipedia reference shows, this is a term from biogeography, which studies which species of animals and plants can be found where on the planet. It can refer either to a specific geographical region (eg France) or to a type of region (eg arid deserts) . Wikipedia says that cortège is 'pratiquement synonyme d'"ensemble"'. I also found several instances of "species cortege", but these were all translations.
philgoddard United States Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 34
Explanation: These are birds that would not naturally all be found together. See discussion:
"Les cortèges regroupent un ensemble d'espèces ayant la même utilisation de l'espace. Nous distinguons les oiseaux pélagiques, les oiseaux marins côtiers, les oiseaux littoraux et les oiseaux terrestres (cf. IV.2.2 pour une description détaillée). "
The groups bring together a set of species having the same spatial distribution. We distinguish birds of the open seas, coastal seabirds, shore birds and land birds...
B D Finch France Local time: 10:29 Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 39
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# Species loss in a forest bird community near Lagoa Santa in ... by MB Christiansen - 1997 - Cited by 72 - Related articles Patterns of species loss and decline in a forest bird community following deforestation near Lagoa Santa, Brazil, were examined in three forest fragments ... linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0006320796000730 # Bird turaco - Mount Cameroon Inter-communal Ecotourism Board ... Easy access and several lowland and coastal species, an essential stop-over for all birding tours. Bakkingili Community Forest, Limbe. ... www.mount-cameroon.org/birdwatching.htm - Cached - Similar # Winter bird community differences among methods of bottomland ... by PB Hamel - 2003 - Cited by 21 - Related articles forests. Earlier work on avian community succes- sion in old fields has also occurred in uplands. (Johnston and Odum, 1956). Most studies of bird ... forestry.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/76/2/189.pdf - Similar
or even
avian community
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# The Gypsy Moth and Its Parasites in North America: A Community in ... by JO Washburn - 1984 - Cited by 6 - Related articles Despite one of the largest biological con- trol efforts in history, .... The equilibrium status of the GM parasite community in North America cannot ... www.jstor.org/stable/2461498 - Similar # Royal Holloway, University of London : School of Biological Sciences 29 Jun 2010 ... School of Biological Sciences Royal Holloway University of London ... and the impact of parasite community structure on individual ... www.rhul.ac.uk/Biological-Sciences/.../Brown/index.html - Cached - Similar
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Biology: Concepts and Applications Without Physiology - Google Books Result Cecie Starr, Christine A. Evers, Lisa Starr - 2007 - Science - 537 pages THE NICHE All species of a community share the same habitat— the same “address”—but each also has a ... Seeds in fruit resist digestion in the bird gut. ... books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=0495381500...
liz askew United Kingdom Local time: 09:29 Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 50
2 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +2
suite of (bird) species
Explanation: standard ecological term Dictionnaire des sciences de la terre: anglais-français, français-anglais By Magdeleine Moureau, Gerald Brace
peer agreement (net): +1
