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Glite Dictionary
Cassin's kingbird

Cassin's kingbird

9.7
A medium grey bird with a yellow belly found in the southwestern United States
  • noun
  • /ˈkæsɪnz ˈkɪŋbɜrd/
  • US
translation icon : rey de Cassin
  • I spotted a Cassin's kingbird in the park yesterday.

Examples

  • The birdwatcher added Cassin's kingbird to her life list after spotting one in Arizona.

  • We watched a Cassin's kingbird perched on the fence, its yellow belly bright in the morning sun.

  • During migration, several Cassin's kingbirds stopped to rest in our backyard.

  • The Cassin's kingbird is known for its distinctive yellow abdomen.

  • In the Arizona desert, the Cassin's kingbird is known for its striking grey feathers and bright yellow abdomen.

  • While hiking in New Mexico, we spotted a Cassin's kingbird sitting on a fence, watching for insects.

  • The Cassin's kingbird often outsmarted its predators by working with other birds to protect their nests.

Synonyms

Tyrannus vociferans
vsCassin's kingbird
  • Specialized
9.9

A grey bird with a yellow belly that lives in the southwestern United States

uses the informal common name rather than the Latin binomial

Surface Forms

Cassin's kingbird singular
Cassin's kingbirds plural

Morphology

Cassin's + kingbird

This is an eponymous species name formed by a possessive proper noun + a noun (kingbird), so a learner who knows the constituents will infer it denotes a particular kind of kingbird associated with 'Cassin'. The construction is compositionally transparent and follows a common naming pattern for species, so the overall meaning is accessible even if the learner does not know the historical person 'Cassin'.

Etymology

The name Cassin's kingbird honors the American bird expert John Cassin from the 1800s. The word kingbird comes from its bold, 'king'-like habit of chasing away other birds, and Cassin's shows the bird was 'named after' that person, so the name tells both who it honors and how the bird behaves.