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Glite Dictionary
Passerina cyanea

Passerina cyanea

9.9
A small North American songbird whose male has bright blue feathers in summer
  • proper noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Passerina cyanea
  • The bright blue plumage of the male Passerina cyanea makes it easy to identify in the wild.

Examples

  • Scientists studied the migration patterns of Passerina cyanea across different parts of North America.

  • Birdwatchers often hope to catch a glimpse of the striking Passerina cyanea during spring migration.

  • Look at that stunning Passerina cyanea perched on the branch!

  • The male Passerina cyanea is known for its vibrant blue feathers.

  • Birdwatchers often hope to catch a glimpse of the striking Passerina cyanea during spring migration.

  • Scientists studied the migration patterns of Passerina cyanea across different parts of North America.

  • The bright blue plumage of the male Passerina cyanea makes it easy to identify in the wild.

Synonyms

indigo bunting
vsPasserina cyanea
  • US
8.5

A small North American songbird with bright blue feathers on the male during breeding season

is the species' formal name highlighting deep blue breeding males
indigo finch
vsPasserina cyanea
  • US
7.9

A small North American songbird with deep blue feathers

is the defined species known for deep blue coloring of breeding males
indigo bird
vsPasserina cyanea
  • US
8.1

A small songbird from North America with bright blue male feathers

is the specific species name rather than a general blue songbird term

Surface Forms

Passerina cyanea main

Morphology

Passerina + cyanea

This is a Latin binomial (genus + specific epithet). If a learner knows 'Passerina' = a genus of small finches and understands 'cyanea' as meaning 'blue', they can infer a blue member of that genus (i.e. a blue/indigo finch). However, as a specialized scientific name the exact common-name referent ('indigo bunting') and the taxonomic use of Latin make the expression not fully predictable for typical learners.

Etymology

Passerina cyanea comes from Latin words: Passerina meaning 'sparrow-like' and cyanea meaning 'deep blue'. The name gives a simple image of a small sparrow-like bird whose male is bright blue, so it fits the indigo bunting.