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Glite Dictionary
Piranga olivacea

Piranga olivacea

9.9
A North American bird whose male has a bright red body and black wings
  • noun
  • /pɪˈræŋɡə ˌɒlɪˈveɪʃə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Piranga olivácea
  • The male Piranga olivacea is easily recognized by its bright red body and contrasting black wings.

Examples

  • The song of the Piranga olivacea can be heard in deciduous forests across eastern North America.

  • Many birdwatchers travel in spring to catch a glimpse of Piranga olivacea during migration.

  • The male Piranga olivacea is known for its striking red color.

  • Look at that Piranga olivacea perched on the branch!

  • Many birdwatchers travel in spring to catch a glimpse of Piranga olivacea during migration.

  • The male Piranga olivacea is easily recognized by its bright red body and contrasting black wings.

  • The song of the Piranga olivacea can be heard in deciduous forests across eastern North America.

Synonyms

scarlet tanager
vsPiranga olivacea
  • US
1 9.3

A North American songbird whose male has bright red body with black wings and tail

is the scientific name used in formal biology rather than the common name

Surface Forms

Piranga olivacea singular
Piranga olivaceas plural

Morphology

Piranga + olivacea

This is a Latin binomial (scientific name) rather than a compositional English phrase: 'Piranga' is a genus label and 'olivacea' is a Latin epithet not attested in the learner dictionary, so a B1 learner cannot derive 'scarlet tanager' from these parts. Even if one guessed 'olivacea' relates to 'olive', that would be misleading (the male is bright red), and taxonomic names function as arbitrary labels across languages, making the meaning unpredictable from the constituents.

Etymology

Piranga olivacea may come from an old local name for a small red bird and the Latin word olivacea meaning 'olive'. That's why the male is bright red while the female and young are olive-green, so the name helps you remember this species.