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Glite Dictionary
Spizella passerina

Spizella passerina

9.6
A small North American bird often seen in towns and gardens
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : gorrión de pico de chip
  • The Spizella passerina can often be seen hopping around suburban gardens in the spring.

Examples

  • The delicate nest built by the Spizella passerina was hidden among the low branches.

  • Birdwatchers noted several Spizella passerina singing from the treetops early in the morning.

  • The Spizella passerina is often seen in parks.

  • I spotted a Spizella passerina near my house.

  • Birdwatchers noted several Spizella passerina singing from the treetops early in the morning.

  • The Spizella passerina can often be seen hopping around suburban gardens in the spring.

  • The delicate nest built by the Spizella passerina was hidden among the low branches.

Synonyms

chipping sparrow
vsSpizella passerina
  • US
6.0

A small North American bird with a reddish crown common in gardens and parks

is the formal scientific name used by biologists for that same species

Surface Forms

Spizella passerina singular
Spizella passerinas plural

Morphology

Spizella + Passerina

This is a Latin binomial combining two taxonomic names: if a learner knows 'Spizella' (a genus of small sparrows) and 'Passerina' (a genus of small finches) they will recognise the phrase as referring to a small bird and recognise the scientific-name pattern. However, the exact identification as the Chipping Sparrow is conventional and not compositionally derivable from the parts, so the meaning is only partially predictable.

Etymology

The scientific name Spizella passerina comes from older words for small birds: Spizella from a word for a small 'finch' and passerina from 'passer', meaning 'sparrow'. So Spizella passerina is the scientific name for the little chipping sparrow.