Turdus merula
- noun
- Specialized
:
mirlo común
- The song of the Turdus merula is a familiar sound in English gardens.
Examples
-
I spotted a male Turdus merula perched on the garden fence this morning.
-
Researchers studied Turdus merula populations to understand urban bird adaptation.
-
The Turdus merula is often seen in gardens.
-
Many people enjoy watching the Turdus merula in their backyards.
-
I spotted a male Turdus merula perched on the garden fence this morning.
-
The song of the Turdus merula is a familiar sound in English gardens.
-
Many people enjoy watching the Turdus merula in their backyards.
Synonyms
8
1.0
A common songbird in Europe with black feathers and a yellow beak
8
9.9
A common black bird in Europe with a yellow beak and a sweet song
1
9.9
A common bird in Europe with all black feathers that sings in gardens
A common bird with a black male and a brown female that sings a beautiful song
A black bird that sings, like a blackbird or ring ouzel
A bird like a blackbird or dipper that lives in Europe and Asia
Surface Forms
Morphology
Turdus + merula
This is a Latin scientific binomial (genus + species) rather than a compositional English phrase, so its meaning ('common blackbird') cannot be derived by a B1 learner from the parts. One element ('merula') is not a familiar English word and 'Turdus' only signals a taxonomic genus; without prior biological or Latin knowledge the referent is unpredictable, making the expression opaque to learners.
Etymology
Turdus merula comes from old Latin words: Turdus means 'thrush' and merula means 'blackbird'. Because the male bird is all black, this name became the Latin scientific name for the familiar common blackbird.