Wilson's warbler

1 8.4

A small bright yellow North American bird with a black cap that lives in shrubs

noun
/ˈwɪlsənz ˈwɔːrbələr/

Specialized

: curruca de Wilson

Synonyms

warbler

vsWilson's warbler

8 5.2

A small active bird that sings many clear notes

is a small yellow bird noted for a weak unmusical song and black crown

Wilsonia pusilla

vsWilson's warbler

Specialized

9.9

A small yellow songbird from North America with a black patch on its head

is the common name used instead of the scientific label

Wilson's blackcap

vsWilson's warbler

9.8

A small yellow songbird with a black crown found in North America

refers to that bird without emphasizing species label

New World warbler

vsWilson's warbler

8.5

A small brightly colored American songbird with a weak song

is the specific yellow shrubby-habitat bird, not the general group

Surface Forms

Wilson's warbler singular

Wilson's warblers plural

Morphology

Wilson's + warbler

The phrase is a straightforward possessive + noun naming pattern: 'Wilson's' (a proper name in possessive form) + 'warbler' (a small songbird) clearly yields 'a particular kind of warbler associated with Wilson.' This compositional pattern is common and immediately signals to a B1 learner who knows both constituents that the expression denotes a specific species of bird, even if they would not infer detailed plumage or habitat from the parts alone.

Etymology

Wilson's warbler comes from Alexander Wilson, a bird scientist who first wrote about this little bird, and warbler means a 'small singing bird'. So the name simply means 'Wilson's small songbird', which helps you remember it is a tiny yellow bird named after Wilson.