band-tail pigeon
- noun
- /bænd-teɪl ˈpɪdʒən/
- US
:
paloma de cola anillada
- Because of its size and shape, the band-tail pigeon is sometimes confused with the extinct passenger pigeon.
Examples
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The band-tail pigeon is most commonly found in the forests along the Pacific coast.
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I spotted a flock of band-tail pigeons feeding on berries in the mountains.
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Look! A band-tail pigeon just landed on the branch!
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The band-tail pigeon is often seen in forested areas.
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I spotted a flock of band-tail pigeons feeding on berries in the mountains.
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The band-tail pigeon is most commonly found in the forests along the Pacific coast.
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Because of its size and shape, the band-tail pigeon is sometimes confused with the extinct passenger pigeon.
Synonyms
A large wild pigeon that lives in western North America and has a band on its tail
A wild pigeon from western North America with a broad dark band on its tail
A wild pigeon from western North America often mistaken for the passenger pigeon
Surface Forms
Morphology
band-tail + pigeon
The compound is directly compositional: 'band-tail' indicates a tail with a band or banding, and combining that with 'pigeon' yields 'a pigeon with a banded/striped tail.' While the encyclopedic details (native range, relative size, confusion with passenger pigeon) are not derivable, the core referent is transparently inferable from the constituents.
Etymology
Band-tail pigeon gets its name from the light-colored band across the bird's tail; birdwatchers and early observers used that clear stripe to recognize it. That's why the name points to a larger western 'wild pigeon' with a distinctive band on its tail.
