blue-headed vireo
1
9.9
- noun
- /bluːˈhɛdɪd ˈvɪəroʊ/
- US
:
vireo de cabeza azul
- I spotted a blue-headed vireo in the park.
Examples
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We observed a blue-headed vireo building its nest high in a spruce tree.
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The blue-headed vireo is often spotted in mixed forests during migration season.
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Birdwatchers were excited to hear the distinct song of the blue-headed vireo early in the morning.
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The blue-headed vireo sings beautifully.
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The blue-headed vireo can often be seen flitting between branches in the northeastern forests.
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During our birdwatching trip, we spotted a blue-headed vireo singing high in the trees.
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Bird enthusiasts identify the blue-headed vireo by its distinctive bluish-gray head and olive-green back.
Synonyms
A small North American songbird with a blue-grey head and green body
A small North American songbird with a blue-grey head and white eye ring
A small songbird from eastern North America with a blue-grey head and green body that often looks for food alone
Surface Forms
Morphology
blue-headed + vireo
The phrase is fully compositional: 'blue-headed' transparently means 'having a blue (bluish) head' and 'vireo' names a type of small songbird, so the combined meaning ('a vireo with a blue head') is directly derivable from the constituents. The color‑plus‑headed modifier pattern is common across languages and follows regular adjective‑noun composition, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the parts.
Etymology
Blue-headed vireo names a 'small songbird' and creates a simple image: the bird has a bluish-gray head (blue-headed) and is a kind of vireo, so the name tells you what the bird looks like and helps you remember it.