migrant shrike
- noun
- /ˈmaɪɡrənt ʃraɪk/
- US
:
alcaudón migratorio
- Every autumn, the migrant shrike leaves central North America for warmer climates.
Examples
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The migrant shrike is often seen in grasslands during its spring migration.
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A birdwatcher spotted a migrant shrike near the banks of the Mississippi River.
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Look at that migrant shrike!
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The migrant shrike is known for its distinctive hunting style.
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Every autumn, the migrant shrike leaves central North America for warmer climates.
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A birdwatcher spotted a migrant shrike near the banks of the Mississippi River.
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The migrant shrike is often seen in grasslands during its spring migration.
Synonyms
A type of shrike bird found in central North America that winters in Texas and the southern Mississippi valley
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'migrant' (seasonally moving) modifies 'shrike' (a type of bird), so the phrase denotes a shrike that migrates. The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents and follows common cross-linguistic noun modification patterns, making it clear to a learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Migrant shrike comes from the words migrant and shrike: migrant is a bird that 'moves south in winter' and shrike is the type of small, hooked-billed bird. Birdwatchers used this name for shrikes that fly from central North America to warmer places like Texas and the southern Mississippi Valley, so it means 'a shrike that migrates south in winter'.
