mistletoe thrush

8.7

A large European bird with a spotted breast that eats mistletoe berries and sings loudly

noun

: zorzal muérdago

Gardeners appreciate the mistletoe thrush for spreading mistletoe by eating its berries.

Examples

The mistletoe thrush is often seen in woodlands across Europe during the winter months.
The mistletoe thrush sings beautifully in the morning.
When startled, a mistletoe thrush flies up, flashing its white underwings.
Have you ever seen a mistletoe thrush in the wild?
Gardeners appreciate the mistletoe thrush for spreading mistletoe by eating its berries.
The mistletoe thrush is often seen in woodlands across Europe during the winter months.
The mistletoe thrush sings beautifully in the morning.

Synonyms

Turdus viscivorus

vsmistletoe thrush

Specialized

9.9

A large European bird that eats mistletoe berries

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific term

missel thrush

vsmistletoe thrush

9.8

A large European songbird with a spotted belly that eats mistletoe berries and sings loudly

is the standard modern spelling used in everyday English

mistle thrush

vsmistletoe thrush

8.8

A large brown songbird with a speckled chest that eats mistletoe berries

emphasises loud melodious song rather than just appearance

Surface Forms

mistletoe thrush singular

mistletoe thrushes plural

Morphology

mistletoe + thrush

The noun-noun compound 'mistletoe thrush' is directly compositional: a thrush that is associated with or feeds on mistletoe. This follows a common cross-linguistic pattern for animal names, so a B1 learner who knows 'mistletoe' and 'thrush' can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Mistletoe thrush is a name from a simple picture: a thrush that eats the sticky red berries of mistletoe and spreads the seeds as it moves. That's why the name means 'a thrush that feeds on mistletoe'.