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Glite Dictionary
pectoral sandpiper

pectoral sandpiper

8.2
A medium-sized wading bird with a striped chest that puffs out during courtship
  • noun
  • /ˈpɛktərəl ˈsændˌpaɪpər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : playero pectoral
  • The pectoral sandpiper is known for puffing out its chest during elaborate courtship displays.

Examples

  • Every spring, thousands of pectoral sandpipers migrate from South America to breed in the Arctic tundra.

  • Birdwatchers spotted a rare pectoral sandpiper at the local wetland yesterday.

  • Look at that pectoral sandpiper!

  • I saw a pectoral sandpiper today.

  • Birdwatchers spotted a rare pectoral sandpiper at the local wetland yesterday.

  • The pectoral sandpiper is known for puffing out its chest during elaborate courtship displays.

  • Every spring, thousands of pectoral sandpipers migrate from South America to breed in the Arctic tundra.

Synonyms

Calidris melanotos
vspectoral sandpiper
  • Specialized
9.9

A medium-sized shorebird that puffs out its chest to attract a mate

is the common everyday name used for the same bird

Surface Forms

pectoral sandpiper singular
pectoral sandpipers plural

Morphology

pectoral + sandpiper

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'pectoral' (pertaining to the chest) modifies 'sandpiper' (a shoreline bird), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a sandpiper notable for its breast/chest features (streaked or prominently displayed). This descriptive adjective+noun pattern is non-idiomatic and follows ordinary English composition, making the meaning predictable and cross-linguistically straightforward.

Etymology

Pectoral sandpiper: The name comes from two simple images — pectoral means 'chest', and a sandpiper is a small bird that walks on sand. This bird often puffs out its streaked chest during displays, so the name points to its chest and to its life on sandy shores.