yellow bunting

8.1

A small European bird whose male has bright yellow feathers

noun

: bunting amarillo

The yellow bunting is easily identified by its vivid yellow plumage during the breeding season.

Examples

We spotted a yellow bunting singing on a hedgerow while hiking in the countryside.
Conservationists are concerned about the declining numbers of yellow buntings in some regions.
Look at that yellow bunting!
I spotted a beautiful yellow bunting in the garden.
The yellow bunting is easily identified by its vivid yellow plumage during the breeding season.
We spotted a yellow bunting singing on a hedgerow while hiking in the countryside.
Conservationists are concerned about the declining numbers of yellow buntings in some regions.

Synonyms

Emberiza citrinella

vsyellow bunting

Specialized

9.9

A small European bird whose male has bright yellow feathers

is the common English name used in ordinary contexts

yellowhammer

vsyellow bunting

9.4

A small European songbird with males that have bright yellow feathers

is an alternative everyday name referring to the same species

Surface Forms

yellow bunting singular

yellow buntings plural

Morphology

yellow + bunting

The phrase is a straightforward adjectival modification: 'yellow' describes the color of the noun 'bunting', so it denotes a bunting with yellow plumage. This compositional pattern is common across languages and predictable for a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Yellow bunting comes from the bird's bright yellow feathers and the word bunting for a small 'songbird'. So the name creates a simple image of a small yellow songbird, which is why it refers to the bird with bright yellow feathers.