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Hirundo pyrrhonota

Hirundo pyrrhonota

9.9
A North American swallow that nests in groups and builds bottle-shaped mud nests on cliffs and bridges
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Hirundo pyrrhonota
  • The bottle-shaped mud nests of Hirundo pyrrhonota are a remarkable sight on the undersides of highway bridges.

Examples

  • Every spring, large flocks of Hirundo pyrrhonota return to the same nesting sites along the canyon walls.

  • Researchers studied the colony behavior of Hirundo pyrrhonota to understand how they avoid parasites.

  • The Hirundo pyrrhonota is known for its distinctive mud nests.

  • Have you seen a Hirundo pyrrhonota in the wild?

  • Every spring, large flocks of Hirundo pyrrhonota return to the same nesting sites along the canyon walls.

  • The bottle-shaped mud nests of Hirundo pyrrhonota are a remarkable sight on the undersides of highway bridges.

  • Researchers studied the colony behavior of Hirundo pyrrhonota to understand how they avoid parasites.

Synonyms

cliff swallow
vsHirundo pyrrhonota
  • US
1 6.9

A small bird that lives in colonies and builds bottle-shaped mud nests on cliffs and walls

is the formal scientific name used in taxonomy

Surface Forms

Morphology

Hirundo + pyrrhonota

This is a Latin scientific binomial (species name) functioning as an arbitrary lexical label; its specific meaning (a particular North American swallow with bottle-shaped mud nests) cannot be derived from the parts. 'Pyrrhonota' is not a common dictionary word and any classical roots are specialized, so an average B1 learner who knows the listed constituents would not be able to infer the species-specific meaning.

Etymology

Hirundo pyrrhonota may come from old words: Hirundo meaning 'swallow' and pyrrhonota meaning 'red-backed' or 'flame-backed'. So the name fits the bird because it is a kind of swallow with a noticeable coloured back that you often see when many nest together on cliffs or under bridges.