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Glite Dictionary
Spizella arborea

Spizella arborea

9.9
A small brown bird often seen in winter that is called the American tree sparrow
  • noun
  • /ˈspɪzəˌlɑː ɑːrˈbɔːrɪə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gorrión arbóreo
  • Every winter, flocks of Spizella arborea can be spotted feeding on seeds in snowy fields.

Examples

  • The Spizella arborea migrates from its breeding grounds in Canada to the northern United States each winter.

  • I spotted a Spizella arborea in my backyard yesterday.

  • Birdwatchers were excited to see a rare sighting of Spizella arborea during their morning walk.

  • The Spizella arborea is often found in snowy fields.

  • Every winter, flocks of Spizella arborea can be spotted feeding on seeds in snowy fields.

  • Birdwatchers were excited to see a rare sighting of Spizella arborea during their morning walk.

  • The Spizella arborea migrates from its breeding grounds in Canada to the northern United States each winter.

Synonyms

tree sparrow
vsSpizella arborea
  • UK
4.5

A small brown bird like a sparrow that lives near trees and farms

refers specifically to the North American winter bird rather than the Eurasian type

Surface Forms

Spizella arborea singular
Spizella arboreas plural

Morphology

Spizella + arborea

The binomial is compositionally transparent: 'Spizella' denotes a genus of small sparrows and the epithet 'arborea' derives from the Latin root for 'tree' (cf. 'arboreal'), so together they straightforwardly indicate a tree-associated sparrow. Although 'arborea' is not listed in the provided dictionary entry, its root is widely cognate across European languages and would allow a learner who knows both constituents to infer the species meaning.

Etymology

Spizella arborea comes from Latin words: Spizella means 'little finch' and arborea means 'tree', so imagine a small finch living in trees. That's why this name fits a small North American tree sparrow often seen in winter.