Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Zonotrichia albicollis

Zonotrichia albicollis

9.9
A North American sparrow with a white throat patch and black-and-white striped crown, often called the white-throated sparrow
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Zonotrichia albicollis
  • Ornithologists studied the migratory patterns of Zonotrichia albicollis across the eastern United States.

Examples

  • Have you ever spotted a Zonotrichia albicollis in your backyard?

  • The distinctive song of the Zonotrichia albicollis can be heard throughout the forests of North America in spring.

  • A Zonotrichia albicollis was spotted at the bird feeder, identified by its striking white throat.

  • The distinctive song of the Zonotrichia albicollis can be heard throughout the forests of North America in spring.

  • The Zonotrichia albicollis is often seen in wooded areas.

  • A Zonotrichia albicollis was spotted at the bird feeder, identified by its striking white throat.

  • Ornithologists studied the migratory patterns of Zonotrichia albicollis across the eastern United States.

Synonyms

white-throated sparrow
vsZonotrichia albicollis
  • US
5.1

A small North American bird with a white throat patch and a striped head

is the same species but presented by its scientific name
whitethroat
vsZonotrichia albicollis
  • US
9.5

A small North American finch with a white throat patch and a striped head

is the same species but classified as a sparrow not a finch

Surface Forms

Zonotrichia albicollis singular
Zonotrichia albicollises plural

Morphology

Zonotrichia + albicollis

This is a Latin binomial (taxonomic) name: 'Zonotrichia' is a technical genus label and 'albicollis' is a Latin-form epithet (not a normal English word and absent from the dictionary entry). A B1 learner who knows the listed constituents would not reliably derive the common-language meaning 'white-throated sparrow' from these parts, so the expression is not compositionally transparent.

Etymology

Zonotrichia albicollis comes from older Greek and Latin words that describe the bird: Zonotrichia points to a 'striped head' and albicollis means 'white neck' or 'white throat'. So the name helps you remember the bird's striped crown and bright white throat.