clay-colored robin

9.0

A small bird with dull brown-gray feathers that lives in Mexico and Central America

noun
/kleɪ ˈkoʊlərd ˈroʊbɪn/

: mirlo de color arcilla

We spotted a clay-colored robin singing at dawn near the edge of the rainforest.

Examples

Unlike the American robin, the clay-colored robin does not have a red breast.
The clay-colored robin is often found in open woodlands.
The clay-colored robin is often seen feeding on fruit in Central American gardens.
Look at that clay-colored robin perched on the branch!
The clay-colored robin is often seen feeding on fruit in Central American gardens.
We spotted a clay-colored robin singing at dawn near the edge of the rainforest.
The clay-colored robin is often found in open woodlands.

Synonyms

Turdus greyi

vsclay-colored robin

Specialized

9.9

A small bird like a robin that lives in Mexico and Central America

focuses on the dull brownish gray plumage as identifying feature

Surface Forms

clay-colored robin singular

clay-colored robins plural

Morphology

clay-colored + robin

The phrase is a straightforward color-description compound: 'clay-colored' describes the hue and 'robin' names the bird, so a learner who knows 'clay', 'colored' and 'robin' can infer it is a robin with clay-coloured (dull brownish-gray) plumage. This color-adjective + noun pattern is a common, compositional construction in English and in many languages, making the meaning predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

The name clay-colored robin comes from the bird's look: it is like a robin but has feathers the dull color of clay. So, the name refers to a robin-like bird with dull brown-gray feathers found in Central America.