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Glite Dictionary
ring blackbird

ring blackbird

9.9
A black thrush with a white band around its neck that lives on rocky hills
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : mirlo anillado
  • We spotted a ring blackbird singing from a rocky outcrop during our hike in the Alps.

Examples

  • The distinctive white neck band makes it easy to identify the male ring blackbird in the wild.

  • Unlike the common blackbird, the ring blackbird prefers upland and mountainous regions.

  • I spotted a ring blackbird near the cliffs.

  • The ring blackbird is known for its beautiful song.

  • The distinctive white neck band makes it easy to identify the male ring blackbird in the wild.

  • Unlike the common blackbird, the ring blackbird prefers rocky areas in upland and mountainous regions.

  • We spotted a male ring blackbird singing beautifully from a rocky outcrop during our hike.

Synonyms

Turdus torquatus
vsring blackbird
  • Specialized
9.9

A medium-sized European songbird whose males have dark feathers and a white band on the neck, often in rocky mountains

is the everyday English name rather than the scientific label
ring ouzel
vsring blackbird
  • UK
9.9

A European bird often found on rocky hills with dark feathers and a white band on the male's neck

is a less standard variant name rather than the widely accepted term
ring thrush
vsring blackbird
  • UK
9.9

A European bird whose male has dark feathers and a white band around the neck

is the more widely used common name in general contexts

Surface Forms

ring blackbird singular
ring blackbirds plural

Morphology

ring + blackbird

The sense can be directly inferred from the parts: 'ring' (a ring or ringed, here indicating a circular band) combined with 'blackbird' yields 'a blackbird with a ring/neck band.' This is a literal, compositional description (a bird showing a ring-like marking), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings would readily grasp the MWE, despite the slightly uncommon noun ordering.

Etymology

Ring blackbird gets its name from the bird's look: the male is mostly dark but has a clear white band around the neck, like a ring on a blackbird. That's why the name means 'a blackbird with a white ring'.