ruddy turnstone
1
9.1
- noun
- /ˈrʌdi ˈtɜrnˌstoʊn/
:
vuelvepiedras
- The ruddy turnstone is famous for its long migratory journey from the Arctic to Australia.
- ruddy turnstone and red knot
Examples
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Have you ever seen a ruddy turnstone on the beach?
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Flocks of ruddy turnstones can often be seen turning over stones along rocky shorelines in search of insects.
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During spring, the distinctive patterns of the ruddy turnstone make it easy to spot among other wading birds.
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The ruddy turnstone is known for its striking plumage.
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The ruddy turnstone is easily recognized by its vibrant reddish-brown plumage during the breeding season.
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During my trip to the coast, I spotted a ruddy turnstone searching for food among the rocks.
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Every winter, the ruddy turnstone migrates thousands of miles to escape the Arctic cold.
Synonyms
1
9.0
A small bird that lives by the sea and flips stones to find food
A shore bird that breeds in the Arctic and winters in South America or Australia
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'ruddy' denotes a reddish hue and 'turnstone' is a shorebird that flips stones, so the phrase denotes a turnstone with reddish coloration. This color+bird naming pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Ruddy turnstone gets its name from what the bird does and how it looks: turnstone refers to how it 'turns stones' on the shore to find food, and ruddy means 'reddish-brown'. So the name describes a shorebird that flips stones to feed and has red-brown feathers.