starling

/'stɑ:liɳ/

Thân thiện

A flock of starlings gathers on a telephone wire at dusk.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A gregarious bird native to the Old World: A starling is a type of bird known for living in flocks and originating from Europe, Asia, and Africa.
   • A specific family of passerine birds: It refers to birds belonging to the family Sturnidae, often characterized by dark, iridescent plumage and an ability to mimic sounds.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • A large flock of starlings gathered on the telephone wires.
  • The common starling is known for its impressive murmurations at dusk.

Advanced Usage

• "Starling murmuration": A term for the large, coordinated flocks that starlings form, especially in flight.
  • We watched the mesmerizing starling murmuration over the marsh.

Variants and Related Words

• Common starling (European starling) (n): , a widespread species often introduced to other continents.
  • The common starling has adapted well to urban environments in North America.

Synonyms

• None commonly used: As a specific bird name, it has no direct common synonyms. Descriptive phrases like "gregarious songbird" may be used.

Related Phrases

• None specific: The word "starling" itself is not typically part of phrasal verbs.

Related Idioms

• None specific: There are no common idioms that feature the word "starling."

Học thuật

Noun

1. gregarious birds native to the Old World