pyrrhuloxia

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pyr·rhu·lox·i·a

(pĭr′ə-lŏk′sē-ə, pĭr′yə-)

A large crested songbird (Cardinalis sinuatus) of Mexico and the southwest United States, having gray and red plumage and a short thick bill.

[New Latin Pyrrhūloxia, name of the former genus in which the songbird was classified : Pyrrhūla, bullfinch genus (from Greek purroulas, red-colored bird, from purros, red, from pūr, fire; see pyre) + Loxia, crossbill genus (from Greek loxos, oblique).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

pyrrhuloxia

(ˌpɪrəˈlɒksɪə)

(Animals) a grey-and-pink crested bunting, Pyrrhuloxia sinuata, of Central and SW North America, with a short parrot-like bill

[from New Latin Pyrrhula genus of the finches (from Greek purrhoulas a flame-coloured bird, from purrhos red, from pur fire) + Loxia genus of the crossbills, from Greek loxos oblique]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pyr•rhu•lox•i•a

(ˌpɪr əˈlɒk si ə)

n., pl. -lox•i•as.

a songbird, Cardinalis(Pyrrhuloxia)sinuatus, of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, resembling the cardinal but with a red breast and gray back.

[< New Latin, =Pyrrhu(la) finch genus (< Greek pyrrhoúlas a red bird]

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Noun

pyrrhuloxia - crested grey-and-red bird of southwest United States and Mexico

Pyrrhuloxia sinuata

finch - any of numerous small songbirds with short stout bills adapted for crushing seeds

genus Pyrrhuloxia - large showy finches related to cardinals

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References in periodicals archive ?

The Pyrrhuloxia or desert cardinal from the American southwest and northern Mexico and Lawrence's goldfinch from California are two examples.

Birds in Varying Weather: More Flexible Singers

Of the 11 species of resident passerines we captured, all but the pyrrhuloxia were nesting in both arroyos and uplands (Kozma and Matthews, 1997).

Associations of small migratory and resident birds with two scrub habitats during late winter and spring in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico

Some of the birds that can be found there typically do not occur elsewhere in the country and include the colima warbler, Lucifer hummingbird, band-tailed pigeon, varied bunting, flammulated owl, elf owl, Mexican jay, black-chinned sparrow, green kingfisher, pyrrhuloxia, and crissal thrasher.