merle
Patchy canine coloring
Merle describes a coat pattern in dogs—a mottled mix of dark and light patches, typically gray-blue with black spots.
Common in breeds like Australian Shepherds and Great Danes: a blue merle collie.
The merle gene affects pigmentation unevenly, creating the distinctive dappled effect.
Double merle breeding can cause health problems including deafness and blindness.
Spotted woodland vocalist
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
- iridescenceColor shift from interference
- glossySmooth and shiny
- ebonyDense dark tropical wood
feathers · beak · wings · passerine · songbird · perch · roost · nesting
Ground-nesting prairie songbird
- orioleVivid-plumed passerine
- caciqueNative chief or strongman
- cowbirdBrood-parasitic passerine
- grackleIridescent American songbird
bobolink · redwing · starling · passerine · flock · migration · roosting · habitat
Avian musical vocalizations
- melodyPleasing sequence of notes
- tuneMusical sequence of notes
- warbleSing with tremolo
- trillRapid pitch oscillation
whistle · call · dawn chorus · refrain · motif · cadence · fluting · mimicry
Of or concerning birds
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- taxonomyScience of categorical arrangement
- ornithologistOne who studies birds
- binocularsHandheld dual-lens magnifier
birdwatching · habitat · migration · ecology · conservation · biodiversity · endemic · classification
thrush
Spotted woodland vocalist
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
- iridescenceColor shift from interference
- glossySmooth and shiny
ebony · feathers · beak · wings · passerine · songbird · perch · roost · nesting · territorial
meadowlark
Ground-nesting prairie songbird
grackle · bobolink · redwing · starling · passerine · flock · migration · roosting · habitat · wetland
birdsong
Avian musical vocalizations
trill · whistle · call · dawn chorus · refrain · motif · cadence · fluting · mimicry · territorial
avian
Of or concerning birds
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- taxonomyScience of categorical arrangement
- ornithologistOne who studies birds
binoculars · birdwatching · habitat · migration · ecology · conservation · biodiversity · endemic · classification · specimen
given name
Personal name from birth
- Merle HaggardOkie from Muskogee
speckled, mottled, mottle, brindle, grizzle, melanism, melanistic