bird : Idioms & Phrases

Index


adjutant bird

  • noun large Indian stork with a military gait
    Leptoptilus dubius; adjutant stork; adjutant.
WordNet

anseriform bird

  • noun chiefly web-footed swimming birds
WordNet

Ant bird

  • noun any of various dull-colored South American birds that feeding on ants some following army ant swarms
    antbird.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), one of a very extensive group of South American birds (Formicariidæ), which live on ants. The family includes many species, some of which are called ant shrikes, ant thrushes, and ant wrens.
Webster 1913

apodiform bird

  • noun nonpasserine bird having long wings and weak feet; spends much of its time in flight
WordNet

aquatic bird

  • noun wading and swimming and diving birds of either fresh or salt water
WordNet

Arabian bird

  • the phenix.
Webster 1913

baby bird

  • noun young bird not yet fledged
    nestling.
WordNet

baltimore bird

  • noun eastern subspecies of northern oriole
    Baltimore oriole; hangbird; Icterus galbula galbula; firebird.
WordNet
Bal"ti*more bird`, Bal"ti*more o"ri*ole (Also<
  • Baltimore bird
  • Baltimore oriole
)
Definitions
  1. Zoöl.) A common American bird (Icterus galbula), named after Lord Baltimore, because its colors (black and orange red) are like those of his coat of arms; -- called also golden robin.
Webster 1913

Banana bird

  • (Zoöl.), a small American bird (Icterus leucopteryx), which feeds on the banana.
Webster 1913

Barley bird

  • (Zoöl.), the siskin.
Webster 1913

Bee bird

  • (Zoöl.), a bird that eats the honeybee, as the European flycatcher, and the American kingbird.
Webster 1913

bird cage

Bird" cage", Bird"cage` noun (Also<
  • Bird cage
  • Birdcage
)
Definitions
  1. A cage for confining birds.
Webster 1913

bird cherry

  • noun any of several small-fruited cherry trees frequented or fed on by birds
    bird cherry.
WordNet
Bird" cher`ry
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A shrub (Prunus Padus ) found in Northern and Central Europe. It bears small black cherries.
Webster 1913

bird cherry tree

  • noun any of several small-fruited cherry trees frequented or fed on by birds
    bird cherry.
WordNet

bird dog

  • noun a gun dog trained to locate or retrieve birds
WordNet

bird family

  • noun a family of warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
WordNet

bird fancier

  • noun a person with a strong interest in birds
WordNet
Bird" fan`ci*er
Definitions
  1. One who takes pleasure in rearing or collecting rare or curious birds.
  2. One who has for sale the various kinds of birds which are kept in cages.
Webster 1913

bird feed

  • noun food given to birds; usually mixed seeds
    bird feed; birdseed.
WordNet

bird feeder

  • noun an outdoor device that supplies food for wild birds
    birdfeeder; feeder.
WordNet

bird food

  • noun food given to birds; usually mixed seeds
    bird feed; birdseed.
WordNet

bird genus

  • noun a genus of birds
WordNet

Bird louse

  • noun wingless insect with mouth parts adapted for biting; mostly parasitic on birds
    biting louse; louse.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a wingless insect of the group Mallophaga, of which the genera and species are very numerous and mostly parasitic upon birds. Bird mite (Zoöl.), a small mite (genera Dermanyssus, Dermaleichus and allies) parasitic upon birds. The species are numerous.
Webster 1913

bird nest

  • noun nest where birds lay their eggs and hatch their young
    bird nest; birdnest.
WordNet

Bird of Jove

  • noun any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight
    eagle.
WordNet
  • the eagle.
Webster 1913

Bird of Juno

  • noun very large terrestrial southeast Asian pheasant often raised as an ornamental bird
    peafowl.
WordNet
  • the peacock.
Webster 1913

bird of minerva

  • noun nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
    owl; hooter; bird of Minerva.
WordNet

bird of night

  • noun nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
    owl; hooter; bird of Minerva.
WordNet

bird of paradise

  • noun a tropical flowering shrub having bright orange or red flowers; sometimes placed in genus Poinciana
    Poinciana gilliesii; poinciana; Caesalpinia gilliesii.
  • noun ornamental plant of tropical South Africa and South America having stalks of orange and purplish-blue flowers resembling a bird
    Strelitzia reginae.
  • noun any of numerous brilliantly colored plumed birds of the New Guinea area
WordNet
Bird" of par"a*dise
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) The name of several very beautiful birds of the genus Paradisea and allied genera, inhabiting New Guinea and the adjacent islands. The males have brilliant colors, elegant plumes, and often remarkable tail feathers. ✍ The Great emerald (Paradisea apoda) and the Lesser emerald (P. minor) furnish many of the plumes used as ornaments by ladies; the Red is P. rubra or sanguinea; the Golden is Parotia aurea or sexsetacea; the King is Cincinnurus regius. The name is also applied to the longer-billed birds of another related group (Epimachinæ) from the same region. The Twelve-wired (Seleucides alba) is one of these. See Paradise bird, and Note under Apod.
Webster 1913

Bird of passage

  • noun someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
    roamer; rover; wanderer.
  • noun any bird that migrates seasonally
WordNet
  • a migratory bird.
Webster 1913

bird of prey

  • noun any of numerous carnivorous birds that hunt and kill other animals
    bird of prey; raptor.
WordNet

bird parker

  • noun United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)
    Charles Christopher Parker; Parker; Yardbird Parker; Charlie Parker.
WordNet

bird pepper

  • noun plant bearing very small and very hot oblong red fruits; includes wild forms native to tropical America; thought to be ancestral to the sweet pepper and many hot peppers
    Capsicum frutescens baccatum; Capsicum baccatum.
WordNet
Bird" pep`per
Definitions
  1. A species of capsicum (Capsicum baccatum), whose small, conical, coral-red fruit is among the most piquant of all red peppers.
Webster 1913

bird sanctuary

  • noun a building where birds are kept
    volary; aviary.
WordNet

bird shot

  • noun small lead shot for shotgun shells
    duck shot; buckshot.
WordNet

Bird spider

  • (Zoöl.), a very large South American spider (Mygale avicularia). It is said sometimes to capture and kill small birds.
Webster 1913

Bird tick

  • (Zoöl.), a dipterous insect parasitic upon birds (genus Ornithomyia, and allies), usually winged.
Webster 1913

bird vetch

  • noun common perennial climber of temperate regions of Eurasia and North America having dense elongate clusters of flowers
    Vicia cracca; Calnada pea; tufted vetch.
WordNet

bird watcher

  • noun a zoologist who studies birds
    ornithologist.
  • noun a person who identifies and studies birds in their natural habitats
    birder.
WordNet

bird's eye

  • noun Old World plant with axillary racemes of blue-and-white flowers
    Veronica chamaedrys; germander speedwell.
WordNet

bird's eye view

  • noun a situation or topic as if viewed from an altitude or distance
    panoramic view.
WordNet

bird's foot

  • noun the foot of a bird
WordNet

bird's foot clover

  • noun European forage plant having claw-shaped pods introduced in America
    bird's foot clover; Lotus corniculatus; bacon and eggs; babies' slippers.
WordNet

bird's foot trefoil

  • noun Old World herb related to fenugreek
    Trigonella ornithopodioides.
  • noun European forage plant having claw-shaped pods introduced in America
    bird's foot clover; Lotus corniculatus; bacon and eggs; babies' slippers.
WordNet

bird's nest

  • noun nest where birds lay their eggs and hatch their young
    bird nest; birdnest.
WordNet
Bird's" nest`, Bird's-nest noun (Also<
  • Bird's nest
  • Bird's-nest
)
Definitions
  1. The nest in which a bird lays eggs and hatches her young.
  2. (Cookery) The nest of a small swallow (Collocalia nidifica and several allied species), of China and the neighboring countries, which is mixed with soups. ✍ The nests are found in caverns and fissures of cliffs on rocky coasts, and are composed in part of algæ. They are of the size of a goose egg, and in substance resemble isinglass. See Illust. under Edible.
  3. (Bot.) An orchideous plant with matted roots, of the genus Neottia (N. nidus-avis.)
Webster 1913

bird's nest fern

  • noun tropical Old World or Australian epiphytic fern frequently forming tufts in tree crotches
    Asplenium nidus.
WordNet

bird's-beak

Bird's"-beak` noun
Definitions
  1. (Arch.) A molding whose section is thought to resemble a beak.
Webster 1913

bird's-eye

  • adjective satellite as from an altitude or distance
    panoramic.
    • a bird's-eye survey
    • a panoramic view
WordNet
Bird's"-eye` adjective
Definitions
  1. Seen from above, as if by a flying bird; embraced at a glance; hence, general not minute, or entering into details; as, a bird's-eye view.
  2. Marked with spots resembling bird's eyes; as, bird's-eye diaper; bird's-eye maple.
Bird's"-eye` noun
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A plant with a small bright flower, as the Adonis or pheasant's eye, the mealy primrose (Primula farinosa), and species of Veronica, Geranium, etc.
Webster 1913

bird's-eye bush

  • noun shrub with narrow-elliptic glossy evergreen leaves and yellow flowers with leathery petaloid sepals
    Ochna serrulata.
WordNet

bird's-eye maple

  • noun maple wood having a wavy grain with eyelike markings
WordNet
Bird's"-eye` ma"ple
Definitions
  1. See under Maple.
Webster 1913

bird's-foot

Bird's"-foot` noun
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A papilionaceous plant, the Ornithopus, having a curved, cylindrical pod tipped with a short, clawlike point.
Webster 1913

bird's-foot fern

  • noun cliff brake of California and Baja California having purple-brown leafstalks
    Pellaea mucronata; Pellaea ornithopus.
WordNet

bird's-foot violet

  • noun common violet of the eastern United States with large pale blue or purple flowers resembling pansies
    wood violet; Johnny-jump-up; pansy violet; Viola pedata.
WordNet

bird's-mouth

Bird's-mouth` noun
Definitions
  1. (Arch.) An interior agle or notch cut across a piece of timber, for the reception of the edge of another, as that in a rafter to be laid on a plate; -- commonly called crow's-foot in the United States.
Webster 1913

bird's-nest fungus

  • noun any of various fungi of the family Nidulariaceae having a cup-shaped body containing several egg-shaped structure enclosing the spores
WordNet

bird's-nesting

Bird's-nest`ing noun
Definitions
  1. Hunting for, or taking, birds' nests or their contents.
Webster 1913

bird's-tongue

Bird's"-tongue` noun
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) The knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare).
Webster 1913

bird-eyed

Bird"-eyed` adjective
Definitions
  1. Quick-sighted; catching a glance as one goes.
Webster 1913

bird-footed dinosaur

  • noun any of numerous carnivorous dinosaurs of the Triassic to Cretaceous with short forelimbs that walked or ran on strong hind legs
    theropod dinosaur; theropod.
WordNet

bird-nest

  • verb gather birdnests
    birdnest.
    • They went birdnesting in the early morning
WordNet

bird-on-the-wing

  • noun common trailing perennial milkwort of eastern North America having leaves like wintergreen and usually rosy-purple flowers with winged sepals
    fringed polygala; gaywings; Polygala paucifolia; flowering wintergreen.
WordNet

bird-scarer

  • noun an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds
    scarer; strawman; scarecrow; straw man.
WordNet

bird-witted

Bird"-wit`ted adjective
Definitions
  1. Flighty; passing rapidly from one subject to another; not having the faculty of attention. Bacon.
Webster 1913

boatswain bird

  • noun mostly white web-footed tropical seabird often found far from land
    boatswain bird; tropicbird.
WordNet

bower bird

Bow"er bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) An Australian bird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus or holosericeus), allied to the starling, which constructs singular bowers or playhouses of twigs and decorates them with brightcolored objects; the satin bird. ✍ The name is also applied to other related birds of the same region, having similar habits; as, the spotted bower bird (Chalmydodera maculata), and the regent bird (Sericulus melinus).
Webster 1913

Buffalo bird

  • (Zoöl.), an African bird of the genus Buphaga, of two species. These birds perch upon buffaloes and cattle, in search of parasites.
Webster 1913

Butcher bird

  • (Zoöl.), a species of shrike of the genus Lanius.
Webster 1913

Call bird

  • a bird taught to allure others into a snare.
Webster 1913

Camel bird

  • (Zoöl.), the ostrich.
Webster 1913

canary bird

  • noun any of several small Old World finches
    canary.
WordNet
Ca*na"ry bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A small singing bird of the Finch family (Serinus Canarius), a native of the Canary Islands. It was brought to Europe in the 16th century, and made a household pet. It generally has a yellowish body with the wings and tail greenish, but in its wild state it is more frequently of gray or brown color. It is sometimes called canary finch. and canary.
Webster 1913

Canary bird flower

  • (Bot.), a climbing plant (Tropæolum peregrinum) with canary-colored flowers of peculiar form; called also canary vine.
Webster 1913

caprimulgiform bird

  • noun long-winged nonpasserine birds
WordNet

Cardinal bird, ∨ Cardinal grosbeak

  • (Zoöl.), an American song bird (Cardinalis cardinalis, or C. Virginianus), of the family Fringillidæ, or finches having a bright red plumage, and a high, pointed crest on its head. The males have loud and musical notes resembling those of a fife. Other related species are also called cardinal birds.
Webster 1913

carinate bird

  • noun birds having keeled breastbones for attachment of flight muscles
    carinate bird; carinate.
WordNet

Cedar bird

  • (Zoöl.), a species of chatterer (Ampelis cedrarum), so named from its frequenting cedar trees; called also cherry bird, Canada robin, and American waxwing.
Webster 1913

Cherry bird

  • (Zoöl.), an American bird; the cedar bird; so called from its fondness for cherries.
Webster 1913

chipping bird

Chip"ping bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) The chippy.
Webster 1913

climbing bird's nest fern

  • noun tropical Africa to Australasia and Polynesia
    Microsorium punctatum.
WordNet

coastal diving bird

  • noun gull family; skimmer family; jaeger family; auk family
WordNet

columbiform bird

  • noun a cosmopolitan order of land birds having small heads and short legs with four unwebbed toes
WordNet

common bird cherry

  • noun small European cherry tree closely resembling the American chokecherry
    Prunus padus; hagberry tree; common bird cherry.
WordNet

coraciiform bird

  • noun chiefly short-legged arboreal nonpasserine birds that nest in holes
WordNet

corvine bird

  • noun birds of the crow family
WordNet

Cricket bird

  • a small European bird (Silvia locustella); called also grasshopper warbler.
Webster 1913

Crocodile bird

  • noun African courser that feeds on insect parasites on crocodiles
    Pluvianus aegyptius.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), an African plover (Pluvianus ægypticus) which alights upon the crocodile and devours its insect parasites, even entering its open mouth (according to reliable writers) in pursuit of files, etc.; called also Nile bird. It is the trochilos of ancient writers.
Webster 1913

cuculiform bird

  • noun birds having zygodactyl feet (except for the touracos)
WordNet

Devil bird

  • (Zoöl.), one of two or more South African drongo shrikes (Edolius retifer, and E. remifer), believed by the natives to be connected with sorcery.
Webster 1913

Dial bird

  • (Zoöl.), an Indian bird (Copsychus saularius), allied to the European robin. The name is also given to other related species.
Webster 1913

Diamond bird

  • (Zoöl.), a small Australian bird (Pardalotus punctatus, family Ampelidæ.). It is black, with white spots.
Webster 1913

dickey-bird

  • noun small bird; adults talking to children sometimes use these words to refer to small birds
    dickybird; dickeybird; dickey-bird.
WordNet

dicky-bird

  • noun small bird; adults talking to children sometimes use these words to refer to small birds
    dickybird; dickeybird; dickey-bird.
WordNet

Dragoon bird

  • (Zoöl.), the umbrella bird.
Webster 1913

early bird

  • noun a person who arrives early before others do
  • noun a person who gets up very early in the morning
WordNet

Edible bird's nest

  • . See Bird's nest,
Webster 1913

egg-bird

Egg"-bird` noun
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A species of tern, esp. the sooty tern (Sterna fuliginosa) of the West Indies. In the Bahama Islands the name is applied to the tropic bird, Phaëthon flavirostris.
Webster 1913

elephant bird

  • noun huge (to 9 ft.) extinct flightless bird of Madagascar
    aepyornis.
WordNet

european bird cherry

  • noun small European cherry tree closely resembling the American chokecherry
    Prunus padus; hagberry tree; common bird cherry.
WordNet

Fairy bird

  • (Zoöl.), the Euoropean little tern (Sterna minuta); called also sea swallow, and hooded tern.
Webster 1913

fig-bird

  • noun greenish-yellow Australian oriole feeding chiefly on figs and other fruits
WordNet

flightless bird

  • noun flightless birds having flat breastbones lacking a keel for attachment of flight muscles: ostriches; cassowaries; emus; moas; rheas; kiwis; elephant birds
    ratite; flightless bird.
WordNet

Flower bird

  • (Zoöl.), an Australian bird of the genus Anthornis, allied to the honey eaters.
Webster 1913

flying bird

  • noun birds having keeled breastbones for attachment of flight muscles
    carinate bird; carinate.
WordNet

Friar bird

  • (Zoöl.), an Australian bird (Tropidorhynchus corniculatus), having the head destitute of feathers; called also coldong, leatherhead, pimlico; poor soldier, and four-o'clock. The name is also applied to several other species of the same genus.
Webster 1913

Frigate bird

  • noun long-billed warm-water seabird with wide wingspan and forked tail
    frigate bird.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a web-footed rapacious bird, of the genus Fregata; called also man-of-war bird, and frigate pelican. Two species are known; that of the Southern United States and West Indies is F. aquila. They are remarkable for their long wings and powerful flight. Their food consists of fish which they obtain by robbing gulls, terns, and other birds, of their prey. They are related to the pelicans.
Webster 1913

galley-bird

Gal"ley-bird` noun
Etymology
Etymol. uncertain.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) The European green woodpecker; also, the spotted woodpecker. Prov. Eng.
Webster 1913

gallinaceous bird

  • noun heavy-bodied largely ground-feeding domestic or game birds
    gallinacean.
WordNet

Gallows bird

  • noun a person who deserves to be hanged
WordNet
  • a person who deserves the gallows. Colloq.
Webster 1913

Game bird

  • noun any bird (as grouse or pheasant) that is hunted for sport
WordNet
  • any bird commonly shot for food, esp. grouse, partridges, quails, pheasants, wild turkeys, and the shore or wading birds, such as plovers, snipe, woodcock, curlew, and sandpipers. The term is sometimes arbitrarily restricted to birds hunted by sportsmen, with dogs and guns.
Webster 1913

Glutton bird

  • (Zoöl.), the giant fulmar (Ossifraga gigantea); called also Mother Carey's goose, and mollymawk.
Webster 1913

gooney bird

  • noun a variety of albatross with black feet
    Diomedea nigripes; goonie; gooney; black-footed albatross; goony.
WordNet

Gorse bird

  • (Zoöl.), the European linnet; called also gorse hatcher. Prov. Eng.
Webster 1913

Grass bird

  • the dunlin.
Webster 1913

huia bird

Hu"ia bird`
Etymology
Native name; -- so called from its cry.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A New Zealand starling (Heteralocha acutirostris), remarkable for the great difference in the form and length of the bill in the two sexes, that of the male being sharp and straight, that of the female much longer and strongly curved.
Webster 1913

Humming bird

  • (Zoöl.), any bird of the family Trochilidæ, of which over one hundred genera are known, including about four hundred species. They are found only in America and are most abundant in the tropics. They are mostly of very small size, and are not for their very brilliant colors and peculiar habit of hovering about flowers while vibrating their wings very rapidly with a humming noise. They feed both upon the nectar of flowers and upon small insects. The common humming bird or ruby-throat of the Eastern United States is Trochilus culubris. Several other species are found in the Western United States. See Calliope, and Ruby-throat.
Webster 1913

humming bird's trumpet

  • noun shrublet of southwestern United States to Mexico having brilliant scarlet flowers
    Epilobium canum canum; Zauschneria californica; California fuchsia.
WordNet

Humming-bird moth

  • (Zoöl.), a hawk moth. See Hawk moth, under Hawk, the bird.
Webster 1913

Hurricane bird

  • (Zoöl.), the frigate bird.
Webster 1913

Indigo bird

  • noun small deep blue North American bunting
    Passerina cyanea; indigo finch; indigo bunting.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a small North American finch (Cyanospiza cyanea). The male is indigo blue in color. Called also indigo bunting.
Webster 1913

Invisible bird

  • (Zoöl.), a small, shy singing bird (Myadestes sibilons), of St. Vincent Islands.
Webster 1913

Jail bird

  • noun a criminal who has been jailed repeatedly
    jailbird; gaolbird.
WordNet
  • a prisoner; one who has been confined in prison. Slang
Webster 1913

King bird of paradise

  • . (Zoöl.), See Bird of paradise.
Webster 1913

limicoline bird

  • noun any of numerous wading birds that frequent mostly seashores and estuaries
    shore bird; limicoline bird; shorebird.
WordNet

ling-bird

Ling"-bird` noun
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) The European meadow pipit; -- called also titling.
Webster 1913

Locust bird

  • (Zoöl.) the rose-colored starling or pastor of India. See Pastor.
Webster 1913

Love bird

  • (Zoöl.), any one of several species of small, short-tailed parrots, or parrakeets, of the genus Agapornis, and allied genera. They are mostly from Africa. Some species are often kept as cage birds, and are celebrated for the affection which they show for their mates.
Webster 1913

lyre bird

Lyre" bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any one of two or three species of Australian birds of the genus Menura. The male is remarkable for having the sixteen tail feathers very long and, when spread, arranged in the form of a lyre. The common lyre bird (Menura superba), inhabiting New South Wales, is about the size of a grouse. Its general color is brown, with rufous color on the throat, wings, tail coverts and tail. Called also lyre pheasant and lyre-tail.
Webster 1913

Mackerel bird

  • (Zoöl.), the wryneck; so called because it arrives in England at the time when mackerel are in season.
Webster 1913

Magic humming bird

  • (Zoöl.), a Mexican humming bird (Iache magica) , having white downy thing tufts.
Webster 1913

mallee bird

Mal*lee" bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) From native name. The leipoa. See Leipoa.
Webster 1913

Man-of-war bird

  • noun long-billed warm-water seabird with wide wingspan and forked tail
    frigate bird.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), The frigate bird; also applied to the skua gulls, and to the wandering albatross.
Webster 1913

Mango bird

  • (Zoöl.), an oriole (Oriolus kundoo), native of India.
Webster 1913

Marline-spike bird

  • . The name alludes to the long middle tail feathers. (Zoöl.) (a) A tropic bird. (b) A jager, or skua gull.
Webster 1913

Messenger bird

  • the secretary bird, from its swiftness.
Webster 1913

mino bird

Mi"no bird"
Etymology
Hind. maina.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) An Asiatic bird (Gracula musica), allied to the starlings. It is black, with a white spot on the wings, and a pair of flat yellow wattles on the head. It is often tamed and taught to pronounce words.
Webster 1913

Missel bird, Missel thrush

  • (Zoöl.), a large European thrush (Turdus viscivorus) which feeds on the berries of the mistletoe; called also mistletoe thrush and missel.
Webster 1913

Mocking bird

  • (Zoöl.), a North American singing bird (Mimus polyglottos), remarkable for its exact imitations of the notes of other birds. Its back is gray; the tail and wings are blackish, with a white patch on each wing; the outer tail feathers are partly white. The name is also applied to other species of the same genus, found in Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies.
Webster 1913

Monk bird

  • (Zoöl.), the friar bird.
Webster 1913

moor-bird

  • noun reddish-brown grouse of upland moors of Great Britain
    moorgame; moorfowl; red grouse; Lagopus scoticus; moorbird.
WordNet

Moose bird

  • (Zoöl.), the Canada jayor whisky jack. See Whisky jack.
Webster 1913

Mound bird

  • noun large-footed short-winged birds of Australasia; build mounds of decaying vegetation to incubate eggs
    mound bird; scrub fowl; megapode; mound builder.
WordNet
  • . (Zoöl.) Same as Mound maker (below).
Webster 1913

mound-bird

  • noun large-footed short-winged birds of Australasia; build mounds of decaying vegetation to incubate eggs
    mound bird; scrub fowl; megapode; mound builder.
WordNet

Mouse bird

  • (Zoöl.), a coly.
Webster 1913

Mutton bird

  • (Zoöl.), the Australian short-tailed petrel (Nectris brevicaudus).
Webster 1913

myna bird

  • noun tropical Asian starlings
    mina; minah; myna bird; myna; mynah.
WordNet

mynah bird

  • noun tropical Asian starlings
    mina; minah; myna bird; myna; mynah.
WordNet

myrtle bird

  • noun similar to Audubon's warbler
    Dendroica coronata; myrtle warbler.
WordNet

Nankeen bird

  • (Zoöl.), the Australian night heron (Nycticorax Caledonicus); called also quaker.
Webster 1913

Night bird

  • noun any bird associated with night: owl; nightingale; nighthawk; etc
WordNet
  • . (Zoöl.) (a) The moor hen (Gallinula chloropus). (b) The Manx shearwater (Puffinus Anglorum).
Webster 1913

Nile bird

  • . (Zoöl.) (a) The wryneck . Prov. Eng. (b) The crocodile bird.
Webster 1913

nonpasserine bird

  • noun chiefly arboreal birds especially of the order Coraciiformes
WordNet

Nutmeg bird

  • (Zoöl.), an Indian finch (Munia punctularia).
Webster 1913

oceanic bird

  • noun bird of the open seas
    oceanic bird.
WordNet

Orange bird

  • (Zoöl.), a tanager of Jamaica (Tanagra zena); so called from its bright orange breast.
Webster 1913

Organ bird

  • (Zoöl.), a Tasmanian crow shrike (Gymnorhina organicum). It utters discordant notes like those of a hand organ out of tune.
Webster 1913

oscine bird

  • noun passerine bird having specialized vocal apparatus
    oscine.
WordNet

Paddy bird

  • . (Zoöl.) See Java sparrow, under Java.
Webster 1913

Paradise bird

  • . (Zoöl.) Same as Bird of paradise. Among the most beautiful species are the superb (Lophorina superba); the magnificent (Diphyllodes magnifica); and the six-shafted paradise bird (Parotia sefilata). The long-billed paradise birds (Epimachinæ) also include some highly ornamental species, as the twelve-wired paradise bird (Seleucides alba), which is black, yellow, and white, with six long breast feathers on each side, ending in long, slender filaments. See Bird of paradise in the Vocabulary.
Webster 1913

Paradise whidah bird

  • (Zoöl.) See Whidah.
Webster 1913

Parson bird

  • (Zoöl.), a New Zealand bird (Prosthemadera Novæseelandiæ) remarkable for its powers of mimicry and its ability to articulate words. Its color is glossy black, with a curious tuft of long, curly, white feathers on each side of the throat. It is often kept as a cage bird.
Webster 1913

passeriform bird

  • noun perching birds mostly small and living near the ground with feet having 4 toes arranged to allow for gripping the perch; most are songbirds; hatchlings are helpless
    passerine.
WordNet

peabody bird

Pea"bod*y bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) An American sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) having a conspicuous white throat. The name is imitative of its note. Called also White-throated sparrow.
Webster 1913

pelagic bird

  • noun bird of the open seas
    oceanic bird.
WordNet

perching bird

  • noun a bird with feet adapted for perching (as on tree branches); this order is now generally abandoned by taxonomists
    percher; Insessores; order Insessores.
WordNet

phoebe bird

  • noun small dun-colored North American flycatcher
    phoebe; Sayornis phoebe.
WordNet

piciform bird

  • noun any of numerous nonpasserine insectivorous climbing birds usually having strong bills for boring wood
WordNet

Pilot bird

  • . (Zoöl.) (a) A bird found near the Caribbee Islands; so called because its presence indicates to mariners their approach to these islands. Crabb. (b) The black-bellied plover. Local, U.S.
Webster 1913

Plum bird, Plum budder

  • (Zoöl.), the European bullfinch.
Webster 1913

Plume bird

  • (Zoöl.), any bird that yields ornamental plumes, especially the species of Epimarchus from New Guinea, and some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of Florida (Ardea candidissima).
Webster 1913

policeman bird

  • noun large mostly white Australian stork
    jabiru; Xenorhyncus asiaticus; black-necked stork.
WordNet

prairie bird's-foot trefoil

  • noun North American annual with red or rose-colored flowers
    Lotus americanus; compass plant; prairie lotus; prairie trefoil.
WordNet

Preacher bird

  • (Zoöl.), a toucan.
Webster 1913

Puff bird

  • (Zoöl.), any bird of the genus Bucco, or family Bucconidæ. They are small birds, usually with dull-colored and loose plumage, and have twelve tail feathers. See Barbet (b).
Webster 1913

Purple bird

  • (Zoöl.), the European purple gallinule. See under Gallinule.
Webster 1913

qua-bird

Qua"-bird` noun
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) The American night heron. See under Night.
Webster 1913

queer bird

  • noun someone regarded as eccentric or crazy and standing out from a group
    kook; queer duck; odd man out; odd fish; odd fellow.
WordNet

quetzal bird

  • noun large trogon of Central America and South America having golden-green and scarlet plumage
    quetzal.
WordNet

Rain bird

  • (Zoöl.), the yaffle, or green woodpecker. Prov. Eng. The name is also applied to various other birds, as to Saurothera vetula of the West Indies.
Webster 1913

raptorial bird

  • noun any of numerous carnivorous birds that hunt and kill other animals
    bird of prey; raptor.
WordNet

rare bird

  • noun a rare or unique person
    rara avis.
WordNet

ratite bird

  • noun flightless birds having flat breastbones lacking a keel for attachment of flight muscles: ostriches; cassowaries; emus; moas; rheas; kiwis; elephant birds
    ratite; flightless bird.
WordNet

red bird's eye

  • noun biennial European catchfly having red or pink flowers; sometimes placed in genus Lychnis
    Lychnis dioica; red campion; Silene dioica.
WordNet

Regent bird

  • (Zoöl.), a beautiful Australian bower bird (Sericulus melinus). The male has the head, neck, and large patches on the wings, bright golden yellow, and the rest of the plumage deep velvety black; so called in honor of the Prince of Wales (afterward George IV.), who was Prince Regent in the reign of George III.
Webster 1913

Rhinoceros bird

  • . (Zoöl.) (a) A large hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), native of the East Indies. It has a large hollow hornlike process on the bill. Called also rhinoceros hornbill . See Hornbill. (b) An African beefeater (Buphaga Africana). It alights on the back of the rhinoceros in search of parasitic insects.
Webster 1913

rifleman bird

  • noun small green-and-bronze bird
    Acanthisitta chloris.
WordNet

Sand birds

  • (Zoöl.), a collective name for numerous species of limicoline birds, such as the sandpipers, plovers, tattlers, and many others; called also shore birds.
Webster 1913

Satin bird

  • noun of southeast Australia; male is glossy violet blue; female is light grey-green
    Ptilonorhynchus violaceus; satin bowerbird.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), an Australian bower bird. Called also satin grackle.
Webster 1913

Screech bird, ∨ Screech thrush

  • (Zoöl.), the fieldfare; so called from its harsh cry before rain.
Webster 1913

Scrub bird

  • noun small fast-running Australian bird resembling a wren and frequenting brush or scrub
    scrubbird; scrub bird.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), an Australian passerine bird of the family Atrichornithidæ, as Atrichia clamosa; called also brush bird.
Webster 1913

scrub-bird

  • noun small fast-running Australian bird resembling a wren and frequenting brush or scrub
    scrubbird; scrub bird.
WordNet

sea bird

  • noun a bird that frequents coastal waters and the open ocean: gulls; pelicans; gannets; cormorants; albatrosses; petrels; etc.
    seafowl; seabird.
WordNet
Sea" bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any swimming bird frequenting the sea; a sea fowl.
Webster 1913

secretary bird

  • noun large long-legged African bird of prey that feeds on reptiles
    Sagittarius serpentarius.
WordNet

sedge bird

  • noun small European warbler that breeds among reeds and wedges and winters in Africa
    Acrocephalus schoenobaenus; reedbird; sedge warbler; sedge wren.
WordNet

Shepherd bird

  • (Zoöl.), the crested screamer. See Screamer.
Webster 1913

shore bird

  • noun any of numerous wading birds that frequent mostly seashores and estuaries
    shore bird; limicoline bird; shorebird.
WordNet

Shore birds

  • noun any of numerous wading birds that frequent mostly seashores and estuaries
    shore bird; limicoline bird; shorebird.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a collective name for the various limicoline birds found on the seashore.
Webster 1913

Singing bird

  • . (Zoöl.) (a) Popularly, any bird that sings; a song bird . (b) Specifically, any one of the Oscines.
Webster 1913

Skunk bird, Skunk blackbird

  • (Zoöl.), the bobolink; so called because the male, in the breeding season, is black and white, like a skunk.
Webster 1913

Sociable bird, ∨ Sociable weaver

  • (Zoöl.), a weaver bird which builds composite nests. See Republican, n., 3. (b).
Webster 1913

Song bird

  • (Zoöl.), any singing bird; one of the Oscines.
Webster 1913

Strand birds

  • . (Zoöl.) See Shore birds, under Shore.
Webster 1913

Sugar bird

  • (Zoöl.), any one of several species of small South American singing birds of the genera Coereba, Dacnis, and allied genera belonging to the family Coerebidæ. They are allied to the honey eaters.
Webster 1913

Sultana bird

  • (Zoöl.), the hyacinthine, or purple, gallinule. See Illust. under Gallinule.
Webster 1913

Summer bird

  • (Zoöl.), the wryneck. Prov. Eng.
Webster 1913

Superb paradise bird

  • (Zoöl.), a bird of paradise (Paradisæa, ∨ Lophorina, superba) having the scapulars erectile, and forming a large ornamental tuft on each shoulder, and a large gorget of brilliant feathers on the breast. The color is deep violet, or nearly black, with brilliant green reflections. The gorget is bright metallic green.
Webster 1913

Surf bird

  • (Zoöl.), a ploverlike bird of the genus Aphriza, allied to the turnstone.
Webster 1913

Tailor bird

  • (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of small Asiatic and East Indian singing birds belonging to Orthotomus, Prinia, and allied genera. They are noted for the skill with which they sew leaves together to form nests. The common Indian species are O. longicauda, which has the back, scapulars, and upper tail coverts yellowish green, and the under parts white; and the golden-headed tailor bird (O. coronatus), which has the top of the head golden yellow and the back and wings pale olive-green.
Webster 1913

Tamis bird

  • (Zoöl.), a Guinea fowl.
Webster 1913

Thistle bird

  • (Zoöl.), the American goldfinch, or yellow-bird (Spinus tristis); so called on account of its feeding on the seeds of thistles. See Illust. under Goldfinch.
Webster 1913

To hear a bird sing

  • to receive private communication. Colloq. Shak.
Webster 1913

Toddy bird

  • (Zoöl.), a weaver bird of the East Indies and India: so called from its fondness for the juice of the palm.
Webster 1913

Tropic bird

  • noun mostly white web-footed tropical seabird often found far from land
    boatswain bird; tropicbird.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), any one of three species of oceanic belonging to the genus Phaëthon, found chiefly in tropical seas. They are mostly white, and have two central tail feathers very long and slender. The yellow-billed tropic bird. Phaëthon flavirostris (called also boatswain), is found on the Atlantic coast of America, and is common at the Bermudas, where it breeds.
Webster 1913

Turkey bird

  • (Zoöl.), the wryneck. So called because it erects and ruffles the feathers of its neck when disturbed. Prov. Eng.
Webster 1913

tyrant bird

  • noun large American birds that characteristically catch insects on the wing
    flycatcher; tyrant flycatcher; New World flycatcher.
WordNet

Umbrella bird

  • noun black tropical American bird having a large overhanging crest and long feathered wattle
    Cephalopterus ornatus.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a South American bird (Cephalopterus ornatus) of the family Cotingidæ. It is black, with a large handsome crest consisting of a mass of soft, glossy blue feathers curved outward at the tips. It also has a cervical plume consisting of a long, cylindrical dermal process covered with soft hairy feathers. Called also dragoon bird.
Webster 1913

Wading bird

  • noun any of many long-legged birds that wade in water in search of food
    wader.
WordNet
  • . (Zoöl.) See Wader, 2.
Webster 1913

water bird

  • noun freshwater aquatic bird
    waterfowl; waterbird.
WordNet
Wa"ter bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any aquatic bird; a water fowl.
Webster 1913

Weaver bird

  • (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Asiatic, Fast Indian, and African birds belonging to Ploceus and allied genera of the family Ploceidæ. Weaver birds resemble finches and sparrows in size, colors, and shape of the bill. They construct pensile nests composed of interlaced grass and other similar materials. In some of the species the nest is retort-shaped, with the opening at the bottom of the tube.
Webster 1913

weet-bird

Weet"-bird` noun
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) The wryneck; -- so called from its cry. Prov. Eng.
Webster 1913

Whale bird

  • . (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of large Antarctic petrels which follow whaling vessels, to feed on the blubber and floating oil; especially, Prion turtur (called also blue petrel), and Pseudoprion desolatus. (b) The turnstone; so called because it lives on the carcasses of whales. Canada
Webster 1913

wheatsel bird

Wheat"sel bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) The male of the chaffinch. Prov. Eng.
Webster 1913

whidah bird

Whid"ah bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of finchlike birds belonging to the genus Vidua, native of Asia and Africa. In the breeding season the male has very long, drooping tail feathers. Called also vida finch, whidah finch, whydah bird, whydah finch, widow bird, and widow finch. ✍ Some of the species are often kept as cage birds, especially Vidua paradisea, which is dark brownish above, pale buff beneath, with a reddish collar around the neck.
Webster 1913

whydah bird

Whyd"ah bird`, Whyd"ah finch` (Also<
  • Whydah bird
  • Whydah finch
)
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) The whidah bird.
Webster 1913

widow bird

  • noun mostly black African weaverbird
    whidah; whydah.
WordNet
Wid"ow bird`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) See Whidan bird.
Webster 1913

Wingless bird

  • (Zoöl.), the apteryx.
Webster 1913

yard bird

  • noun a military recruit who is assigned menial tasks
    yardbird.
  • noun a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
    inmate; convict; yardbird; con.
WordNet

Yellow bird's nest

  • a plant, the Monotropa hypopitys.
Webster 1913

young bird

  • noun a bird that is still young
WordNet