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Glite Dictionary
🧳 A traveler 🕊️ A migrating bird
bird of passage

bird of passage

5.1
A bird that travels to another region each year
  • noun
  • /bɜrd əv ˈpæsɪdʒ/
translation icon : ave migratoria
  • Many species, such as the swallow, are well-known birds of passage that return each spring.

Examples

  • The wetlands provide a crucial stopover for birds of passage during their long migration.

  • Scientists track birds of passage to study the effects of climate change on migration patterns.

  • The bird of passage flew south for the winter.

  • Many birds of passage return to their nesting grounds in spring.

  • Many species, such as the swallow, are well-known birds of passage that return each spring.

  • Scientists track birds of passage to study the effects of climate change on migration patterns.

  • The wetlands provide a crucial stopover for birds of passage during their long migration.

Antonyms

resident
∞ 1.8

A person who lives in a place for a long time

Surface Forms

bird of passage singular
birds of passage plural

Morphology

bird + of + passage

The meaning 'a migratory bird' is related to the literal parts: 'bird' + 'passage' (passing/journey), so there is a clear semantic link. However, the noun phrase 'of passage' is somewhat literary and the sense of 'passage' as 'migration/passing through' is not the most frequent meaning, so a B1 learner may not fully predict the precise migratory sense without prior exposure.

Etymology

Bird of passage was used for real birds that travel with the seasons and 'pass' through an area on their way to another home. That's why it refers to a 'migrating bird'.