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Glite Dictionary
antbird

antbird

9.9
A plain brown bird from South America that follows army ants to eat insects
  • noun
  • /ˈæntˌbɜrd/
translation icon : hormiguero
  • Small flies laid their eggs in the bodies of the escaping insects; antbirds grabbed most of the bugs the flies didn't claim.

Examples

  • At dawn, I spotted a black-chinned antbird foraging for ants near the army ant swarm.

  • The antbird quietly followed the ants, ready to catch any insects that fled the nest.

  • The dull-colored antbird is often seen in South America, where it feeds on ants in the forest.

Synonyms

ant bird
vsantbird
9.9

A South American bird with dull feathers that follows army ant swarms to catch insects

is written as one word in standard usage

Compounds

spotted antbird
  • US
8.9

A small spotted bird that follows army ants in Central and South American forests

Surface Forms

antbird singular
antbirds plural

Morphology

antbird = ant + bird (transparent) = ant + bird

Clear compound of 'ant' + 'bird' describing a bird associated with ants (feeds on or follows ants), readily inferable by learners.

Etymology

Antbird is simply two words put together: ant and bird, so it literally means a bird that 'follows' ants to find food. That's why an antbird is often seen near army ant swarms in South American forests.