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Glite Dictionary
bird sanctuary

bird sanctuary

2 3.2
A place where birds are protected so people can see them
  • noun
  • /bɜrd ˈsæŋkʧuˌɛri/
translation icon : santuario de aves
  • The city built a large bird sanctuary to protect endangered species and educate the public.

It's become today the largest and one of the most important private bird sanctuaries in all of Europe.

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Examples

  • We had picnics at the private beach club and rode bicycles over the boardwalk that ran through the bird sanctuary.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The marshes, founded as a bird sanctuary in the last century by a man called Peter Scott, are a resting place for thousands of migrating birds on their way to and from Southeast Asia.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • It's become today the largest and one of the most important private bird sanctuaries in all of Europe.

    TED-Ed

  • Lake Nakuru National Park was created in 1960 as a bird sanctuary.

    Academic text (2006)

  • We had done Bharatpur Fort this morning, and in the afternoon had gone to the bird sanctuary in the Keoladeo marsh.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • N2: Olga and Stuart Huckins live on a bird sanctuary in Massachusetts.

    Academic text (2011)

  • We went for walks in the bird sanctuary, rustling along the paths slowly, discussing Emily Dickinson or maple-syrup-making, but always I brought the subject around.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Donnie's mother, a biologist, takes him on frequent visits to local zoos, aquariums, and bird sanctuaries.

    Academic text (1998)

  • It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to fly to Ding Darling NWR for a weekend, the well-known bird sanctuary in Florida.

    Academic text (2004)

  • There are ten bird sanctuaries as well, which harbor more than two hundred species, including cranes, snow geese, eagles, falcons, and hordes of seabirds.

    Academic text (1991)

Synonyms

sanctuary
vsbird sanctuary
70 4.1

A safe place where people go to escape danger

is for animal protection not primarily for human refuge
reserve
vsbird sanctuary
49 4.4

A protected area of land for wildlife or local people

focuses specifically on protecting birds and enabling research or public viewing
aviary
vsbird sanctuary
8 6.0

A large building or cage where people keep many birds

focuses on protecting birds for conservation research and public viewing
volary
vsbird sanctuary
  • Archaic
9.9

A large building or fenced area where birds are kept

emphasizes protection and public access beyond mere housing

How Protected

reserve
49 4.4
bird sanctuary
2 3.2
aviary
8 6.0
park
∞ 1.0
garden
740 1.0

Surface Forms

bird sanctuary singular
bird sanctuaries plural

Morphology

bird + sanctuary

The meaning 'a protected place for birds' is directly and compositionally derivable from combining 'bird' (the animal) with 'sanctuary' (a place of refuge). While 'sanctuary' can also refer to religious refuge, the modifier 'bird' clearly signals the wildlife/protection sense, a straightforward pattern familiar cross-linguistically.

Etymology

The compound noun bird sanctuary comes from the simple image of a bird and a sanctuary: a safe place where birds can live or be cared for. So, it means an area or building set up to 'protect' and look after birds.