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songbird

songbird

17 2.3
A small bird, like a canary, that makes pleasant musical sounds
  • noun
  • /ˈsɔŋˌbɜrd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ave canora
  • Also, they wanted to attract songbirds to their rafters, to roost and make nests.
  • migratory songbird
  • songbird species
  • songbird populations

Do we need to eat wild birds, songbirds, eagles, owls?

Examples

  • While walking in the park, I was delighted to hear a songbird chirping melodiously in the trees.

  • The songbird tried the same trick.

  • Another has the name of that small songbird known as the blue tit.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Indeed, researchers have found that estrogens have profound effects on the songbird brain.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Migratory songbirds on the wrong compass heading could end up hundreds of kilometers from land.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The various displays range from ducks to shorebirds, from songbirds to birds of prey.

    Blog text (14)
  • And fifth- and sixth-graders will study the connection between coffee and the migratory songbirds that visit their own backyards each spring.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The bright colors of the songbird caught everyone's attention as it flitted from branch to branch.

  • During spring, many songbirds return to our garden, filling the air with their beautiful calls.

Synonyms

passerine
vssongbird
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A small bird like a sparrow or finch that sits on branches

is a narrower group identified by singing ability rather than foot shape
songster
vssongbird
6.7

A bird that makes clear, pleasant sounds

is a scientific group defined by melodic calls
passeriform bird
vssongbird
  • Specialized
9.2

A small or medium bird like a robin that sits on branches and often sings

is more narrowly defined by musical calls rather than broad order membership

Idioms

5.4

Very pleasant and musical to hear like a singing bird

How Vocal

warbler
8 5.2
songbird
  • Specialized
17 2.3
twitterer
8.2
chirper
4.5
peeper
  • US
2 8.8

Surface Forms

songbird singular
songbirds plural

Morphology

songbird = song + bird (transparent) = song + bird

A direct compound of 'song' + 'bird' whose meaning (a bird known for singing) follows straightforwardly from its parts.

Etymology

Songbird is simply made from song ('a musical sound') and bird ('a feathered animal'), so it names a bird that sings. That's why a songbird is a bird known for its musical calls.