honeycreeper

[ huhn-ee-kree-per ]

noun

1. any of several small, usually brightly colored birds, related to the tanagers and wood warblers, of tropical and semitropical America.
2. Hawaiian honeycreeper.

Word History and Origins

Origin of honeycreeper¹

First recorded in 1880–85; honey + creeper

Example Sentences

During one outing, in early January 2023, the proprietor of a local farm drew his attention to a green honeycreeper, a small songbird that is common in forests ranging from southern Mexico to Brazil.

From New York Times

The campaign to save one bird, the po’ouli, a honeycreeper so unique it has its own genus, came too late.

From Washington Post

The most recent to go extinct was the teeny po’ouli, a type of bird known as a honeycreeper discovered in 1973.

From Seattle Times

"The honeycreeper – there used to be like 50 different kinds in Hawaii, and now they're down to very few different ones," she said.

From Salon

The kiwikiu is a yellow and olive-green Hawaiian honeycreeper with an estimated remaining population of up to about 300 birds.

From Washington Times