songbird

[ sawng-burd, song- ]

noun

1. a bird that sings.
2. any passerine bird of the suborder Oscines.
3. Slang. a woman vocalist.

songbird

/ ˈsɒŋˌbɜːd /

noun

1. any passerine bird of the suborder Oscines, having highly developed vocal organs and, in most, a musical call oscine
2. any bird having a musical call

Word History and Origins

Origin of songbird¹

First recorded in 1765–75; song + bird

Example Sentences

When news a rare American songbird had been spotted in a sleepy West Yorkshire cul-de-sac eager ornithologists converged on the quiet street faster than a falcon in free fall.

From BBC

The stocky songbird normally travels between the eastern United States and lowland South American forests twice a year.

From BBC

The fire also swept through parts of the island that have rare habitats for sensitive plant and animal species found nowhere else, such as the endangered San Clemente loggerhead shrike, a carnivorous songbird.

From Los Angeles Times

I’ve lived here for more than 60 years and would occasionally spot them on tree tops scanning for passing songbirds.

From Seattle Times

The species they support range from tiger salamanders to desert pupfish, and from songbirds to mammals such as ground squirrels and bighorn sheep.

From Los Angeles Times