flycatcher

American  

[flahy-kach-er] / ˈflaɪˌkætʃ ər /

noun

1. any of numerous Old World birds of the family Muscicapidae, that feed on insects captured in the air.

2. Also called tyrant flycatcher.  any of numerous similar American birds of the family Tyrannidae.

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flycatcher British  

/ ˈflaɪˌkætʃə /

noun

1. any small insectivorous songbird of the Old World subfamily Muscicapinae , having small slender bills fringed with bristles: family Muscicapidae See also spotted flycatcher

2. any American passerine bird of the family Tyrannidae

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Etymology

Origin of flycatcher

First recorded in 1590–1600; fly ¹ + catcher

Example Sentences

It’s also habitat for desert bighorn sheep, and birds including the threatened western yellow-billowed cuckoo and the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher.

From National Geographic • Aug. 8, 2023

The complaint also notes the effects of river management on the Southwestern willow flycatcher and the yellow-billed cuckoo.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 30, 2022

Wingspan, by contrast, is bright and lively, its cover featuring a scissor-tailed flycatcher against the backdrop of a blue sky.

From Slate • Aug. 15, 2021

After graduating, and speaking English more fluently, Ibarra took a job with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, studying a small bird known as the willow flycatcher.

From Washington Times • Oct. 4, 2020

John James Audubon painted three species of bird—the small-headed flycatcher, the carbonated warbler, and the Blue Mountain warbler—that have not been seen by anyone since.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson