honeycreeper

American  

[huhn-ee-kree-per] / ˈhʌn iˌkri pər /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of honeycreeper

First recorded in 1880–85; honey + creeper

Example Sentences

The ʻakikiki, a honeycreeper native to Kauaʻi, is now considered extinct in the wild largely because of the disease.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

But this particular green honeycreeper had highly unusual plumage.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2024

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 • Sep. 28, 2021

This is one of the last sanctuaries of the vibrant honeycreeper bird.

From Washington Post • Aug. 15, 2016

A honeycreeper sang from the bushes outside the window.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver