songbird

Everyday

1. A songbird is a small bird that sings tuneful songs, such as a robin, blackbird, thrush, nightingale or wren. tree →
2. (informal) A person, usually a woman, with a lovely singing voice is sometimes called a songbird. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature lessons songbirds are a big group of perching birds; they sing to mark their territory and to find a mate, mostly in spring mornings (the «dawn chorus»). Gardeners put up feeders and nest boxes to help songbirds. In stories, songbirds show a happy, peaceful morning.

Examples

• A songbird was singing on the fence at dawn. tree →
• Robins and blackbirds are songbirds. tree →
• We hung a feeder to help the songbirds in winter. tree →
• Male songbirds sing to say «this is my patch». tree →
• Cats catch many songbirds in gardens. tree →
• The concert star was called the nation's songbird. tree →
• The dawn chorus is lots of songbirds singing together. tree →

Note

Countable, one word. Not every bird is a songbird: ducks, owls and eagles are not. Birds that sing are usually the males.