Search the Dictionary

Of or pertaining to the Passeres. The columbine, gallinaceous, and passerine tribes people the fruit trees. Sydney Smith.

Characterized by unequal toes, three turned forward and one backward, as in most passerine birds.

One of the Eurylaimidæ, a family of East Indian passerine birds.

A division of passerine birds in which the vocal muscles are but little developed, so that they lack the power of singing.

A group of passerine birds, including the creepers and nuthatches.

Having a toothed bill; -- applied to a group of passerine birds, having the bill notched, and feeding chiefly on insects, as the shrikes and vireos. See Illust. (N) under Beak.

A passerine bird of the family Dicruridæ. They are usually black with a deeply forked tail. They are natives of Asia, Africa, and Australia; -- called also drongo shrikes.

One of several Asiatic and East Indian passerine birds, belonging to Enucurus, and allied genera. The tail is deeply forking.

Any one of several species of long-tailed, passerine birds of the genus Momotus, having a strong serrated beak. In most of the species the two long middle tail feathers are racket-shaped at the tip, when mature. The bird itself is said by some writers to trim them into this shape. They feed on insects, reptiles, and fr…

Having a separate and simple tendon to flex the first toe, or hallux, as do passerine birds.

Having few or imperfect syringeal muscles; -- said of some passerine birds (Oligomyodi).

hog and the hippopotamus. The term is also sometimes applied to the bears, and to certain passerine birds.

A small crested passerine bird (Phaïnopepla nitens), native of Mexico and the Southern United States. The adult male is of a uniform glossy blue-black; the female is brownish. Called also black flycatcher.

An unsuspected victim of sharpers; a gull. [Slang] Blue pigeon (Zoöl.), an Australian passerine bird (Graucalus melanops); -- called also black-faced crow. -- Green pigeon (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons belonging to the family Treronidæ. -- Imperial pigeon (Zoöl.), any one of the large Asia…

gus lineolaris, which damages wheat and trees. -- Plant cutter (Zoöl.), a South American passerine bird of the genus Phytotoma, family Phytotomidæ. It has a serrated bill with which it cuts off the young shoots and buds of plants, often doing much injury. -- Plant louse (Zoöl.), any small hemipterous insect which inf…

Any one of numerous species of small passerine birds native of tropical America. See Banana quit, under Banana, and Guitguit.

A large black passerine bird (Corvus corax), similar to the crow, but larger. It is native of the northern part of Europe, Asia and America, and is noted for its sagacity. Sea raven (Zoöl.), the cormorant.

Its under wing coverts are orange red. Called also redwinged thrush. (b) A North American passerine bird (Agelarius phoeniceus) of the family Icteridæ. The male is black, with a conspicuous patch of bright red, bordered with orange, on each wing. Called also redwinged blackbird, red-winged troupial, marsh blackbird, an…

A genus of beautiful South American passerine birds, including the cock of the rock.

of pure breed, esp. when inferior in size, etc. [U.S.] Scrub bird (Zoöl.), an Australian passerine bird of the family Atrichornithidæ, as Atrichia clamosa; -- called also brush bird. -- Scrub oak (Bot.), the popular name of several dwarfish species of oak. The scrub oak of New England and the Middle States is Quercus…