wattlebird en · NOUN
Etymology
From wattle + bird.
Meanings
-
Any of a group of Australian birds in the genus Anthochaera of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae.
In Hobart Town it is frequently exposed for sale in the markets with Bronzewing Pigeons and Wattlebirds, where it is known by the name of Ground-Dove, an appellation which has doubtless been given both from its habit of running and feeding upon the ground like the Pigeons […]
1865, John Gould, Handbook to The Birds of Australia, volume 1, page 434:Outside in the evening a wattlebird wrenches pieces from the brush tree at the end of the veranda.
2015, Charlotte Wood, The Natural Way of Things, Allen & Unwin, published 2018, page 285:
- Any of three birds in the family Callaeidae, endemic to New Zealand.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| wattlebirds | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
yellow wattlebird · brush wattlebird · western wattlebird · red wattlebird · little wattlebird