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oscine

Definitions of oscine
  1. adjective
    of or relating to the songbirds
  2. noun
    passerine bird having specialized vocal apparatus
    synonyms: oscine bird
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    types:
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    songbird, songster
    any bird having a musical call
    honey eater, honeysucker
    Australasian bird with tongue and bill adapted for extracting nectar
    accentor
    small sparrow-like songbird of mountainous regions of Eurasia
    lark
    any of numerous predominantly Old World birds noted for their singing
    wagtail
    Old World bird having a very long tail that jerks up and down as it walks
    lark, pipit, titlark
    a songbird that lives mainly on the ground in open country; has streaky brown plumage
    finch
    any of numerous small songbirds with short stout bills adapted for crushing seeds
    honeycreeper
    small bright-colored tropical American songbird with a curved bill for sucking nectar
    weaver, weaver finch, weaverbird
    finch-like African and Asian colonial birds noted for their elaborately woven nests
    Old World flycatcher, flycatcher, true flycatcher
    any of a large group of small songbirds that feed on insects taken on the wing
    thrush
    songbirds characteristically having brownish upper plumage with a spotted breast
    warbler
    a small active songbird
    babbler, cackler
    any of various insectivorous Old World birds with a loud incessant song; in some classifications considered members of the family Muscicapidae
    bird of paradise
    any of numerous brilliantly colored plumed birds of the New Guinea area
    American oriole, New World oriole, oriole
    American songbird; male is black and orange or yellow
    Old World oriole, oriole
    mostly tropical songbird; the male is usually bright orange and black
    starling
    gregarious birds native to the Old World
    corvine bird
    birds of the crow family
    Australian magpie
    black-and-white oscine birds that resemble magpies
    Mimus polyglotktos, mocker, mockingbird
    long-tailed grey-and-white songbird of the southern United States able to mimic songs of other birds
    Melanotis caerulescens, blue mockingbird
    mockingbird of Mexico
    Dumetella carolinensis, catbird, gray catbird, grey catbird
    North American songbird whose call resembles a cat's mewing
    mocking thrush, thrasher
    thrush-like American songbird able to mimic other birdsongs
    New Zealand wren
    birds of New Zealand that resemble wrens
    creeper, tree creeper
    any of various small insectivorous birds of the northern hemisphere that climb up a tree trunk supporting themselves on stiff tail feathers and their feet
    nutcracker, nuthatch
    any of various small short-tailed songbirds with strong feet and a sharp beak that feed on small nuts and insects
    tit, titmouse
    small insectivorous birds
    bluebird, fairy bluebird
    fruit-eating mostly brilliant blue songbird of the East Indies
    swallow
    small long-winged songbird noted for swift graceful flight and the regularity of its migrations
    swallow shrike, wood swallow
    Australasian and Asiatic bird related to the shrikes and resembling a swallow
    tanager
    any of numerous New World woodland birds having brightly colored males
    shrike
    any of numerous Old World birds having a strong hooked bill that feed on smaller animals
    bowerbird, catbird
    any of various birds of the Australian region whose males build ornamented structures resembling bowers in order to attract females
    dipper, water ouzel
    small stocky diving bird without webbed feet; frequents fast-flowing streams and feeds along the bottom
    vireo
    any of various small insectivorous American birds chiefly olive-grey in color
    waxwing
    brown velvety-plumaged songbirds of the northern hemisphere having crested heads and red waxy wing tips
    Prunella modularis, dunnock, hedge sparrow, sparrow
    small brownish European songbird
    Alauda arvensis, skylark
    brown-speckled European lark noted for singing while hovering at a great height
    Anthus pratensis, meadow pipit
    a common pipit that is brown above and white below; widely distributed in northern and central Europe and in Asia
    Fringilla coelebs, chaffinch
    small European finch with a cheerful song
    Fringilla montifringilla, brambling
    Eurasian finch
    Carduelis carduelis, goldfinch
    small European finch having a crimson face and yellow-and-black wings
    Carduelis cannabina, linnet, lintwhite
    small Old World finch whose male has a red breast and forehead
    Carduelis spinus, siskin
    small yellow-and-black Eurasian finch with a sharp beak
    Carduelis cucullata, red siskin
    South American species of scarlet finch with black head and wings and tail
    Carduelis flammea, redpoll
    small siskin-like finch with a red crown and a rosy breast and rump
    Carduelis hornemanni, redpoll
    small siskin-like finch with a red crown
    New World goldfinch, Spinus tristis, goldfinch, yellowbird
    American finch whose male has yellow body plumage in summer
    Spinus pinus, pine finch, pine siskin
    small finch of North American coniferous forests
    Carpodacus mexicanus, house finch, linnet
    small finch originally of the western United States and Mexico
    Carpodacus purpureus, purple finch
    North American finch having a raspberry-red head and breast and rump
    canary, canary bird
    any of several small Old World finches
    serin
    any of various brown and yellow finches of parts of Europe
    Loxia curvirostra, crossbill
    finch with a bill whose tips cross when closed
    Pyrrhula pyrrhula, bullfinch
    common European finch mostly black and white with red throat and breast
    junco, snowbird
    small North American finch seen chiefly in winter
    New World sparrow
    sparrow-like North American finches
    bunting
    any of numerous seed-eating songbirds of Europe or North America
    banana quit
    any of several honeycreepers
    grosbeak, grossbeak
    any of various finches of Europe or America having a massive and powerful bill
    Cardinalis cardinalis, Richmondena Cardinalis, cardinal, cardinal grosbeak, redbird
    crested thick-billed North American finch having bright red plumage in the male
    Pyrrhuloxia sinuata, pyrrhuloxia
    crested grey-and-red bird of southwest United States and Mexico
    towhee
    any of numerous long-tailed American finches
    Ploceus philippinus, baya
    common Indian weaverbird
    whidah, whydah, widow bird
    mostly black African weaverbird
    Java finch, Java sparrow, Padda oryzivora, ricebird
    small finch-like Indonesian weaverbird that frequents rice fields
    amadavat, avadavat
    red Asian weaverbirds often kept as cage birds
    grass finch, grassfinch
    usually brightly-colored Australian weaverbirds; often kept as cage birds
    Hawaiian honeycreeper, honeycreeper
    small to medium-sized finches of the Hawaiian islands
    Muscicapa grisola, Muscicapa striata, spotted flycatcher
    common European woodland flycatcher with greyish-brown plumage
    thickhead, whistler
    Australian and southeastern Asian birds with a melodious whistling call
    Turdus viscivorus, missel thrush, mistle thrush, mistletoe thrush
    large European thrush that feeds on mistletoe berries
    Turdus philomelos, mavis, song thrush, throstle
    common Old World thrush noted for its song
    Turdus pilaris, fieldfare, snowbird
    medium-sized Eurasian thrush seen chiefly in winter
    Turdus iliacus, redwing
    small European thrush having reddish flanks
    European blackbird, Turdus merula, blackbird, merl, merle, ousel, ouzel
    common black European thrush
    Turdus torquatus, ring blackbird, ring ouzel, ring thrush
    European thrush common in rocky areas; the male has blackish plumage with a white band around the neck
    American robin, Turdus migratorius, robin
    large American thrush having a rust-red breast and abdomen
    Turdus greyi, clay-colored robin
    robin of Mexico and Central America
    Hylocichla guttata, hermit thrush
    North American thrush noted for its complex and appealing song
    Hylocichla fuscescens, Wilson's thrush, veery
    tawny brown North American thrush noted for its song
    Hylocichla mustelina, wood thrush
    large thrush common in eastern American woodlands; noted for its melodious song
    Luscinia megarhynchos, nightingale
    European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song
    Luscinia luscinia, thrush nightingale
    large nightingale of eastern Europe
    Old World chat, chat
    songbirds having a chattering call
    solitaire
    a dull grey North American thrush noted for its beautiful song
    redstart, redtail
    European songbird with a reddish breast and tail; related to Old World robins
    wheatear
    small songbird of northern America and Eurasia having a distinctive white rump
    bluebird
    blue North American songbird
    Erithacus rubecola, Old World robin, redbreast, robin, robin redbreast
    small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
    Erithacus svecicus, bluethroat
    songbird of northern Europe and Asia
    gnatcatcher
    very small North American and South American warblers
    kinglet
    small birds resembling warblers but having some of the habits of titmice
    Old World warbler, true warbler
    small active brownish or greyish Old World birds
    Sylvia communis, greater whitethroat, whitethroat
    greyish-brown Old World warbler with a white throat and underparts
    Sylvia curruca, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat
    Old World warbler similar to the greater whitethroat but smaller
    New World warbler, wood warbler
    small bright-colored American songbird with a weak unmusical song
    Ptloris paradisea, riflebird
    velvety black Australian bird of paradise with green and purple iridescence on head and tail
    Icterus galbula, northern oriole
    a kind of New World oriole
    Icterus spurius, orchard oriole
    the male is chestnut-and-black
    lark, meadowlark
    North American songbirds having a yellow breast
    cacique, cazique
    black-and-red or black-and-yellow orioles of the American tropics
    Dolichonyx oryzivorus, bobolink, reedbird, ricebird
    migratory American songbird
    New World blackbird, blackbird
    any bird of the family Icteridae whose male is black or predominantly black
    Oriolus oriolus, golden oriole
    bright yellow songbird with black wings
    fig-bird
    greenish-yellow Australian oriole feeding chiefly on figs and other fruits
    Sturnus vulgaris, common starling
    gregarious bird having plumage with dark metallic gloss; builds nests around dwellings and other structures; naturalized worldwide
    Pastor roseus, Pastor sturnus, rose-colored pastor, rose-colored starling
    glossy black bird with pink back and abdomen; chiefly Asian
    mina, minah, myna, myna bird, mynah, mynah bird
    tropical Asian starlings
    crow
    black birds having a raucous call
    Corvus corax, raven
    large black bird with a straight bill and long wedge-shaped tail
    Corvus frugilegus, rook
    common gregarious Old World bird about the size and color of the American crow
    Corvus monedula, daw, jackdaw
    common black-and-grey Eurasian bird noted for thievery
    chough
    a European corvine bird of small or medium size with red legs and glossy black plumage
    jay
    crested largely blue bird
    nutcracker
    speckled birds that feed on nuts
    magpie
    long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call
    butcherbird
    large carnivorous Australian bird with the shrike-like habit of impaling prey on thorns
    bell magpie, currawong
    bluish black fruit-eating bird with a bell-like call
    Gymnorhina tibicen, piping crow, piping crow-shrike
    crow-sized black-and-white bird; a good mimic often caged
    Toxostoma rufums, brown thrasher, brown thrush
    common large songbird of eastern United States having reddish-brown plumage
    Xenicus gilviventris, rock wren
    short-tailed bird resembling a wren
    Acanthisitta chloris, rifleman bird
    small green-and-bronze bird
    American creeper, Certhia americana, brown creeper
    a common creeper in North America with a down-curved bill
    Certhia familiaris, European creeper
    common European brown-and-buff tree creeper with down-curved bill
    Tichodroma muriaria, tichodrome, wall creeper
    crimson-and-grey songbird that inhabits town walls and mountain cliffs of southern Eurasia and northern Africa
    European nuthatch, Sitta europaea
    a kind of nuthatch
    Sitta canadensis, red-breasted nuthatch
    bluish-grey nuthatch with reddish breast; of northern coniferous forests
    Sitta carolinensis, white-breasted nuthatch
    bluish-grey nuthatch with black head and white breast; of eastern North America
    chickadee
    any of various small grey-and-black songbirds of North America
    Parus bicolor, tufted titmouse
    crested titmouse of eastern and midwestern United States
    Parus caeruleus, blue tit, tomtit
    widely distributed European titmouse with bright cobalt blue wings and tail and crown of the head
    bush tit, bushtit
    active grey titmice of western North America
    Chamaea fasciata, wren-tit
    small brown bird of California resembling a wren
    Auriparus flaviceps, verdin
    very small yellow-headed titmouse of western North America
    Hirundo rustica, barn swallow, chimney swallow
    common swallow of North America and Europe that nests in barns etc.
    Hirundo pyrrhonota, cliff swallow
    North American swallow that lives in colonies and builds bottle-shaped mud nests on cliffs and walls
    Hirundo nigricans, tree martin, tree swallow
    of Australia and Polynesia; nests in tree cavities
    Iridoprocne bicolor, tree swallow, white-bellied swallow
    bluish-green-and-white North American swallow; nests in tree cavities
    martin
    any of various swallows with squarish or slightly forked tail and long pointed wings; migrate around Martinmas
    Piranga olivacea, firebird, redbird, scarlet tanager
    the male is bright red with black wings and tail
    Piranga ludoviciana, western tanager
    of western North America; male is black and yellow and orange-red
    Piranga rubra, summer redbird, summer tanager
    of middle and southern United States; male is deep rose-red the female mostly yellow
    Piranga flava hepatica, hepatic tanager
    common tanager of southwestern United States and Mexico
    butcherbird
    shrikes that impale their prey on thorns
    Lanius lucovicianus, loggerhead shrike
    a common shrike of southeastern United States having black bands around the eyes
    Lanius ludovicianus migrans, migrant shrike
    a shrike of central North America; winters in Texas and the southern Mississippi valley
    bush shrike
    an African shrike
    Ptilonorhynchus violaceus, satin bird, satin bowerbird
    of southeast Australia; male is glossy violet blue; female is light grey-green
    Chlamydera nuchalis, great bowerbird
    large bowerbird of northern Australia
    Cinclus aquaticus, European water ouzel
    a water ouzel of Europe
    American water ouzel, Cinclus mexicanus
    a water ouzel of western North America
    Vireo olivaceous, red-eyed vireo
    of northern North America having red irises and an olive-grey body with white underparts
    Vireo solitarius, solitary vireo
    of eastern North America having a bluish-grey head and mostly green body
    Vireo solitarius solitarius, blue-headed vireo
    common vireo of northeastern North America with bluish slaty-grey head
    Bombycilla cedrorun, cedar waxwing, cedarbird
    widely distributed over temperate North America
    Bohemian waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus
    large waxwing of northern North America; similar to but larger than the cedar waxwing
    type of:
    passeriform bird, passerine
    perching birds mostly small and living near the ground with feet having 4 toes arranged to allow for gripping the perch; most are songbirds; hatchlings are helpless
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