reed-bird
[reed n.1]
1. A bird which frequents reeds. rare—1.
| 1648 Hexham, Een riet-meese, a Reede-bird like a Tit-mouse. |
2. spec. a. A North American singing-bird, Dolichonyx oryzivorus; the bobolink or rice-bunting. Also attrib.
| 1795 W. Priest Trav. U.S. (1802) 90 A wonderful variety of small birds, among which, the reed bird, or American ortolan, justly holds the first place. 1810 Wilson Amer. Ornith. II. 48 Rice Bunting, Emberiza oryzivora... This is the Boblink of the eastern and northern states, and the Rice and Reed-bird of Pennsylvania and the southern states. 1893 Leland Mem. I. 55 The reed-bird, which is quite as good as the ortolan of Italy. Ibid. 57 Then we all had reed-bird suppers or lunches. |
b. (a) The reed-warbler; (b) the sedge-warbler.
| 1848 Zoologist VI. 2186 The sedge warbler is the ‘reed-bird’. 1871–4 Newton Yarrell's Brit. Birds I. 370 Its partiality for reeds..make[s] the names of Reed-bird or Reed-Wren, by which it is commonly known, sufficiently applicable. |