game bird

American  

noun

1. any bird hunted chiefly for sport, as a quail or pheasant, especially such a bird that is protected by game laws.

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game bird British  

noun

1. a bird of any species hunted as game

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Etymology

Origin of game bird

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

They were caught using cage-type traps baited with venison and quail, a small game bird.

From BBC

That and roasted game birds hanging behind glass.

From Salon

Golden eagles were wiped out in England and Wales by the mid-19th Century, mainly due to persecution by those who saw them as a threat to livestock or game birds.

From BBC

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland used cage-type traps baited with venison and quail - a small game bird - to capture the cats.

From BBC

People who manage land may burn gorse in a controlled manner to clear land for other purposes, and burn heather to encourage new shoots that are more palatable to game birds.

From BBC