ornithologist
Americannoun
Explanation
An ornithologist is a type of zoologist who focuses on birds. If you want to know anything about our fine feathered friends, consult an ornithologist. Having a birdbath in your backyard doesn't make you an ornithologist. An ornithologist is someone who studies ornithology — the branch of science devoted to birds. Ornithologists study every aspect of birds, including bird songs, flight patterns, physical appearance, and migration patterns. Birds are genetically related to dinosaurs, which is something else an ornithologist might study.
Vocabulary lists containing ornithologist
100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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"A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1813, in Kentucky, the ornithologist John James Audubon calculated that 300 million birds an hour flew above him, times 24 hours, for three solid days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Among those hoping to catch a glimpse of the bird near the Anglesey Wall on Sunday was ornithologist and artist Richard Partis.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
The ornithologist Roger Peterson of the famed field guides once lived and studied its birds in the area.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
The project began in 2020 when Jack Devlin, then a Ph.D. student, was struck by a documentary about plastic pollution before later moving to Scotland to work as a marine ornithologist.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 16, 2026
“An ornithologist is a bird-watcher,” Mary Lou explained.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
