sunbird

American  

[suhn-burd] / ˈsʌnˌbɜrd /

noun

1. any of various small, brilliantly colored Old World birds of the family Nectariniidae.

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sunbird British  

/ ˈsʌnˌbɜːd /

noun

1. any small songbird of the family Nectariniidae, of tropical regions of the Old World, esp Africa, having a long slender curved bill and a bright plumage in the males

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Etymology

Origin of sunbird

First recorded in 1790–1800; sun + bird

Example Sentences

On Krakoff’s Facebook page, he said he would split his time between Jalisco, Mexico and Peoria, Arizona, as he enjoyed being “a sunbird and spending six months a year in each home.”

From The Verge • May 1, 2022

Some birds – the painted bunting in Texas, Gould’s sunbird in South Asia, the rainbow lorikeet in Australia – are gaudier than any flower.

From The Guardian • Mar. 23, 2018

When the molting is complete, this adult sunbird will be all black, with shiny head, wings and tail.

From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2011

There are only a handful of species that we caught, although we caught many of the common species, like the black sunbird and the shining flycatcher.

From New York Times • Sep. 27, 2011

I put on my mask; the sunbird feathers protrude over my hair like ram horns.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton