aviarist

An aviarist carefully feeds a flock of colorful parrots in a large aviary.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who keeps or breeds birds: "aviarist" refers to an individual who maintains an aviary or engages in the care, breeding, and study of birds, typically as a hobby or profession.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The aviarist spent hours cleaning the cages and feeding the finches. (A person who keeps birds is responsible for their daily care.)
  • As an experienced aviarist, she could identify dozens of species by their songs. (A bird keeper or breeder with expert knowledge.)
  • The local aviarist society meets monthly to discuss bird health and breeding techniques. (A group of people dedicated to bird keeping.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be an aviarist": to have the role or identity of a bird keeper.

  • He became an aviarist after retiring and built a large aviary in his backyard. (He adopted the practice of keeping birds as a serious pursuit.)

• "amateur aviarist": a person who keeps birds for pleasure rather than professionally.

  • Many amateur aviarists focus on tropical species like parrots. (Hobbyist bird keepers.)

Variants and Related Words

• Aviary (n): a large enclosure or building for keeping birds.

  • The aviary housed over a hundred different birds. (The structure where the aviarist keeps their birds.)

• Aviculture (n): the practice of keeping and breeding birds.

  • Aviculture requires knowledge of diet, nesting, and disease prevention. (The field of study related to being an aviarist.)

• Aviculturist (n): a person who practices aviculture; a synonym for aviarist.

  • The aviculturist specialized in breeding rare pheasants. (Another term for a bird keeper or breeder.)

Synonyms

• Birdkeeper: a person who keeps or tends birds.

  • The birdkeeper cleaned the perches daily. (A simpler synonym for aviarist.)

• Ornithologist: a scientist who studies birds (more academic, less focused on keeping).

  • Unlike an aviarist, an ornithologist may study wild birds in their natural habitat.

Related Idioms

• "Birds of a feather flock together": people with similar interests tend to associate.

  • At the conference, aviarists naturally gathered to share tips. (Bird keepers, like-minded individuals, meet.)

• "Free as a bird": completely free, without restrictions.

  • The aviarist released the recovered bird, watching it fly free as a bird. (Used metaphorically to describe freedom.)