rice-bird

A rice-bird perches on a stalk in a sunlit field.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small bird, also known as the Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora): a finch native to Java and Bali, often found in rice fields.
   • A bird that feeds on rice: any of various small birds, such as the bobolink, that consume rice grains in cultivated fields.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Farmers often see the rice-bird in the paddies during harvest season. (A bird that feeds on rice in agricultural areas.)
  • The rice-bird is kept as a cage bird in some regions due to its attractive appearance. (The Java sparrow, a species commonly referred to as a rice-bird.)

Advanced Usage

• "rice-bird" as a colloquial term: In some contexts, "rice-bird" may refer specifically to the bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) in North America, which damages rice crops.
  • The bobolink is sometimes called a rice-bird because of its habit of eating rice. (A specific bird species associated with rice fields.)

Variants and Related Words

• Java sparrow: a common alternative name for the rice-bird (Padda oryzivora), often used in ornithology.
  • The Java sparrow is a popular pet in many Asian countries. (Another name for the rice-bird.)
• Paddy bird: a general term for birds that frequent rice paddies, sometimes overlapping with "rice-bird."
  • The paddy bird is often seen wading in flooded fields. (A related term for birds in rice habitats.)

Synonyms

• Java sparrow: a direct synonym for the species Padda oryzivora.
• Bobolink: a North American bird sometimes called a rice-bird due to its diet.
• Padda: the genus name for the Java sparrow.

Related Idioms