A bird that frequents barley fields, often referring to certain finches or larks that eat barley seeds.
Compound of 'barley' (the grain crop) and 'bird.' This folk term emerged from rural observation of which birds were attracted to grain fields during harvest season.
Farmers gave names to birds based on which crops they raided—the barleybird name shows how medieval English speakers categorized wildlife by their eating habits and seasonal appearance in fields.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.