A small tropical bird with bright red or crimson plumage, named for its vivid blood-like coloring.
Compound of 'blood' (Old English blōd) and 'bird' (Old English brid), combining descriptive color with the animal class; likely a folk name dating to colonial naturalist observations of tropical fauna.
Colonial naturalists often named exotic animals by their most striking feature—the bloodbird's brilliant red feathers made it instantly memorable in journals and field guides, and the dramatic name helped ensure it wouldn't be confused with hundreds of other tropical species.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.