Bristlebird

/ˈbrɪsəlbɜrd/ noun

Definition

A small Australian songbird with stiff feathers and a loud call, found in dense shrubby habitats.

Etymology

From bristle (Old English byrst, stiff hair) + bird (Old English brid). The name describes the bird's characteristically coarse plumage.

Kelly Says

Bristlebirds are so secretive and hard to spot in Australian scrubland that ornithologists often locate them by sound rather than sight—their loud songs betray their presence even when the birds themselves hide in thick vegetation.

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