catbird

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun any of various birds of the Australian region whose males build ornamented structures resembling bowers in order to attract females
noun North American songbird whose call resembles a cat's mewing

From cat + bird, because its cry is said to resemble that of a cat.

It is a very charming photograph of a catbird on its nest. — The Insect Folk, Morley, Margaret Warner
If not, the first catbird[1] he meets is the cleverer of the two. — The Last of the Mohicans; A narrative of 1757, James Fenimore Cooper
The catbirds will be calling and the grass will be clean and sweet. — The Crimson Gardenia and Other Tales of Adventure, Rex Beach

bowerbird

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