honeysuckern.
/ˈhʌnɪˌsʌkə/, U.S. /ˈhəniˌsəkər/ Any bird or insect that feeds on nectar; esp. songbirds such as honeyeaters (family Meliphagidae) and sunbirds (family Nectariniidae).
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the world > animals > birds > perching birds > order Apodiformes > [noun] > family Trochilidae (humming-bird)
hummer1606
hum-bird1634
hummingbird1637
trochilus1752
bee-bird1771
honeysucker1773
fly-bird1782
coquette1854
satellite1857
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > arboreal families > [noun] > family Meliphagidae (honey-eater)
honeyeater1821
honeybird1835
honeysucker1837
meliphagan1842
honeycreeper1851
meliphagidan1890
meliphagine1890
meliphagid1964
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > arboreal families > [noun] > family Nectariniidae (sun-bird) > types of
spider-catcher1840
honeysucker1906
malachite sunbird1906
1773 T. Pennant Genera of Birds 20 The old English name was Humming-bird; which I now change to Honey-Sucker.
1837 W. Swainson On Nat. Hist. & Classif. Birds II. 144 The Meliphagidæ, or honeysuckers, are distinguished..by their notched bill.
1883 G. Allen in Longman's Mag. July 308 Butterflies..sail further up mountain heights than the bees and other meadow honeysuckers.
1906 F. Finn Garden & Aviary Birds of India v. 114 The Firetailed Red Honey-sucker (Aethopyga ignicauda), a very beautiful species which ranges as high as 11,000 feet.
1967 S. M. A. Lowe Hungry Veld 93 Tiny, long-beaked honey-suckers were the noisiest of all.
2007 Plant Ecol. 193 9/2 Honey guides on the lower corolla lip most likely play important roles in attracting honey suckers, especially bees.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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