# bird of passage

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌbɜːd əv ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/

## Definitions
1. A migratory bird, especially a passage migrant (“a bird that stops somewhere for a short time during a seasonal migration”).
2. Someone passing through a place and only staying for a short time; an itinerant.

## Etymology
Probably a calque of Middle French oiseau de passage: oiseau (“bird”), passage (“part of a journey or route, passage”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bird-of-passage