birds of a feather

B

birds of a feather,
also, birds of a feather flock together

Meaning

• people with similar tastes, interests, and backgrounds
• people with the same characteristics
• people who relate to others and feel safe around them.
• people with a shared interest
• people with shared values

Example Sentences

1. Ethan saw Jason had the same type of car and shrugged, “Birds of a feather.”
2. Kara and Carly laughed when they saw each other wearing the same outfit and said, “Birds of a feather.”
3. “Erica, you and I are birds of a feather,” said Tammy.
4. According to the surprising finding of the report, there is no guarantee that people who are birds of a feather will prove to be good life partners.

Origin

“Birds of a feather” is only part of the idiom. The full phrase is, “Birds of a feather flock together.” Many times, only the first part of a phrase like this is shared because so many people are aware of the second part of the phrase. The first use of this idiom was more than 475 years ago. 

In 1545, William Turner used one of the first versions of this idiom in the “Rescuing of Romish Fox.” The phrase comes from the observation that the same type of bird will hang around with the same type of bird. For example, geese tend to be around geese. Part of the reason is that they fly well together. They save energy by being able to fly in a formation. A group of birds also protects each other when necessary.

See also: birds of a feather flock together.

Bird