bird of passage

B

bird of passage

Meaning

• a transient
• one who is here today and gone tomorrow
• staying for a short duration of time at some place
• a person who is constantly travelling
• constant change of state
• seasonally migrating birds

Example Sentences

1. She moves out nearly every year; she’s a true bird of passage.
2. Joe, being the bird of passage he is, stayed the night, had some rest and ate some food and left early the next morning.
3. Interns are usually not reliable for any organization as they are birds of passage and very few of them remain with the company in the long run.
4. Bed and Breakfast resorts are home to many birds of passage going to their planned destinations.
5. A gradual rise in the American economy has made many birds of passage to permanently settle down.
6. Over fishing in the coastal areas of Pacific Ocean have resulted in reduced sightings of birds of passage over the years.

Origin

First recorded usage of this phrase is between 1785-95. This phrase relates the ‘migration of birds’ to human behaviour i.e. as migrating birds do not tend to stay in one place for a long time and as soon as their season comes, they immediately migrate or move or relocate to another place similarly this phrase quite literally transfers this migrating feature of birds to human’s.

Bird, Travel