snowbird

noun

snow·​bird ˈsnō-ˌbərd 

1

: any of several birds (such as a junco or fieldfare) seen chiefly in winter

2

: one who travels to warm climes for the winter

Did you know?

Snowbird has been in use since the late 1600s, but it has only been applied to humans since the early 1900s. It was first used to describe men who enlisted in the armed forces to get food and clothing during the winter months and then deserted as the warm spring weather approached. Not long after, the term was applied to the northern laborers who would flock down south to work as the cold, harsh winter set in up north. Today, northerners of all kinds, from vacationers to retirees, can be seen migrating as soon as the first frost arrives.

Examples of snowbird in a Sentence

Like many of the state's snowbirds, they live in Florida from November through March.

Recent Examples on the Web

Make way for the real snowbirds coming to South Florida. —Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2025

That’s good information to have during the colder months, when snowbirds from the Northern Hemisphere come to the country’s shorelines in droves and finding seclusion can be more difficult. —Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 28 Jan. 2025

Though residents of Mid-Atlantic and New England States are used to this kind of weather, people in the South, often a haven for snowbirds looking to escape the cold months in the North, are not. —Judson Jones, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025

Then in June, as hurricane season starts and snowbirds continue to flee the heat, visitors from all over the globe will descend on South Florida to watch up to eight matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in the FIFA Club World Cup. —Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

snowbird

noun

snow·​bird -bərd 

: any of several small birds (as a junco) seen chiefly in winter