Definition of "passerine" [pas•ser•ine]

• Of or relating to birds of the order Passeriformes, which includes perching birds and songbirds such as the jays, blackbirds, finches, warblers, and sparrows. (adjective)
• A bird of the order Passeriformes. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species"
• "A similar nomadic lifestyle is found in small passerine seed-eating birds such as redpolls and crossbills (Loxia spp.) in the forest tundra."
• "Moth larvae, particularly those in the family Geometridae (the “loopers” or “spanworms”), are a large component of the diet of many passerine birds in the boreal forest and near the forest/tundra margin."