Bird vs. Chicken — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 4, 2023
A bird is any member of the class Aves, while a chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the red junglefowl.
Difference Between Bird and Chicken
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
In the broadest terms, "bird" refers to any member of the class Aves, which is characterized by feathers, beaks, and laying hard-shelled eggs. Chickens are a specific type of bird, known scientifically as Gallus gallus domesticus, domesticated for meat and eggs. While all chickens are birds, not all birds are chickens.
Birds encompass a wide range of species, from tiny hummingbirds to large ostriches, adapted to diverse environments across the globe. Chickens, on the other hand, are typically raised on farms and have been selectively bred by humans over thousands of years for various traits, such as increased meat yield or egg production.
When considering their role in ecosystems, birds can be predators, pollinators, scavengers, or seed dispersers, contributing to environmental balance and plant propagation. Chickens, though they have their origins in the wild, are now mainly part of human agriculture and rarely participate in natural ecosystems in the same way as other birds.
Flight is a common feature among birds, with most species adapted for flying through the evolution of lightweight skeletons and powerful flight muscles. Chickens, while they are capable of short bursts of flight, are largely flightless due to their breeding for size and weight, which are not conducive to sustained flight.
The term "bird" can also symbolize freedom or transcendence in literature and art due to their ability to fly. The chicken, conversely, often symbolizes cowardice or a lack of courage in colloquial language, as well as being a common symbol of farming and domestic life.
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Comparison Chart
Taxonomic Class
Aves (all species)
Aves (specifically Gallus gallus domesticus)
Habitat
Diverse, worldwide
Domesticated, farms
Role in Ecosystem
Varied: predators, pollinators, etc.
Primarily agricultural
Flight Ability
Most can fly
Limited flight, mostly flightless
Symbolism
Freedom, transcendence
Cowardice, domesticity
Compare with Definitions
Bird
A warm-blooded egg-laying creature characterized by feathers, wings, and a beak.
The bird perched on the branch, chirping melodiously.
Chicken
A domesticated fowl kept for its eggs or meat.
The chicken is one of the most common and widespread domestic animals.
Bird
Any of the class Aves, many of which are known for their ability to fly.
We watched the birds migrate south for the winter.
Chicken
Poultry, specifically the meat from this bird, used as food.
She decided to make fried chicken for dinner.
Bird
In informal usage, a term used to refer to a particular person, often in endearment.
He often referred to his daughter as his little bird.
Chicken
In slang, a term used to describe someone as being cowardly.
He was called a chicken for not wanting to go on the roller coaster.
Bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves , characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the 5.5 cm (2.2 in) bee hummingbird to the 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) ostrich.
Chicken
The flesh of this bird used as food, either cooked or raw.
Could you please buy some chicken for the barbecue on Saturday?
Bird
A warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate animal distinguished by the possession of feathers, wings, a beak, and typically by being able to fly.
Chicken
The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), a subspecies of the red junglefowl, is a type of domesticated fowl, originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult male bird, and younger male may be called a cockerel.
Bird
A person of a specified kind or character
She's a sharp old bird
Chicken
A domestic fowl kept for its eggs or meat, especially a young one
Rationing was still in force and most people kept chickens
Bird
A young woman or a girlfriend.
Chicken
A game in which the first person to lose their nerve and withdraw from a dangerous situation is the loser
He was killed by a car after he lay in the road playing chicken
Bird
Any of various warm-blooded egg-laying feathered vertebrates of the class Aves, having forelimbs modified to form wings.
Chicken
Cowardly
I was too chicken to go to court
Bird
Such an animal hunted as game.
Chicken
Withdraw from or fail in something through lack of nerve
The referee chickened out of giving a penalty
Bird
Such an animal, especially a chicken or turkey, used as food
Put the bird in the oven.
Chicken
A common domesticated fowl (Gallus domesticus) widely raised for meat and eggs and believed to be descended from the jungle fowl G. gallus.
Bird
See clay pigeon.
Chicken
Any of various similar or related birds.
Bird
(Sports) See shuttlecock.
Chicken
The flesh of the chicken, used as food.
Bird
(Slang) A rocket, guided missile, satellite, or airplane.
Chicken
(Slang) A coward.
Bird
(Slang) A person, especially one who is odd or remarkable
A sly old bird.
Chicken
Any of various foolhardy competitions in which the participants persist in a dangerous course of action until one loses nerve and stops.
Bird
Chiefly British Slang A young woman.
Chicken
Vulgar Slang A young gay male, especially as sought by an older man.
Bird
A loud sound expressing disapproval; a raspberry.
Chicken
Afraid; cowardly.
Bird
Discharge from employment
Lost a big sale and nearly got the bird.
Chicken
To act in a cowardly manner; lose one's nerve
Chickened out at the last moment.
Bird
An obscene gesture of anger, defiance, or derision made by pointing or jabbing the middle finger upward.
Chicken
(countable) A domesticated species of junglefowl (usually, Gallus gallus; sometimes, Gallus gallus domesticus or Gallus domesticus), especially so-called when young.
Bird
To observe and identify birds in their natural surroundings.
Chicken
(uncountable) The meat from this bird eaten as food.
Bird
To trap, shoot, or catch birds.
Chicken
(archaic) The young of any bird; a chick.
Bird
A member of the class of animals Aves in the phylum Chordata, characterized by being warm-blooded, having feathers and wings usually capable of flight, having a beaked mouth, and laying eggs.
Ducks and sparrows are birds.
Chicken
A coward.
Bird
A chicken or turkey used as food.
Pitch in and help me stuff the bird if you want Thanksgiving dinner.
Chicken
A young or inexperienced person.
Bird
(slang) A man, fellow.
Chicken
A young, attractive, slim man, usually having little body hair; compare chickenhawk.
Bird
A girl or woman, especially one considered sexually attractive.
Chicken
The game of dare.
Bird
A girlfriend.
Mike went out with his bird last night.
Chicken
A confrontational game in which the participants move toward each other at high speed (usually in automobiles); the player who turns first to avoid colliding into the other is the chicken (that is, the loser).
Don't play chicken with a freight train; you're guaranteed to lose.
Bird
(slang) An airplane.
Chicken
A simple dance in which the movements of a chicken are imitated.
Bird
(slang) A satellite.
Chicken
A kilogram of cocaine.
Bird
(obsolete) A chicken; the young of a fowl; a young eaglet; a nestling.
Chicken
Plural of chick
Bird
Booing and jeering, especially as done by an audience expressing displeasure at a performer.
Chicken
(informal) Cowardly.
Why do you refuse to fight? Huh, I guess you're just too chicken.
Bird
(with definite article) The vulgar hand gesture in which the middle finger is extended.
Chicken
(intransitive) To avoid a situation one is afraid of.
Bird
A yardbird.
Chicken
A young bird or fowl, esp. a young barnyard fowl.
Bird
A kilogram of cocaine.
Chicken
A young person; a child; esp. a young woman; a maiden; same as spring chicken.
Bird
A penis.
Chicken
The flesh of a chicken used for food
Bird
(slang) A prison sentence.
He’s doing bird.
Chicken
A domestic fowl bred for flesh or eggs; believed to have been developed from the red jungle fowl
Bird
(intransitive) To observe or identify wild birds in their natural environment.
Chicken
A person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy
Bird
(intransitive) To catch or shoot birds; to hunt birds.
Chicken
A foolhardy competition; a dangerous activity that is continued until one competitor becomes afraid and stops
Bird
To seek for game or plunder; to thieve.
Chicken
Easily frightened
Bird
To transmit via satellite.
Chicken
A young bird of this species, especially when less than a year old.
The children enjoyed watching the chickens peck around the barnyard.
Bird
To bring into prison, to roof.
Bird
Able to be passed with very little work; having the nature of a bird course.
Bird
Orig., a chicken; the young of a fowl; a young eaglet; a nestling; and hence, a feathered flying animal (see 2).
That ungentle gull, the cuckoo's bird.
The brydds [birds] of the aier have nestes.
Bird
A warm-blooded, feathered vertebrate provided with wings. See Aves.
Bird
Specifically, among sportsmen, a game bird.
Bird
Fig.: A girl; a maiden.
And by my word! the bonny birdIn danger shall not tarry.
Bird
To catch or shoot birds.
Bird
Hence: To seek for game or plunder; to thieve.
Bird
To watch birds, especially in their natural habitats, for enjoyment; to birdwatch.
Bird
Warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
Bird
The flesh of a bird or fowl (wild or domestic) used as food
Bird
Informal terms for a (young) woman
Bird
A cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt
Bird
Badminton equipment consisting of a ball of cork or rubber with a crown of feathers
Bird
Watch and study birds in their natural habitat
Bird
A descendant of dinosaurs, specifically from the theropod dinosaurs.
Birds are considered modern dinosaurs due to their ancestry.
Bird
A vertebrate animal with a life cycle that includes hatching from an egg.
A bird’s nest is usually a safe place for laying and incubating eggs.
Common Curiosities
What is a bird?
A bird is any member of the class Aves, characterized by feathers, beaks, and egg-laying abilities.
Are all chickens birds?
Yes, all chickens are birds, but not all birds are chickens.
How are chickens protected by law?
Animal welfare laws often cover chickens, especially in the context of farming practices.
Are all birds protected species?
Many birds are protected by law, but not all; this varies by region and species.
What roles do birds play in nature?
Birds serve various roles, such as pollination, seed dispersal, and controlling insect populations.
What is a chicken?
A chicken is a domesticated bird raised for its meat and eggs, and is a subspecies of the red junglefowl.
Can chickens fly?
Chickens can manage short bursts of flight but are not adapted for sustained flying like many other birds.
What do birds eat?
Birds have varied diets, including seeds, insects, fish, or other animals, depending on the species.
Where do birds live?
Birds live in nearly every habitat on Earth, from forests to deserts to the Arctic tundra.
Where are chickens found?
Chickens are primarily found on farms and in other domesticated settings around the world.
Do birds have cultural significance?
Yes, birds often carry cultural symbolism, varying from freedom to spiritual messengers, across different societies.
What do chickens eat?
Chickens are omnivores; they eat seeds, insects, and various food scraps provided by humans.
How do birds reproduce?
Birds lay eggs, which they incubate until they hatch.
How do chickens reproduce?
Chickens reproduce by laying eggs, which can be fertilized by a rooster for offspring.
What role do chickens play in ecosystems?
Chickens are mainly part of human agriculture and do not play a significant role in natural ecosystems.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
