bird, n.⁵ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

bird n.⁵

[? a ‘bird in the hand’ or play on SE fly]

an outstanding person, animal or object.

1870		D. Kirwan Palace & Hovel 70: Jerry, my moke’s a bird [...] to match him’s quite absurd.
1914		Ade ‘The New Fable of the Uplifter’ in Ade’s Fables 116: Every one said the Show was a Bird, but they thought it was up to the Author to resign from the Baptist Church.
1966		J. Holledge Great Aust. Gamble 157: In a letter to hundreds of Melbourne punters he claimed to have ‘a bird’ for the Epsom Handicap.
1983		J. Byrell (con. 1959) Up the Cross 39: Pig Iron Bob was entered [in a horserace] and was a dead set bird.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

make a bird of (v.)

to succeed in a project.

2003

make a dead bird of (v.)

to make absolutely sure of what one is doing.

2003